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Achilles Tendinopathy (AT)NCT07519148

Effects of Tissue Flossing on Pain and Functional Performance in Patients With Achilles Tendinopathy

A study testing Tissue flossing and Eccentric exercises in people with Achilles Tendinopathy (AT), run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effectiveness of tissue flossing as an adjunctive therapy for Achilles tendinopathy. Thirty participants, aged 20-45 years with a clinical diagnosis of Achilles tendinopathy (>6 weeks), will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 45 years
Conditions the study is for
Achilles Tendinopathy (AT)
What is being tested?
Tissue flossing and Eccentric exercises
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 sitePakistan
Study dates
18 Sep 2025to 30 Jan 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 20 to 45 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • · Adults aged 20-45 years.
  • Clinically diagnosed with Achilles tendinopathy for more than 6 weeks.
  • Ability to walk independently.
  • Pain on palpation of the Achilles tendon.
  • A pain score greater than 3/10 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
  • Subjective reporting of pain located 2-6 cm above the tendon's insertion into the calcaneum (heel bone).
  • A positive Painful Arc sign (pain localized to the tendon that moves with ankle motion).
  • A Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 29.9.

Who cannot join

  • · Systemic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).
  • A recent corticosteroid injection (e.g., within the last 3 months) or surgery related to the Achilles tendon.
  • Diagnosed neurological deficits.
  • Recent fractures in the lower limb.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Pakistan1 site

  • Fauji Foundation Hospital

    Rawalpindi, Punjab Province, 46000

Other trials in Pakistan

About this study

This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effectiveness of tissue flossing as an adjunctive therapy for Achilles tendinopathy. Thirty participants, aged 20-45 years with a clinical diagnosis of Achilles tendinopathy (>6 weeks), will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will receive a single session of tissue flossing (involving an elastic band wrapped from mid-calf to heel under moderate tension, followed by active ankle exercises) combined with conventional eccentric loading exercises. The control group will receive conventional eccentric loading exercises only. The primary outcome measures will be pain intensity, assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS); ankle range of motion, measured via the Weight-Bearing Lunge Test (WBLT); functional limitation, evaluated with the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS); and jump performance, measured by countermovement jump height using the My Jump Lab app. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, after the intervention session, and at a one-week follow-up. The study aims to determine if tissue flossing provides significant immediate and short-term improvements in pain and function, potentially offering a novel, low-cost supportive technique for rehabilitation.

Being tested
Tissue flossing, Eccentric exercises
Keywords
Achilles tendinopathy, Voodoo flossing, Tissue flossing

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Tissue flossingDevice

    Also called Voodoo flossing

    The intervention group receives a single session of tissue flossing combined with conventional treatment. The flossing protocol involves applying an elastic band (50-70% tension) from the mid-calf to the heel. While wrapped, participants perform active ankle range of motion and bodyweight heel raises for 2-3 minutes. This is immediately followed by the conventional treatment: eccentric loading exercises for the gastrocnemius (knee straight) and soleus (knee flexed 45°) muscles, consisting of 2 sets of 20 repetitions with a 5-minute rest between sets.

  • Eccentric exercisesOther

    The control group will receive conventional treatment only, which consists of a standardized eccentric exercise program for the Achilles tendon. This protocol involves performing eccentric loading exercises for both the gastrocnemius muscle with the knee held straight and the soleus muscle with the knee flexed to 45 degrees. The dosage is set at two sets of twenty repetitions for each exercise, with a five-minute rest period provided between sets. This conventional regimen will be administered in three sessions over the course of one week. Participants in this group will not receive any form of tissue flossing intervention. All outcome measures, including pain, range of motion, functional performance, and jump height, will be assessed at baseline, after each treatment session, and at the one-week follow-up to evaluate progress.

Study groups in NCT07519148
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention groupExperimentalGroup receiving tissue flossing and eccentric exercises
Receives: Device: Tissue flossing
Control groupActive comparatorGroup receiving only eccentric exercises
Receives: Other: Eccentric exercises

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Numeric Pain rating scale

    Level of pain measured by Numeric Pain rating scale (NPRS), 0 means no pain and 10 means severe pain

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week

Secondary outcomes (3)

  1. Range of motion

    Range of motion at ankle joint measured using weight bearing lunge test

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week

  2. Counter-movement Jump Height

    Countermovement Jump (CMJ) is a widely used, rapid, and non-invasive athletic assessment that measures lower-body explosive power, neuromuscular function, and fatigue. It involves an athlete standing upright, performing a quick downward movement (countermovement) to a self-selected depth, followed immediately by a maximal vertical jump

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week

  3. Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)

    A 20-item, self-report questionnaire assessing the patient-perceived functional ability of individuals with lower extremity musculoskeletal conditions

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Apr 2026
  2. Study start18 Sep 2025
  3. Primary completion30 Jan 2026
  4. Study completion30 Jan 2026

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
30 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07519148
Sponsor's protocol ID
REC/02271 Tayyab
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
2 Apr 2026
Last updated
9 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Chen J, Wang Q, Zhao Z, Song Q, Zhao P, Wang D. Acute effects of tissue flossing on boxers with chronic knee pain. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2025 Jan 14;12:1508054. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1508054. eCollection 2024.

    PubMed 39877264

  • Cheatham SW, Baker R. Tissue Flossing: A Commentary on Clinical Practice Recommendations. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2024 Apr 1;19(4):477-489. doi: 10.26603/001c.94598. eCollection 2024.

    PubMed 38576832

  • Mills B, Mayo B, Tavares F, Driller M. The Effect of Tissue Flossing on Ankle Range of Motion, Jump, and Sprint Performance in Elite Rugby Union Athletes. J Sport Rehabil. 2020 Mar 1;29(3):282-286. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2018-0302.

    PubMed 30676229

  • Borda J, Selhorst M. The use of compression tack and flossing along with lacrosse ball massage to treat chronic Achilles tendinopathy in an adolescent athlete: a case report. J Man Manip Ther. 2017 Feb;25(1):57-61. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2016.1159403. Epub 2016 May 30.

    PubMed 28855793

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Tissue flossing and Eccentric exercises in people with Achilles Tendinopathy (AT), run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Pakistan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Numeric Pain rating scale (time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 1 week). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07519148, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Apr 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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