Comparative Effects of Laser and Extracorpeal Shock Wave in Patients With Achilles Tendinopathy.

The therapy system will be used the Thor DD Laser Therapy Unit. This will be a class 3B laser with an 810-nm, 100-mW infrared probe. Laser or placebo laser treatment protocols will be identical and will be delivered with the patients lying prone, with their foot over the end of the treatment plinth and the ankle plantar-grade. The contact method will be used to apply the laser treatment probe to 3 standardized points on both sides of the Achilles' tendon (6 in all: at the site of the lesion, 2cm proximal, and 2cm distal) for 30 seconds, giving a dose of 3J per point and 18J per session for the active probe(23). The treating physiotherapist, without any knowledge of which position on the switch will be the active laser, will select position 1 or 2 on the switch according to group allocation.

When treating Achilles tendinopathy, most researchers will be used 3 sessions of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) with a one-week break in between. There will also be shorter breaks of 3 to 4 days or longer 2-week breaks. The number of pulses per session will range from 800 to 3000, and the pulse frequency will be between 4 and 50 Hz.