Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy Combined With Eccentric Exercise in Treating Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse tendon injury, affecting athletes in running and similar sports. Repetitive overload of the Achilles tendon is the primary cause of inflammation, collagen degeneration, and tendon thickening. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of combining low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with eccentric exercises in treating midportion Achilles tendinopathy. Methods This prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Sports Injury Centre, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, from 2019 to 2022. Sixty clinically diagnosed patients with midportion Achilles tendinopathy, aged 18 to 60, were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A received eccentric exercises with LLLT, and Group B received eccentric exercises with placebo LLLT. The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) score and the visual analog scale (VAS) score were used to measure treatment effectiveness at baseline and three, six, 12, and 24 weeks. Results The study included 60 participants, with no dropouts observed. The mean age was 33.9 ± 8.3 years in Group A and 33.40 ± 8.64 years in Group B, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.821). Both groups showed significant improvement in VISA-A and VAS scores over time (p < 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at any time point (p > 0.05). Conclusion Adding LLLT to eccentric exercises did not provide significant additional benefits compared to eccentric exercises alone in treating midportion Achilles tendinopathy. Practitioners should prioritize evidence-based interventions, such as eccentric exercises, as the primary treatment modality while considering alternative therapies for adjunctive purposes. Further research is needed to explore additional modalities or combination therapies that may enhance outcomes for patients with Achilles tendinopathy.
Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Ethics Committee, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi issued approval S. no. IEC/VMMC/SJH/Thesis/2019-10/69. Accepted Research Proposal. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
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