Shockwave or PRP: which boosts healing for aching achilles?
NCT ID NCT07483320
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether adding shockwave therapy or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to a standard exercise program helps people with long-term Achilles tendon pain. One hundred active adults aged 18-65 with symptoms lasting over 3 months will be randomly assigned to exercise alone or exercise plus one or both extra treatments. Researchers will track pain and function for 6 months to see which approach works best.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that combining shockwave therapy or PRP with exercise improves Achilles tendon pain and function better than exercise alone.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 100 participants. Results may not apply to everyone, and some treatments may not provide additional benefit over standard exercise.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18-65 years * Diagnosis of unilateral midportion Achilles tendinopathy * Symptoms present for more than 3 months * VISA-A score \<80 at baseline * Pre-injury physical activity level ≥3 on the Physical Activity Scale * Ability to participate in rehabilitation program Exclusion Criteria: * Symptoms present for less than 3 months * Prior PRP injection or ESWT treatment to the Achilles tendon within 3 months * Other lower extremity musculoskeletal injury affecting function * Symptomatic arthritis affecting the ankle or foot * Rheumatologic disease or connective tissue disorder * Coagulopathy or anticoagulant therapy affecting platelet function * Neuropathy affecting pain perception * Known cardiac condition contraindicating treatment * Poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c \>9.0) * Pregnancy
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Spaulding Cambridge Hospital
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Shockwave therapy may ease stubborn achilles pain
- Could a simple injection tame stubborn achilles pain?
- Toes-Out training may ease stubborn achilles pain
- Keyhole surgery may beat open cuts for achilles repair