TABLE 1.
Participant (n = 26) characteristics at baseline.
| Heel lift group (n = 13) | Sham (n = 13) | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics and anthropometrics | ||
| Age (years) | 50.8 ± 9.7 | 51.9 ± 6.4 |
| Sex and gender (female) | 5 (39%) | 4 (31%) |
| Height (cm) | 168.4 ± 10.8 | 170.9 ± 7.7 |
| Weight (kg) | 91.5 ± 17.4 | 102.5 ± 28.9 |
| BMI | 32.4 ± 6.4 | 34.8 ± 8.3 |
| Foot posture index score | 2.4 ± 2.7 | 2.7 ± 4.4 |
| Ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion (degrees) | 24.5 ± 8.2 | 23.7 ± 4.5 |
| Smoking status (yes) | 0 (0%) | 2 (15%) |
| Achilles tendinopathy characteristics | ||
| Painful Achilles side (left/right/bilateral) | 6(46%)/4(31%)/3(23%) | 3 (23%)/4(31%)/6(46%) |
| Duration of symptoms (months)—median (IQR) | 12 (8.5–28) | 12 (5.5–24) |
| Ultrasound imaging (tendon thickening/hypoechoic regions/both) | 6(46%)/1(8%)/6(46%) | 3(23%)/0(0%)/10(77%) |
| Footwear | ||
| Women's shoe size (US) | 7.8 ± 1.2 | 8.8 ± 1.4 |
| Men's shoe size (US) | 10.6 ± 1.1 | 10.3 ± 1.7 |
| Pitch (mm)—median (IQR) | 10 (9.5–12) | 12 (8–13.5) |
| Main shoes worn (runner) | 6 (46%) | 9 (69%) |
| Ethnicity | ||
| United Kingdom | 7 (54%) | 4 (31%) |
| Oceanian | 2 (15%) | 1 (8%) |
| Southern and eastern Europe | 1 (8%) | 3 (23%) |
| North West European | 2 (15%) | 2 (15%) |
| Southeast Asian | 0 (0%) | 1 (8%) |
| Southern and central Asian | 0 (0%) | 1 (8%) |
| North African and middle eastern | 1 (8%) | 0 (0%) |
| Unknown/Not reported | 0 (0%) | 1 (8%) |
| Self‐reported education | ||
| High school (or equivalent completed) | 0 (0%) | 3 (23%) |
| Vocational training | 1 (8%) | 2 (15.5%) |
| College/university completed | 9 (69%) | 3 (23%) |
| Postgraduate degree completed | 3 (23%) | 5 (39%) |
| Self‐reported employment | ||
| Full‐time | 12 (93%) | 12 (93%) |
| Part‐time | 0 (0%) | 1 (8%) |
| Casual | 1 (8%) | 0 (0%) |
| Self‐reported medications a | ||
| Anti‐hypertensive | 4 (31%) | 3 (23%) |
| Cholesterol | 1 (8%) | 1 (8%) |
| Mental health | 0 (0%) | 2 (15%) |
| Vitamins and supplements | 4 (31%) | 1 (8%) |
| Thyroid | 1 (8%) | 1 (8%) |
| Diabetes | 1 (8%) | 0 (0%) |
| Other | 2 (15%) | 2 (15%) |
| No medications | 5 (39%) | 7 (54%) |
| International physical activity questionnaire‐short form | ||
| Vigorous exercise | ||
| Yes | 9 (69%) | 8 (62%) |
| Days per week | 3.3 ± 2.0 | 2.1 ± 0.9 |
| Minutes per day | 81.7 ± 106.7 | 71.3 ± 37.2 |
| Moderate exercise | ||
| Yes | 9 (69%) | 9 (69%) |
| Days per week | 2.9 ± 1.8 | 2.1 ± 0.7 |
| Minutes per day | 81.0 ± 71.4 | 99.4 ± 91.7 |
| Walking | ||
| Yes | 13 (100%) | 13 (100%) |
| Days per week | 6.1 ± 1.7 | 5.8 ± 1.9 |
| Minutes per day | 68.1 ± 63.0 | 71.9 ± 124.3 |
| Sitting | ||
| Hours per day | 6.4 ± 2.6 | 8.1 ± 3.6 |
Note: Values are mean ± SD unless otherwise noted.
a
Some participants took more than one type of medication.