How To Prevent And Treat Achilles Tendonitis
As most runners know, Achilles tendonitis is a common running injury. Whether you want to make sure that it doesn’t affect you, or if you want to know how to treat it, this article is for you!
We’ll cover common causes and how long it takes to heal. Even better, we’ll cover how to prevent it, and treatment options. Plenty of other helpful tips are thrown in.
By the end, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to keep your Achilles tendon feeling nice and healthy.
What is Achilles Tendonitis?
Let’s start with all the names. Achilles tendonitis also goes by tendonitis of the heel, Achilles tendinopathy, tendinitis, or tendinosis. No matter what name you use, it is an injury of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone.
The tendon becomes inflamed, which causes pain and swelling symptoms. Achilles tendonitis is very common among runners and middle-aged folks who only exercise on the weekends.
What are Common Causes of Achilles Tendonitis?
Achilles tendonitis occurs from repetitive or intense strain on the tendon. This band of tissue connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. The Achilles tendon is used when you walk, run, jump, or push up on your toes.
Typically, Achilles tendonitis occurs because of overuse, which is often sports-related. If you run hard every day, it is going to put a lot of stress on this tendon. The condition can also develop due to degeneration, or wearing down with age and time.
This means that if you’re a masters runner, you might be more susceptible to Achilles tendonitis because you use that tendon regularly and it is degenerating over time. You also could be more susceptible if you participate in several different sports that require lots of running and jumping.
How Long Does Achilles Tendonitis Take to Heal?
Honestly, it depends on how quickly you deal with the issue when it first appears. You need to rest and recover to allow Achilles tendonitis to heal. Tendonitis is never a quick fix. Sometimes, it can take as long as four to six weeks if you waited until the pain was acute.
If you addressed the pain immediately, though, and started resting and taking a break from running and exercising, it should be a much shorter time required for healing.
What Happens if Achilles Tendonitis Goes Untreated?
If Achilles tendonitis is left untreated, it can worsen into a chronically painful condition. This chronic condition is usually called tendonosis. There is a much greater chance of a ruptured tendon.
While not getting treatment is bad, restarting activities too soon can also increase your healing time and put you at risk for repeated tendon injuries. Thus, you’ll want to treat your Achilles tendonitis as soon as it appears and take a couple weeks off so that you’re not sidelined for longer.
How Can I Prevent Achilles Tendonitis?
The best way to prevent Achilles tendonitis is to be aware of the exercise and activities you are participating in and follow these tips:
Increase Activities Gradually
Since Achilles tendonitis occurs due to overuse, it’s important to increase activities and activity level gradually. You don’t want to jump from running 10 miles a week to running 30 miles. That puts a lot of stress on unprepared muscles and connective tissues, including your Achilles tendon.
Don’t Overexercise
You’ll also want to be aware of how frequently you exercise. If you only exercise once or twice a week on the weekends, you need to adapt your intensity level. You can’t be going all-out on those days, because your body just isn’t used to that.
Be Mindful of Workout Time
You also want to avoid long sessions of over an hour unless you exercise several times a week with varying levels of intensity. It just doesn’t work to cram all your exercising into one or two days.
Be Choosy With Your Shoes
Because Achilles tendonitis affects the heel, you need to make sure that your heel is getting the support you need. This means that you need to choose your running shoes carefully and pick shoes with great heel support. Make sure they don’t irritate your heel.
If you just recently switched running shoe brands and started to deal with more Achilles tendon pain, then it could be that particular brand is just not a good fit for your feet. Remember that it’s important to select a shoe that is comfortable for you.
Often, a running shoe with a high heel-to-toe drop can help reduce the strain (and associated pain) caused by Achilles tendonitis. Likewise, switching to zero-drop shoes, if done too quickly, can exacerbate calf and Achilles issues.
Stretch Often
Stretching helps with so many running/sports injuries, and Achilles tendonitis is no exception. Supple, lithe bodies are more resilient against injury. It’s important to make sure that your calf muscles aren’t tight. When you start a run, make sure that they are warmed up and ready to go.
