What Is Achilles Tendonitis?

The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in your body. It starts at your calf muscle and runs to your heel bone. You use this tendon to walk, run, climb stairs, and jump. Even though this tendon is the strongest tendon in the body, injuries can still occur. One of the more common injuries of the Achilles tendon is Achilles tendonitis, which is caused by repetitive stress to the tendon.

 

How To Avoid Achilles Tendonitis

Increase activity level gradually– Achilles tendonitis is more likely to occur if you push yourself too fast, too soon. Instead of just deciding to start running for 30 minutes without any training or practice, start slow and increase your duration and intensity as time goes on.

Warm up- If you are participating in strenuous activities, make sure to warm-up by stretching and starting your exercise at a slower pace.  

Choose the correct shoes- Make sure all of your shoes have good arch support to reduce the tension on the Achilles tendon. If your shoes do not offer arch support, orthotics can be extremely helpful.

Strengthening calf muscles- Having a strong calf muscle will better enable the calf and Achilles tendon to handle stresses that will occur with daily movement and exercise. A good way to strengthen your calf muscle is through stretching and daily exercise.    

 

 

Symptoms

Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis include:

• Pain
• Aching stiffness
• Soreness
• Tenderness  

 

Treatment

After getting diagnosed with Achilles Tendonitis by a surgeon, patients may have one or more options recommended:

• Rest – Avoid overexerting yourself to allow your body to naturally heal itself.
• Medication – Pain medications can be used to reduce discomfort when flare-ups occur however other interventions will be necessary if chronic pain exists.
• Orthotics – These personalized shoe inserts will help reduce discomfort as well as aid in proper in healing.
• PRP – Platelet-rich plasma injections have shown effectiveness in improving tendon healing.
• Surgery – If all other approaches fail to bring your tendon back to the normal condition; your podiatric specialty may recommend surgery to repair the tendon depending on the extent of the injury.

 

If you have any of the symptoms above and want to be examined by a doctor please contact Foot and Ankle Surgeons of New York and set up an appointment today!