Ankle movement and fear of movement tracked pain changes during Achilles rehabilitation
A secondary trial analysis identified characteristics linked to larger pain reductions, but it did not test whether changing those characteristics causes pain relief.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
In people with Achilles tendinopathy, several starting characteristics predicted greater reductions in movement-evoked pain during rehabilitation. Changes in ankle movement, stiffness, depression and fear of movement also accompanied pain changes. These relationships may help researchers understand recovery, but they do not establish which feature should be targeted to reduce pain.
The abstract does not describe the rehabilitation protocol or quantify overall pain relief. This abstract-based account concerns associations within a trial and cannot show whether changing a particular characteristic causes pain to improve.
Starting characteristics mattered
Younger age and a lower Achilles assessment score predicted larger pain reductions. Ankle movement mattered differently by task: less upward bending during walking and more during stretching at baseline were linked to greater improvement.
Changes occurring together
During rehabilitation, shorter stiffness duration and reduced depression and fear of movement accompanied greater pain reductions, as did increased ankle bending during walking. The analysis did not detect an association between tendinopathy type and pain.
The original publication
Exploring biomarkers of change in movement-evoked pain in Achilles tendinopathy: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.
Janowski AJ, Post AA, Heredia-Rizo AM et al.
Clin Biomech (Bristol) · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41207117
- Record checked
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