What is it?
Developed by the Tendinopathy Task force in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia, the Achilles Tendinopathy Toolkit is a summary of the current evidence supporting best physiotherapy practice, assessment and treatment of achilles tendinopathies.
It includes:
- A summary of the current evidence in the treatment of acute and chronic achilles tendinopathy including the clinical research evidence, published expert opinion, global take home messages and clinical implications
- A 1 page treatment algorithm to guide your clinical decision making when assessing and treating achilles tendinopathy
- A phased achilles tendon loading exercise protocol
- Low level laser therapy dosage calculation
- A thorough list of the evidence used to compile these recommendations for biomechanical assessment and interventions including manual therapy, exercise, low level laser therapy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, iontophoresis, taping, orthotic, brace/ night splint, heel lift and acupuncture/ related techniques.
- A summary of the medical and surgical interventions commonly prescribed for the management of an achilles tendinopathy including pharmacology, injection therapies, dry needling and surgery.
Our Thoughts:
This resource is incredibly well researched and organized for easy practical application. With one glance a practitioner can review the type of evidence, research methods, study results, pros and cons and practical implications for a wide array of articles and interventions. It is also refreshing to see expert clinical opinion factored into a recommendation. As we can all attest to, in physiotherapy we must not solely rely on evidence but our clinical experiences as well.
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