Effectiveness of isometric exercise in the management of tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials

33Citations
Citations of this article
462Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Objective To systematically review and critically appraise the literature on the effectiveness of isometric exercise in comparison with other treatment strategies or no treatment in tendinopathy. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources Electronic searches of Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE and Cochrane were undertaken from inception to May 2020. Methods Overall quality of each study was determined based on a combined assessment of internal validity, external validity and precision. For each outcome measure, level of evidence was rated based on the system by van Tulder et al. Results Ten studies were identified and included in the review, including participants with patellar (n=4), rotator cuff (n=2), lateral elbow (n=2), Achilles (n=1) and gluteal (n=1) tendinopathies. Three were of good and seven were of poor overall quality. Based on limited evidence (level 3), isometric exercise was not superior to isotonic exercise for chronic tendinopathy either immediately following treatment or in the short term (≤12 weeks) for any of the investigated outcome measures. Additionally, for acute rotator cuff tendinopathy, isometric exercise appears to be no more effective than ice therapy in the short term (limited evidence; level 3). Summary Isometric exercise does not appear to be superior to isotonic exercise in the management of chronic tendinopathy. The response to isometric exercise is variable both within and across tendinopathy populations. Isometric exercise can be used as part of a progressive loading programme as it may be beneficial for selected individuals. PROSPERO registration number CRD42019147179.

Author supplied keywords

References Powered by Scopus

Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement

52303Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials

24968Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Clinical importance of changes in chronic pain intensity measured on an 11-point numerical pain rating scale

4341Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Management of patellar tendinopathy: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised studies

30Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Physiotherapy management of Achilles tendinopathy

18Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Evaluating lower limb tendinopathy with Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment (VISA) questionnaires: a systematic review shows very-low-quality evidence for their content and structural validity—part I

17Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Clifford, C., Challoumas, D., Paul, L., Syme, G., & Millar, N. L. (2020, January 5). Effectiveness of isometric exercise in the management of tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine. BMJ Publishing Group. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000760

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 87

70%

Researcher 14

11%

Professor / Associate Prof. 13

10%

Lecturer / Post doc 10

8%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Nursing and Health Professions 86

44%

Medicine and Dentistry 64

33%

Sports and Recreations 42

21%

Engineering 4

2%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 115

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free