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Could shockwaves and light be the new fix for Runner's achilles pain?

NCT ID NCT04725513

Symptom relief Sponsor: Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested three treatments for Achilles tendinopathy (pain in the middle of the Achilles tendon) in 46 runners. The treatments were shockwave therapy, a combination of shockwave and light therapy (photobiomodulation), and standard physical therapy. Participants were followed for three months, with an option to switch treatments after that. The goal was to see which approach best reduced pain and improved function.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
shockwave therapy and photobiomodulation (light therapy)
What this could lead to
If effective, these therapies could offer non-drug options to ease Achilles pain and help runners return to activity faster.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 46 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatments are not yet proven to work better than standard physical therapy.

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

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

46 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2022

Finished

Oct 2024

Lead sponsor

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

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * A diagnosis of mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy (including both unilateral and bilateral) * Running is the pre-injury primary form of physical activity and pre-injury would complete on average 10 miles per week or more of running * VISA-A \<80 at baseline to be eligible Exclusion Criteria * Less than 3 months of symptoms * Primary insertional Achilles tendinopathy * Diagnosis of rheumatological disease/connective tissue condition, symptomatic arthritis of foot and ankle, a primary running related injury outside Achilles tendinopathy, other contraindications to PBMT or SWT * Have received SWT within the past 3 months to their Achilles * Prior injection within 3 months * Currently enrolled in PT for more than 4 weeks for their condition * Women who are pregnant. * known history of Achilles tendon tear * currently taking oral steroid or fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Achilles tendinopathy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Spaulding Hospital Cambridge

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States

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