Are you experiencing pain in the back of your heel, or just above it? The Achilles tendon is a very strong band of tissue that connects the calf muscles to the back of the heel bone calcaneus. Whether you are an athlete or not, however, Achilles tendon pain is not something to ignore. We can provide effective treatment that can get you back to full strength as quickly and as safely as possible, greatly reducing your chances of reinjury.
This condition includes the general inflammation and weakening of the Achilles tendon. In more severe cases, the tendon can reach a state where it can tear or fully rupture. Call us right away if this is the case! A painful Achilles is often the result of the tendon having been forced to endure more stress or strain than it is conditioned to withstand, leading to inflammation and damage. This can happen in a variety of ways, but overuse injuries tend to be frequent. This may involve:.
Additional factors that can play into an Achilles injury include improper footwear or an abnormal foot structure that shifts excess stress to the tendon. The best treatment for Achilles tendinitis and other related Achilles tendon problems requires more than just addressing the injury itself, but also the causes that may have led to it in the first place.
That way, you can greatly reduce your risk of injury in the future. We will always treat sports injuries such as these with conservative methods whenever possible. These may include:. The way the Achilles tendon allows for movement is by transmitting the force created in the calf muscle to the bones in the heel and foot. When moving, the tendon elongates almost like a thick piece of elastic. Running causes a person to become slightly airborne which requires more elongation of the Achilles tendon than when walking, as explained in this study.
When ground contact is made with the foot, a great amount of force is required from the tendon to continue forward movement. For someone running many miles such as in training for a marathon, the repetitive movement places a high need on this part of the body.
Maintaining a strong Achilles tendon is paramount for continuing with marathon training. Athletes training for marathons are especially at risk due to the number of miles incorporated. Any additional hill or speed training can induce even more stress. This ailment can come in the form of tightness, swelling, irritation, and pain. Catching it early is the best way to prevent it from getting worse. Every runner has a different foot-strike and pronation.
Getting properly fitted for shoes can help any Achilles tendonitis issues you may be having. Shoes should be replaced every — miles, and for a marathon runner, that can happen in a hurry. It not only prepares you for any elevation in your race but also makes running on flat areas feel easier since it builds stronger leg muscles. When running on hills, the majority of the foot-strike happens on the forefoot and toes. This causes more elongation of the Achilles Tendon and more exertion from the calf muscle.
This is not a winning combination when the build-up happens too fast. Instead of balancing stress between the calf and the Achilles, the Achilles begins to take on undue stress. Adding Speedwork — Tight calf muscles can happen as a result of the addition of speed training. This also puts more stress on the tendon in general due to a stronger push off.
Runners find themselves down with this type of injury when adding in too much speedwork, too fast, and too soon. Building Mileage too Quickly — Talk to many seasoned marathon runners and if you tell them you are suffering from Achilles tendonitis, they will probably not be surprised by this very common overuse injury.
Well-meaning marathon newbies who are ready to work hard and put in the effort often end up building their weekly mileage way too fast. This is a sure way to cause tight calves, which again, puts a tremendous amount of stress on the Achilles.
Skipping Recovery Runs: You have big goals, so you might think that means running hard all the time. In fact, you 