A study from the University Hospital Muenster, Germany, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) has shown the AirHeel brace is an alternative treatment option for chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

The study which looked into improving the clinical outcome of patients with chronic Achilles tendinopathy by using DJO’s AirHeel brace, found it to be an effective treatment equal to eccentric training. The results of the study also concluded that there were no synergistic effects when both treatment strategies were combined.

Achilles tendonitis, generally precipitated by overuse of the affected limb is common among athletes. The Achilles tendon when injured is slow to heal due its lack of good blood supply and cell activity. High load eccentric contractions have been shown to be effective in decreasing the pain and strengthening the tendon, with other treatments including cold compression therapy, NSAIDS, steroid injections and manual therapy.