The use of compression tack and flossing along with lacrosse ball massage to treat chronic Achilles tendinopathy in an adolescent athlete: a case report

Abstract

Background: Achilles tendinopathy is an overuse injury that often affects individuals engaged in recreational or competitive level activity. Although most patients experience satisfactory results with therapy, a substantial portion fail to respond to traditional treatment. The purpose of this case study is to describe the successful use of compression tack and flossing (CTF) with lacrosse ball massage (LBM) in the treatment of an adolescent athlete with Achilles tendinopathy who had failed to respond to traditional treatment. Case Description: The patient was a 14-year old female diagnosed with chronic Achilles tendinopathy. She presented with 8/10 left posterior ankle pain during activity and scored 66/80 on the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). After six weeks of PT consisting of eccentric exercise, proprioceptive training, and iontophoresis, the patient continued to report pain during sport and no significant improvements on the LEFS. With traditional PT failing to resolve symptoms, the patient was treated with CTF and LBM. Outcomes: The outcomes of interest were the LEFS and the ability to participate in sport without pain. After only two sessions focusing on CTF and LBM, she had 0/10 pain during sport and scored a 79/80 on the LEFS. Patient was discharged to continue with a home exercise program consisting of CTF and LBM, and eccentric exercise. Discussion: The patient's outcomes significantly improved after CTF and LBM was added to eccentric exercise. These results suggest that this intervention may be a viable adjunct treatment for Achilles tendinopathy; however further research, including controlled clinical trials and long-term outcome data, are warranted.

Effekte von Medical Flossing bei Patienten mit Schulterbeschwerden – Randomisierte kontrollierte Pilotstudie

“…Die Aussagekraft der Ergebnisse für Patienten ist kritisch zu hinterfragen, da solche Studien kein Symptomverhalten betrachten und physiologische Bedingungen nur bis zum Erreichen der physiologischen Grenze positiv beeinflusst werden können [34]. Die Effekte des Medical Flossings auf das Schmerzniveau wurden hingegen in einer Einzelfallstudie untersucht [12]. Hierbei wurde allerdings die Anwendung mit einer Lacrosse-Ball-Massage bei einer Patientin mit einer chronischen Achillotendinopathie kombiniert.…”

“…In zwei Einzelfallstudien wurden Effekte des Medical Flossings in der Behandlung von Patienten mit Beschwerden der unteren Extremität untersucht [11,12]. Eine Pilotstudie zur Wirksamkeitsprüfung des Medical Flossings bei unspezifischen Knie-und Sprunggelenksproblemen wurde nach Angaben des Autors aufgrund von Messfehlern, die sich bei der Auswertung herausstellten, nicht beendet [13].…”

“…Von Relevanz sind, neben der Wirksamkeit, mögliche Nebenwirkungen. Das Risiko von Schmerzen, Hautreizungen, Hämatomen, Quaddeln und Unwohlsein in Folge der Behandlung ist zwar vereinzelt beschrieben, wurde jedoch in keiner der Studien systematisch erfasst [6,7,[11][12][13][14][15][16].…”

Quantification of the Rockfloss® Floss Band Stretch Force at Different Elongation Lengths

“…1 After application, the client performs up to a 2-minute "tissue flossing" intervention that may include various active and passive movements of the wrapped bodily region. 2 Despite the popularity, there is a lack of research on this intervention, and the few published studies have resulted in mixed outcomes. Several studies have documented improved postintervention ankle range of motion (ROM), jump, sprint performance for up to 45 minutes in healthy individuals, 3,4 reduce the effects of edema in postsurgical patients, 5 and improve pain and function in individuals suffering from Achilles tendinopathy.…”

“…Several studies have documented improved postintervention ankle range of motion (ROM), jump, sprint performance for up to 45 minutes in healthy individuals, 3,4 reduce the effects of edema in postsurgical patients, 5 and improve pain and function in individuals suffering from Achilles tendinopathy. 2 Consequently, researchers have also found that healthy individuals reported an increase in perceived postintervention shoulder-flexion ROM despite not experiencing a measurable ROM increase. The authors concluded that the floss bands may have more of a psychological effect than a physical effect on flexibility.…”