Isometric Exercise to Reduce Pain in Patellar Tendinopathy In-Season: Is It Effective “on the Road”?

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of an isometric squat exercise using a portable belt, on patellar tendon pain and function, in athletes during their competitive season. Design: Case series with no requirements to change any aspect of games or training. The object of this pragmatic study was to investigate this intervention in addition to “usual management.” A control or sham intervention was considered unacceptable to teams. Setting: In-season. Participants: A total of 25 male and female elite and subelite athletes from 5 sports. Intervention: 5 × 30-second isometric quadriceps squat exercise using a rigid belt completed over a 4-week period. Main Outcome Measures: (1) single-leg decline squat (SLDS)—a pain provocation test for the patellar tendon (numerical rating score of pain between 0 and 10), (2) VISA-P questionnaire assessing patellar tendon pain and function, and (3) self-reported adherence with completing the exercise over a 4-week period. Results: Baseline SLDS pain was high for these in-season athletes, median 7.5/10 (range 3.5-9) and was significantly reduced over the 4-week intervention (P
Source: Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Original Research Source Type: research