122 Injections, Shams, and Achilles Tendinopathy

Injecting tendinopathies is a popular practice; everything from PRP to steroids to saline to even sugar. But is there any efficacy? What exactly do these things do? Could there actually be a mechanical effect or is it chemical or just good ol' placebo? When is a sham not really a sham and how do we know? We explore all these questions and more with special guest, Peter Malliaras!

Effect of High-Volume Injection, Platelet-Rich Plasma, and Sham Treatment in Chronic Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy: A Randomized Double-Blinded Prospective Study. Boesen AP, Hansen R, Boesen MI, Malliaras P, Langberg H. Am J Sports Med. 2017 Jul;45(9):2034-2043. doi: 10.1177/0363546517702862. Epub 2017 May 22.

Due to copyright laws, unless the article is open source we cannot legally post the PDF on the website for the world to download at will. That said, if you are having difficulty obtaining an article, contact us.

Check out Peter's blog which includes his online tendinopathy course at TendinopathyRehab.com

In the episode we reference Episode 107 and that article's Checklist for Minimum Reporting for Clinical Studies Evaluating PRP.

Music for PT Inquest: "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" by Less Than Jake Used by Permission