Try doing calf stretches against the wall where you face the wall and place two hands on it. Step forward with one leg and bend your knee, stretching the calf muscle in your other leg. If it’s a bit uncomfortable, that means your calf muscles are a little tight.
Strengthen Your Calf Muscles
And while you’re at it, you also will want to make those calf muscles stronger. You can do this in a variety of ways, from downward dog to a farmer’s walk on your toes, to heel raises. However, if you have kids (or are a kid at heart), you might want to try jumping rope.
Not only will you strengthen your calves, but jumping rope is also a great way to improve coordination in your entire body and help you become more balanced. Plus, it’s fun because it’s a throwback to childhood.
Cross-Train
Cross-training is important so that you are working different muscle groups and increasing your strength. To be a strong runner, you need to have a strong core and strong leg muscles. You should be doing workouts other than running to accomplish that.
Cross-training will ensure that your legs (and specifically your Achilles tendon) are prepared to do hard runs and workouts because you’re working them on the off days.
What is the Treatment if I Have Achilles Tendonitis?
If you have Achilles tendonitis, the first thing you need to do is stop. Take some time to rest, ice, stretch, and massage your calves. This is the time to find a show you want to binge watch on Netflix. Take a couple days off from running and high-intensity workouts.
If total rest isn’t your jam, switch to low-impact activities like swimming or pool jogging. Even cycling or walking short distances involves your Achilles and should be avoided while you recover.
You also might want to consider changing your running shoes. Typically, shoes with a soft heel and high heel-to-toe drop can help Achilles pain. So, in the midst of resting, go to a running shoe store and try on some new kicks to see what feels good to you.
In addition, you will also want to start including some heel lift exercises into your recovery program to help take some strain off of your tendon. You can do these standing or seated, so you can even do them while watching TV.
Finally, if you are feeling uncomfortable, you might need to take some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help relieve pain and decrease inflammation in your Achilles tendon.
What Devices Can Help?
In addition to taking some time off and working to stretch and strengthen your Achilles tendon, you may also want to think about using a device.
Orthosis
Orthosis is a device that is used to modify the structure of a joint or to stabilize a body part. By helping to stabilize, protect, or limit movement of a damaged joint, an orthosis can help your Achilles tendon heal faster.
Splint
Another option is a splint, which is a rigid accessory used to stabilize and protect an injured joint. This will ensure that your tendon and the surrounding area are aligned as they are supposed to be.
What Specialists Can Help if My Treatment Doesn’t Work?
If you’re not able to treat your Achilles tendonitis at home, or if it starts to get worse, then you might need to see a specialist.
Physical Therapist
If your Achilles tendonitis isn’t too serious, you might want to try physical therapy. Your therapist will prescribe specific exercises and movements to restore your muscle strength and function. This will help you keep moving but without making the injury worse.
Podiatrist
You might also want to go and see a podiatrist. They specialize in foot problems and may be able to recommend shoes, stretches, strengthening exercises, and training plans to avoid future Achilles issues.
Someone Who Specializes in Sports Medicine
If you play other sports like soccer in addition to running, you might want to talk to someone who specializes in sports medicine. Obviously, if you’re just a runner, you can talk to them too, but it might be particularly useful if you play other sports as well.
Orthopedic Surgeon
Finally, if all else fails, you might need to see an orthopedic surgeon, who can perform surgery for conditions affecting bones and muscles. Obviously, this is a last and drastic step in treating Achilles tendonitis.
You’ll want to speak with other medical professionals beforehand to make sure that surgery is really what you need. Hopefully you don’t ever get to that step.
Final Thoughts
Injuries like Achilles tendonitis are never fun when you’d rather be out on the trail, track, or road. Unfortunately, injuries can pop up every now and then. Just address the issue as soon as possible so that it doesn’t get worse.
And make sure that you’re doing what you can to prevent future occurrences of Achilles tendonitis by making sure that your calf and heel muscles are strong, you’re incorporating cross-training, and you aren’t overusing the muscles or exercising at too high of an intensity.
If you do all of this, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to count on one hand the number of times you’ve had to deal with Achilles tendonitis.
