RESEARCH HELP NEEDED

Do you get shin pain when you run?

Does it hurt here?

Phil Newman, Sports Physiotherapist, is investigating the

"Effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) versus placebo extracorporeal shock wave therapy in medial tibial stress syndrome" APPROVED - Project number 14-04

Phil needs participants with shin pain who may be willing to be involved.

Those receiving the sham therapy will be offered the active therapy at the conclusion of the study.

Brief description of the study.

Up to 30 % of runners develop medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). Often this requires lengthy disruption to training and sometimes will affect daily function. There is currently no high quality evidence to support any particular treatment for the condition known as MTSS. ESWT has been successfully used for the treatment of tendon injuries in the heel, foot and shoulder for approximately 15 years. It uses pulses of sound to trigger a repair response in the targeted tissues and has a very low adverse side effect rate.This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of ESWT in the treatment of MTSS.

Your part in the study.

Time Required - 5 treatment sessions scheduled at week 1,2,3,5 and 9. Each treatment session will last 30 minutes. The first and last session will include a treadmill run of up to 18 minutes (or until symptoms occur). Total time required will therefore be about 3.5 hours over 9 weeks.

Procedure:

  • First session; explanation of project and invitation to consent- 10 mins
  • Survey- your details, running times and mileage, any current symptoms. 15 mins
  • You will then be asked to run on a treadmill for up to 18 minutes and any symptoms will be recorded. Running will be captured on video camera to evaluate running technique.(Video clips and still shots may be used for reports and presentations, therefore if these images are used you may be identifiable- please indicate your preference for use of these images at the end of this document )(5-18 mins)
  • ESWT will be applied according to randomised protocols at week 1,2,3,5 and 9 (15 minutes each session).
  • Follow-up testing- repeat survey, repeat treadmill run (60 mins)

Risks of participating.

1.Mild discomfort to moderate pain during the treatment application which does not extend beyond the therapy session.

2. There are no foreseen risks other than those normally associated with running exercise.

It is possible a participant could injure themselves if they were to slip, fall or stumble during the pre or post treatment run. Floor surfaces and participants shoes should be non-slip.

POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTSshould call The Faculty of Health Clinics, on 62015843to arrange a suitable time.