Achilles Tendonitis Treatment
Achilles tendonitis is inflammation of the achilles tendon which runs down the back of your leg and connects to your heel. This tendon is the strongest tendon in your body and named after the greek war hero Achilles. Without your achilles tendon you would not be able to walk.
If you are suffering from achilles tendonitis there are some things you can do to help speed up your recovery so lets take a look at the symptoms and then some treatments.
Symptoms
- Gradual onset of pain above the heel bone over a prolonged period
- Pain felt at start of exercise but subsides during your exercise routine
- The pain will subside after rest
- The back of your heel is tender to touch
In some cases the tendonitis can be more severe in which case the symptoms may be slightly different. In addition to the above the ones listed below may also be experienced.
- Pain during exercise that does not subside at all
- Excessive pain when walking
- Pain continues to be felt even after rest or waking up in the morning
- You may notice small bumps in the tendon around your ankle
- Swelling
- Redness of the area around your heel
It’s important to address the problem before it becomes chronic which is much more difficult and time consuming to treat.
Treatment
- Get plenty of rest
- Apply cold/heat therapy
- Always wear the proper type of footwear for any activity
- Wearing a heel pad in your shoe can help take some of the strain off of the tendon. You should only do this while the tendon is healing as a temporary measure
- See a doctor
In the event that you decide to speak with a doctor about your achilles tendonitis they will likely take the following measures depending on the severity of the injury.
- MRI or ultrasound scan to view the injury
- Prescribe pain medication such as advil or ibuprofen
- Diagnose the cause of the injury and recommend proper shoes or a change in your exercise habits
- If the injury is severe enough a cast may be placed onto the ankle
- Massage
- In some cases cortisone injections may be given to help the tendon heal faster. This is done rarely as many believe this can sometimes hinder the recovery
- Surgery in the most severe of injuries
IF you catch the injury before it becomes worse many times you can make a full recovery by simply getting plenty of rest and allowing the tendon the proper amount of time to recover. Overuse is the number one cause of achilles tendonitis so that’s why it’s so important to get plenty of rest. Ignoring the warning signs will only cause you further problems down the road which can even result in surgery and many months of recovery time before you can get back to full health.
