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December 17 2014


Regarding Achilles Tendinitis


Achilles TendonitisAchilles tendonitis is a condition wherein the Achilles tendon, at or near its insertion to back of the heel, becomes inflamed and causes pain. The Achilles tendon is one of the longest and strongest tendons in the body. It is avascular (not supplied with blood vessels) so it can be slow to heal. The Achilles tendon is formed in the lower third of the leg. Two muscles join to form the Achilles tendon, the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus which are commonly referred to as the calf muscle. The Achilles tendon works as an anti-pronator which means it helps to prevent the foot from rolling inward.


A lot of stress on the feet is the cause of Achilles tendinitis. It is a common athletic injury. Things that can cause tendinitis include, pushing your body too fast and too soon, sudden increase in activity, sports that cause you to quickly start and stop, poor fitting shoes, bad footwear, severe injury to the Achilles tendon, running or exercising on uneven ground, running uphill, tight calf muscles, bone spur (extra bone growth in heel that rubs the tendon and causes pain), flat arches, feet that roll in (overpronation), and weak calf muscles, not warming up before exercising.





Nonsurgical Treatment

The best treatment for Achilles tendonitis is preventative, stretching and warming up properly before starting an activity. Proper rest, accompanied by stretching and icing to reduce swelling, can help to heal an overworked Achilles tendon. Placing an adequate heel lift in both shoes will allow the heel to have contact with the ground without placing stress on the Achilles tendon. Wear a tie shoe that is stiff soled and has a wide base, then add an over-the-counter or custom foot orthosis inside the shoe to prevent the twisting motion of the Achilles tendon due to over pronation. In the event that the tendon is unable to heal due to your life style or activity, you may have to be put in a walking cast for a short period to give it a chance to heal. You need to have the doctor, physical therapist, or come in to our facility to check for a leg length difference due to the walking cast being higher. This is to prevent any discomfort to the hips. After the tendon has healed and before the foot is taken out of the walking cast, range of motion at the ankle must be tested and if the foot is not allowed to properly bend upwards 15 degrees then the tightness in the calf will cause the foot to over pronate and reinjure. A stretching program will be needed to loosen up the calf muscle before much weight bearing is done without the cast. The stretching program can be found at the menu for feet hurt. If necessary a heel lift can be put in both shoes to help take the stress off the tendon. Should the tightness of the calves be the primary cause for the Achilles tendon damage and stretching has not loosen the Achilles tendon sufficiently, then discussion with your doctor for a calf release may have to be considered.

Achilles Tendon

Surgical Treatment

It is important to understand that surgery may not give you 100% functionality of your leg, but you should be able to return to most if not all of your pre-injury activities. These surgical procedures are often performed with very successful results. What truly makes a difference is your commitment to a doctor recommended rehabilitation program after surgery as there is always a possibility of re-injuring your tendon even after a surgical procedure. One complication of surgical repair for Achilles tendon tear is that skin can become thin at site of incision, and may have limited blood flow.



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