Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess short term recovery between individuals with Achilles tendinopathy with varying degrees of kinesiophobia when treated with the Silbernagel protocol. Secondarily to investigate short term change in degree of kinesiophobia. DESIGN: Prospective single cohort analysis. SETTING: University/Clinical. PARTICIPANTS: 116 participants with midportion Achilles tendinopathy were grouped from their baseline Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) score: Low (≤33), Medium (34-41), and High (≥42). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptom severity, Achilles tendon structure, and function were assessed at baseline and 8-weeks following initiation of the Silbernagel protocol. Differences in recovery between TSK groups were analyzed. RESULTS: No group by time interactions were observed for symptoms, structure, or function. A significant interaction of group by time was observed for TSK score. The Medium (n = 66) and High (n = 28) TSK groups significantly decreased TSK score after 8 weeks by 2.4 and 4.4 points respectively while the Low TSK group (n = 22) did not change. CONCLUSION: There were no differences in short term recovery of symptoms, Achilles tendon structure, and function in individuals with midportion Achilles tendinopathy treated with the Silbernagel protocol regardless of baseline degree of kinesiophobia. Those with moderate and high levels of kinesiophobia at baseline decreased TSK score in the short term.