SWAAT Study: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Arginine Supplementation and Other Nutraceuticals for Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

64 patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy were randomized to receive extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and an arginine supplement or ESWT and a placebo. Although there was no difference between the two groups for pain at 2 months, the supplement group demonstrated lower pain scores than the control group at 6 months. The supplement group was also superior to the control group at 2 and 6 months for mean Ankle-Hindfoot Scale scores and Roles and Maudsley scores. At 6 months, the decrease in tissue oximetry values was significantly greater in the supplement group than in the control group.