Effects of compressive stockings and standard stockings in skin temperature and pressure pain threshold in runners with functional ankle equinus condition

Abstract

Objective: To assess clinical differences in the Achilles tendons of runners with ankle equinus wearing either compressive or standard stockings. Design: Case–control study. Methods: In this study, we conducted clinical examinations of 98 sportsmen (runners) with equinus, before and after 30 min of running on a treadmill; 49 runners wore compressive stockings and 49 wore standard stockings. Clinical assessments of the runners’ Achilles tendons were based on the pressure pain threshold (PPT) and skin temperature analysis. Results: Achilles tendon evaluations identified significant differences in skin temperature modification and PPT between the compressive and standard stocking groups. Conclusions: Based on our findings, we propose that higher skin temperatures are associated with lower pressure pain thresholds in the Achilles tendons of runners with ankle equinus.