If you just got done with a long run or you had a basketball tournament over the weekend, you may feel some soreness at the base of your calf or above your heel. This area is home to your Achilles tendon, and it’s the largest tendon in your body. When it is exposed to intense physical activity and stress, it can become inflamed and sore. This condition is known as Achilles tendinitis, and if you ignore it for too long, it can lead to partial or full tears in your Achilles tendon. Below, we explain how to prevent and treat the condition.
Causes and Symptoms Of Achilles Tendinitis
We touched on it a little in the intro, but stress is the most common cause of Achilles tendinitis. Stress from activities like running, jumping or pushing off of the foot all require the Achilles to work hard, and over time this stress can lead to an inflammatory response form the body. Other causes or risk factors of Achilles tendinitis include:
- Failing to properly warm up before exercise.
- Excessive exercise or physical activity.
- Playing certain sports that require quick stops and changes of direction, like tennis or hockey.
- Wearing improper footwear for the activity.
- Excessive high heel use.
- Rheumatoid arthritis onset.
- Untreated bone spurs in your heels.
- Being older in age.
Symptoms of Achilles tendinitis include localized soreness, swelling in the heel, limited range of motion in the area and tightness in the calf muscles. These are signs that you’re dealing with Achilles tendinitis, and if you ignore these warning signs and continue to partake in physical activity, it can lead to a partial or complete rupture of the tendon, which means many months of rehab and recovery. Heed the warning signs and treat the Achilles soreness.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Achilles Tendinitis
Many people can successfully manage Achilles tendinitis on their own, but again, that doesn’t mean it’s not a serious condition, because it can lead to a much bigger problem in a moment’s notice. If your symptoms sound like the ones listed above, you can see how they respond to some of the treatment methods below, or you can head into a physician’s office for a true diagnosis and individualized treatment plan. Dr. Silverman has a number of tools to pinpoint the inflammation and help develop a treatment plan that is suited to your needs.
If you are dealing with Achilles tendinitis, treatment may include one or more of the following options:
RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation is typically the go-to treatment for minor to mild cases of Achilles tendinitis. You want to help protect the area and give it time to heal.
Physical Therapy – You can also help to take some of the stress off your Achilles tendon by strengthening the nearby muscles and tissues. The more other muscles are working to handle stress, the less will fall on your Achilles.
Anti-Inflammatory Medications – Anti-inflammatory medications can also help to reduce natural inflammation that develops as a result of intense physical stress.
Activity Modification – Switch up your physical activity routines to avoid overstressing your Achilles tendon.
Shoe Switches – You may need to make some changes to your footwear during both athletic and every day activities.
If these techniques fail to provide relief, some more hands-on treatment options that a foot specialist can help you with include platelet-rich plasma injections, corticosteroid injections and surgery to help prevent future damage to the Achilles tendon. Dr. Silverman can walk you through the specifics of each procedure if they may be right for you. For more information on how to treat Achilles tendon soreness or tendinitis, reach out to Dr. Silverman’s office today.
