Achilles Tendinitis, often refer as achilles tendinopathy or tendinosis, is pain or inflammation at the achilles tendon.
Healing of the achilles tendon is often slow, due to its poor blood supply
Symptoms of Achilles Tendinitis
Acute tendonitis:
- Slow onset, develops over a period of days.
- Achilles pain at the back of the ankle, just above the heel bone.
- Pain at the onset of exercise, Pain eases with rest.
- Tenderness on touch
Acute tendonitis will lead to chronic achilles tendonitis if it goes untreated or is not allow sufficient rest. Chronic achilles tendonitis is a difficult condition to treat, particularly in older population.
Chronic tendonitis:
- Slow onset of achilles pain, develop over a period of weeks, or even months.
- Constant pain throughout exercise, when walking especially up hill or up stairs.
- Stiffness in the Achilles tendon especially in the morning or after rest.
- Tenderness on touch
- Redness, swelling or thickening over the Achilles tendon.
Causes of Achilles Pain:
- Overuse injury, less recovery or rest time
- Increase in activity (either distance, speed or hills).
- Inappropriate footwear or high heels
- Weak calf muscles.
- Decreased range of motion at the ankle joint, usually cause by tight calf muscles.
- Running up hills – the achilles tendon has to stretch more than normal on every stride.
- Flatfeet or feet which roll in when running can place an increased strain on the achilles tendon.
Effective treatments that can help Achilles pain
The treatment of achilles heel pain will entirely depends on the cause of Foot/Ankle problem. All conditions are different, and treatments may differ from each individual.
Treatment for heel pain may consists of:
– Physiotherapy: Your physiotherapist will understand about your heel pain and perform physical examinations. Your Foot/Ankle conditions will be diagnose and explain before implementing solutions to your heel
– Manual therapy: Active and Passive Mobilisation or manipulation of Foot/Ankle joints (subtalar joint, talocalcaneonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint, cuneonavicular joint, cuboideonavicular joint, and the intercuneiform joint)
– Massage Therapy: Hands on techniques such as soft tissue release, deep friction massage, myofascial release, trigger points release on Foot/Ankle surrounding muscles (Peroneal, calf – gastro/soleus)
– Pain Relief Therapy: Using pain relief treatment modalities such as Ultrasound , electrical stimulation, TENS, laser, heat therapy to heal and repair injured, inflammed, torn tissues or ligament- anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL), calcaneofibular ligament (CFL)
– Shockwave Therapy: Advanced high energy pulses effective for chronic, persistent knee Foot/Ankle tightness, trigger points to stimulate healing. Proven treatment for Achilles tendonitis, calcification/ bone spurs, plantar fasciitis
– Exercise Therapy: Guided 1-1 specific joint movement therapy, muscle stretching, progressive strengthening Foot/Ankle muscles, conditioning back to sports, functional training
– Education: Advice to improve posture, lifestyle modifications, get back to jogging, sports
Our unique treatment approach for Achilles pain
At heal360 Physioclinic, our physiotherapist and rehabilitation therapist experts has developed a proprietary signature program for the heel pain –PainRelief360™ Program
Our therapist will perform a thorough assessment and determine the potential cause of the heel problem, and will develop a management and best treatment program for your Foot/Ankle pain: relief pain, regain your Foot/Ankle movement and give you a renewed, stronger Foot/Ankle !
