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Acupuncture for chronic achilles tendnopathy: A randomized controlled study

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Abstract

Objective

To examine whether acupuncture treatment would improve outcome in chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

Methods

A randomized, controlled trial at two centers of 64 randomized patients aged 18 to 70 years with chronic Achilles tendinopathy was conducted from July 2007 to April 2010, with follow-up until October, 2010. These patients were randomly allocated into an acupuncture treatment group (acupuncture group) and an eccentric exercises group (control group). The validated Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire was completed at baseline and 8, 16, and 24 weeks. The pain at rest and after activity was accessed at baseline and 8 weeks with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

Results

After randomization into the acupuncture group or control group, one patient was loss of follow-up. The mean VISA-A score improved signifificantly after 8 weeks in the acupuncture group to 67.1 points [95% confifidence interval (CI), 64.1–70.2] and in the control group to 48.5 points (95% CI, 45.5–51.6) with an additional 18.6 points increase in acupuncture treatment patients (P=0.0000). Acupuncture treatment resulted in a significant increase from baseline in VISA-A of 25.8 after 16 weeks and 28.4 after 24 weeks. Whereas, in the control group the increase from baseline in VISA-A were 10.0 and 16.6 after 16 and 24 weeks, respectively (P=0.0000). The VAS diminished by 2.0 cm after activity, and by 1.5 cm at rest after 8 weeks in the control group. In the acupuncture group, the pain scores diminished significantly more than in the control group, with pain reduction of 3.7 cm after activity (P=0.0000) and 3.2 cm at rest (P =0.0000).

Conclusion

Acupuncture intervention could improve pain and activity in patients with chronic Achilles tendinopathy compared with eccentric exercises.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200080, China

    Bi-meng Zhang  (张必萌), Li-wei Zhong  (钟力炜) & Si-wei Xu  (徐斯伟)

  2. Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Hui-ru Jiang  (蒋会茹)

  3. Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China

    Jian Shen  (沈 健)

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  1. Bi-meng Zhang  (张必萌)
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  2. Li-wei Zhong  (钟力炜)
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  3. Si-wei Xu  (徐斯伟)
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  4. Hui-ru Jiang  (蒋会茹)
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  5. Jian Shen  (沈 健)
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Zhang, Bm., Zhong, Lw., Xu, Sw. et al. Acupuncture for chronic achilles tendnopathy: A randomized controlled study. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 19, 900–904 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-012-1218-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-012-1218-4

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