Effectiveness of Eccentric Exercise Training on Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Background: In the Postmenopausal phase, there is a drastic reduction in estrogen levels which may alter tendon metabolism and production of different growth factors, resulting in chronic tendon disorders or tendon rupture. Achilles tendinopathy predominantly affects athletes, but it may also impact individuals with sedentary lifestyles, especially women in their postmenopausal stage. We studied the effectiveness of eccentric exercise training on chronic Achilles tendinopathy in postmenopausal women. Methods: 31 females (aged 45-60, average age 51, BMI 27.6 ± 4.7, range 22.9- 32.3) in their postmenopausal phase with clinical diagnosis of chronic unilateral Achilles tendinopathy both insertional and mid-portion were assessed for pain and functional outcomes with VAS (on rest and on activity ) and VISA-A questionnaire before commencing the exercise and after completion of the training after a duration of 4 weeks. Results: Participants showed an acute improvement in pain on rest and activity and the VISA-A score post-intervention. There was no significant difference in the pre- and post-score on the VAS scale and the VISA- Questionnaire. The mean VAS scale score on rest was 3.580 pre-intervention and 2.903 post-intervention, while the VAS scale score (on activity) was 7.451 pre-intervention which reduced to 6.096 post-intervention. The mean VISA-A score pre-intervention was 39.80, and post-intervention was 46.35. Conclusion: Postmenopausal women suffering from chronic Achilles tendinopathy showed a significant result through training with an eccentric exercise program KEYWORDS: Achilles tendon, Postmenopausal women, Eccentric exercises.