Achilles tendon pain? Common injections are not as effective as you thought

A new clinical study published in The BMJ reveals that common injections for treating Achilles tendon pain do not offer a significant advantage over placebo treatment in the long term. The researchers recommend reconsidering the routine use of these injections.

A new clinical study published in The BMJ significantly questions the effectiveness of common injections for treating Achilles tendon pain. The study, conducted in Australia and involving 192 adults, found that injections containing local anesthetic, saline, and sometimes steroids do not offer a significant clinical advantage over placebo treatment in the long term. Participants were divided into three groups: a placebo group, a group receiving a high-volume injection without steroids, and a group receiving an injection with steroids. After 12 months, no clear differences in pain and disability levels were found between the groups. The steroid injection provided a small, short-term improvement after six weeks, but after 26 weeks the results were worse. The researchers recommend that doctors reconsider the use of these injections, emphasizing that the recommended treatment for Achilles tendon pain remains exercise-based physiotherapy.