Achilles tendinitis / tendinopathy
What is Achilles tendinitis or tendinopathy?
The Achilles tendon connects the calf (the back of the lower part of your leg) muscles to the heel bone, and helps you to push up on your tiptoes. Achilles tendinopathy is an injury to this tendon, most often due to an overload, when the tendon is unable to cope with the strain being applied to it.
The typical symptoms include pain, stiffness and swelling of the back of the heel. Pain is often present first thing in the morning or when you begin to walk after resting for a period of time. The pain can be variable and it can improve as you keep moving. You may notice it can be painful after lots of weight-bearing activities such as walking or running. In some cases, the tendon may become red, warm and tender to touch and swollen or thickened in appearance.
This often occurs due to sudden increases in activity levels, over-training and training error. Other factors including age, weight and smoking may also contribute to the development of Achilles tendon pain.
Treatment for Achilles tendinitis or tendinopathy
A physiotherapist will be able to assess your symptoms and make recommendations regarding specific exercises to improve the load tolerance of the tendon and advise on a graded return to sport. We can diagnose your injury and determine a treatment programme which may involve:
- Joint mobilisations to reduce joint stiffness
- Deep Achilles tendon frictioning to promote healing and soft scar tissue
- Myofascial and deep tissue release for muscle tightness
- Acupuncture and dry needling to reduce pain and muscle tightness
- Ultrasound to reduce inflammation and to promote healing / TENS for pain relief
- Strapping and taping
- Muscle energy techniques
- Biomechanical assessmeny
- Individualised exercise programme incorporating strengthening, stretching and proprioception (PhysioQinetics Youtube Channel)
- Gait and running re-education
- Sport-specific rehabilitation