Dr Peter Malliaras and Greg talk tendons, tendinopathy and rehab
Dec 12, 2024
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Dr. Peter Malliaras, a full-time professor at Monash University and expert in tendinopathy, shares his insights on tendon rehabilitation. He emphasizes the limited role of injections in treatment, highlighting the importance of personalized care and effective load management. Peter discusses the complexities of strength testing methods and the significance of proper loading in recovery. He reflects on his transition from practice to academia and acknowledges the influence of mentorship in his career while advocating for accessible educational resources on tendinopathy.
The podcast critically evaluates the role of injections in treating tendinopathy, revealing a lack of supporting evidence for their effectiveness beyond short-term improvements.
There is a strong emphasis on the need for further research into exercise protocols and load management approaches to enhance tendinopathy rehabilitation outcomes.
Deep dives
Injected Treatments for Tendinopathy
The effectiveness of injections like PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) in treating tendinopathy is critically examined, revealing a lack of strong evidence supporting their use. High-quality studies consistently show that PRP does not provide significant benefits when compared to placebo treatments. While PRP might have shown some improvements compared to steroids in short-term applications, long-term outcomes remain unsatisfactory. The discussion emphasizes the importance of patient-centered care, allowing patients to weigh the risks and potential short-term benefits before deciding on injection treatments.
The Complexity of Tendinopathy Pain
Understanding why tendinopathy results in pain involves recognizing that it isn't solely attributable to structural changes within the tendon, but rather a complex interplay involving the nervous system. Pain can arise from local tissue changes, but the individual's life circumstances and psychological factors play significant roles in how pain is perceived. This means that two individuals with identical physical issues may experience very different levels of pain based on personal factors. Therefore, treatment strategies must consider both local and broader influences when addressing tendinopathy-related pain.
The Role of Exercise in Tendinopathy Rehabilitation
The conversation highlights the variability in exercise trials designed to treat tendinopathy, pointing out the absence of standardized comparisons and the lack of quality evidence that aligns exercise protocols with patient outcomes. Although exercise is commonly recommended, there is skepticism regarding whether it holds the same scientific rigor that is demanded of other treatments like injections. Many protocols have diverging methods, making it difficult to determine the causal relationship between exercise and pain relief. As a result, practitioners are encouraged to critically assess their exercise recommendations instead of following traditional guidelines without sufficient evidence.
Future Directions in Tendinopathy Research
Emphasis is placed on the need for further research to explore the nuances of tendinopathy treatments and their effectiveness. The discussion acknowledges the importance of differentiating between exercises and load management approaches while conducting clinical trials to understand their relative merits. There is an ongoing push to explore the psychological and physical factors that may contribute to outcomes in tendinopathy rehabilitation, suggesting that conventional wisdom surrounding treatment approaches may require reevaluation. Ultimately, researchers are called to develop a more nuanced understanding through well-designed studies that could lead to more effective interventions in practice.
We had Dr Peter Malliaris on this week talking tendons. Its great to hear different researcher clinicians provide their different takes on the same topic. Dr Malliaris is a full time professor at Monash University with a keen interest in Tendinopathy. He teaches the popular online course Tendinopathy rehab.
We talk about:
The role of injections in tendinopathy (hint: not much) The limitations of the literature and research surrounding exercise and tendinopathy
The role of load management in tendinopathy and why we don’t have a lot of research on it despite it probably being the most important thing we can manage
The role of heavy loading, strength changes and tendinopathy recovery
Strength testing and tendinopathy rehab
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