
What you need to know about Achilles Tendinopathy
The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It connects your heel to your calf muscles and allows you to walk, run, jump and play sports. Achilles Tendinopathy is an overuse injury that can occur due to repetitive activities such as running or jumping.
What is Achilles Tendinopathy?
Achilles tendinopathy is a condition that affects the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. It is a common overuse injury caused by repetitive energy storage and releases with excessive compression. It can lead to a sudden injury, or in the worst case, an Achilles tendon rupture. In both cases, flexibility or a stiff Achilles tendon increases the risk of these injuries. Tendinopathy is a degenerative, not inflammatory, condition typically associated with athletes who participate in running sports.
Scientific studies have shown that surgical samples show a range of degenerative changes in the Achilles tendon, such as its fibre structure and arrangement and an increase in glycosaminoglycans, leading to swelling of the tendon.
Symptoms Of Achilles Tendinopathy
The Achilles tendon may feel burning pain at the start of a movement or activity, which diminishes throughout and then returns to a level of stiffness in the morning or following exercise.
Achilles Tendinopathy causes symptoms such as pain at the back of the foot, especially when trying to push off with the toes. This condition can cause pain when walking and running and may make it difficult for you to move your foot up or down in certain situations, stiffness in the ankle joint and swelling along the Achilles tendon. Occasionally, there may be a tingling sensation just below the heel bone where it attaches to the Achilles tendon.
- Pain at the back of the foot and worsens during activity.
- Stiffness (usually during the morning)
- Loss of strength when doing an activity
- The midportion Achilles may be swollen and feel tender
- Redness or warmth in the Achilles tendon
Causes of Achilles Tendinopathy
The causes of Achilles tendinopathy can be divided into two: Intrinsic and extrinsic factors and the situation may be either alone or with a combination of these two.
Intrinsic Factors
Are medical conditions and or biomechanical abnormalities that may contribute to developing the condition. These are includes:
- forefoot deformity
- diabetes
- gout
- arthritis
- restricted movement of the subtalar joint
- hypertension/psoriasis
- high arches/pes cavus
- Aging
Extrinsic Factors
These are external factors that involve physical activity or accidents that can cause Achilles Tendinopathy.
- overuse of the Achilles
- repetitive loading
- wearing inappropriate footwear during training or activity
- training or sloped or hard surfaces
- the excessive intensity or abrupt changes in your training intensity that mainly causes activity pain
- poor or damage shock absorption
Treatment for Achilles Tendinopathy
If you think you’ve injured your Achilles tendon or are experiencing painful tendons, it is vital to see a podiatrist or primary care practitioner straightaway. If left untreated, Achilles tendinopathy becomes increasingly challenging to treat. Above all else, rest the injury as soon as possible and stop any activities that worsen the condition or cause. There are non-surgical and surgical treatments for Achilles Tendinopathy, depending on the severity of your condition.
Initial Rest
Initial treatment for mild or acute tendon pain includes a combination of rest. It is essential to avoid activities that may worsen the pain or damage your Achilles. However, exercise can be restarted when the pain subsides, but only as it allows. Prolonged periods of complete rest may worsen your injury. Speak with a healthcare provider to determine when it is the right time to return to exercising.
Ice Packs
An ice pack may be applied to reduce swelling of the Achilles tendon for around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the patient’s response. The more prolonged application tends to numb skin and makes ice ineffective.
Orthotics Device
Your Podiatrist may recommend custom functional orthotics as there may be a diagnosed misalignment of biomechanics during standing, walking, and running. In contrast, braces or splints do not seem to provide any benefit in terms of Achilles tendon pain.
Stretch or Exercise
Your Podiatrist may also recommend some exercise routines to strengthen and stretch the Achilles tendon, which will reduce the risk of further damage as stretching has a good effect on your Achilles. Physical therapy may be necessary for some patients.
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
The podiatrist will discuss with you the options for treatment; this may include shockwave therapy. These sound waves pass through your skin to the tendon area where this injury occurred.
Surgical Treatment
Symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy in most patients will usually clear within 3-6 months of starting conservative care, as described above. Suppose your symptoms lack recovery after 3-6 months of chronic injury. In that case, your podiatrist will explain to you the best option for treating your Achilles and suggest referring you to undergo surgery.
The goal of surgery is to remove degenerative tissue and stimulate healing with controlled, low-grade trauma.
What are the Risks & limitations due to Achilles Tendinopathy in day to day life?
Due to the condition of Achilles tendinopathy, it is advisable for individuals with this condition to avoid strenuous activities that can worsen their symptoms or, worse, may cause a total rupture of the soft tissues in their Achilles tendon. Such movements as hill running, walking up and downstairs, and uneven surfaces may put you at high risk. You may still do light exercises if your Achilles does not feel any pain, but it is best to perform proper stretching and warm up to avoid additional stress in the area.
Why Choose Stephen Zucal South Perth Podiatrist for Achilles Tendinopathy treatment?
Stephen Zucal South Perth Podiatrist will be able to offer you treatment options for Achilles Tendinopathy with our specialized rehabilitation program designed specifically for patients suffering from this injury. If you think you have Achilles tendinopathy, it is best to seek treatment as soon as possible.
