Achilles tendonitis - ouch!

[Cupramax]

Anyone got any experience of recovering from the above? Think i caused it by doing too many squats didnt go ping or anything, just woke up the day after wandering around Goodwood in agony, can hardly walk severe pain in the back of my heel.

[J4CKO]

I get something like that, no rhyme or reason to why it comes on, not had it flare up for ages and thought I had it beaten but its appeared again, I always sort of ignore it and make it worse but the best advice I have had is anti inflammatory pain killers like Ibuprofen, rest it and apply a bag of frozen peas in a tea towel.

My mum had me lumping rocks around building a rockery at my grandmas, I managed to kneel down onto one with my shin leaving a nice cut and do this, been two days now.

[DUMBO100]

I suffered from this a teenager from skateboarding too often. It's flared up again after playing squash. I have no idea what a remedy might be but I share your pain

[anonymous-user]

Yes, although I had a twinge rather than a tear or (worse) a rupture (tears and ruptures: see a doctor).

First let it calm down with rest, elevation, ice and compression. Once it is past that stage, think of the tendon as a bunch of straws. They are all supposed to be pointing the same way. Yours will be pointing in lots of different directions. You can line up them up with eccentric heel lifts: ball of the foot on the edge of a step, let you heel sink down lower than the step slowly, then lift the heel up to tiptoe position slowly. Repeat - get up to batches of 50, then start do do a couple of hundred a few times a day. Pretty much set timescale of 10-12 weeks to heal and realign fully IIRC.

[oceanview]

I had a bad case of this a few years ago when walking the 100 mile West Highland Way. We were walking 25 miles each day and my Achilles started playing up on the second day. The pain was real bad in the morning but eases off after about 4 miles! By the third day I could'nt even wear my walking boots. I carried on each day as I was with my mates and I didn't want to lose face.
When I got back home, I went to the doctors because by now my ankle/Achilles area was absolutely killing me and swollen worse than aunt mables ankles!

The treatment was to take a week off work and elevate that leg as much as possible whilst regularly applying ice pack. I remember the doctor saying I was lucky that it hadn't ruptured after walking another 60 miles+ with it inflamed. Whoops! I might get the odd twinge every now and then but apart from that, its fine and that includes legs getting lots of work at the gym and out on the bike.

[Cupramax]

Thanks for the responses, it seems to be improving slowly of its own accord. Just taking it easy for the moment.

[J4CKO]

Mine is a lot better this morning, can sort of walk again.

[Cupramax]

After initial improvement this doesnt seem to be getting any better, infact I'm hobbling around like an old man . Think a trip to the docs is due.

[J4CKO]

Cupramax said:

After initial improvement this doesnt seem to be getting any better, infact I'm hobbling around like an old man . Think a trip to the docs is due.

Yeah, I thought mine was getting better, then I do too much and its sore again, going to rest it as much as I can today.

[Cupramax]

Ive done sod all this week so not good. Bored stiff sitting around and feel like my legs are seizing up.

[Big_Dog]

I fixed mine with a trip to the podiatrist for a thing in my shoe to sort out my supination and a spot of acupuncture.

[Rachie]

I had a lot in the military, I had physio with ultrasound, lots of ice baths, special stretching!

Even now I get it recurrent really easily, but try to do the stretches the physio taught me.

If you can get a couple of physio sessions they really help and teach you how to prevent again

[Cupramax]

Worse again this morning despite not doing anything to irritate it , could hardly stand up when i got out of bed. Have been putting it on a bag of frozen peas and stuffed a couple of ibuprofen down me. Think this might need a visit to A&E

[sawman]

you do need to see someone about this, but A&E is not the place - unless you have had an accident or are suffering life threatening condition.

Go you your GP and get a referral to either physio, podiatrist or orthopaedic surgeon. they will probably order a scan to determine how bad things are and take it form there.

Here is an expert on the field for a bit of info: https://vimeo.com/46620638

[Cupramax]

Thanks, i wouldnt normally even consider A&E but when it gets to the stage of not being able to stand up its not good. And as you say proper diagnosys is likely to need a scan. Thanks for the reply and link.

[williaa68]

I suffered from this about ten years ago when living in Australia. Two things finally cured it - firstly, a trip to a podiatrist who made me some custom orthotics (not cheap but covered by my health insurance out there), and second a trip to a physio who gave me a load of exercises to do, which were basically heal raises on a stair with an ever increasing amount of weight in a backpack, up to 20kg. It too a while but, touch free, I've been pretty much symptom free since - i dropped the orthotics part way through the physio, they were the tactic fix, the exercises the strategic. If you need relief in the meantime, neurone gel rubbed directly into the achilles was the best thing i found. Good luck!

[sawman]

Cupramax said:

Thanks, i wouldnt normally even consider A&E but when it gets to the stage of not being able to stand up its not good. And as you say proper diagnosys is likely to need a scan. Thanks for the reply and link.

no probs,
a chronic injury like achilles tendinopathy is one of the least appropriate A&E visits, but more importantly even if you did go there, unless you are lucky and the orthopod on take happens to deal with this kind of stuff regularly, you may not get any extra beneficial treatment than your neurofen.

out of interest,is you pain toward the heel end of the achilles tenon or higher up nearer the calf muscle belly?

the eccentric stretching shown in this film are worth starting right away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6EKuuZ7C2E

Unless you can feel a gap in the achilles tendon (in which case A&E trip would be indicated)

[Cupramax]

As i say, i dont "think" ive ruptured or torn it, there was no pop or sudden pain, i just woke up like it after a day at Goodwood so a lot of walking but no severe over exercison. The pain is litterally in the back of the heel, about an inch up i guess just below the line of my ankle bone, i guess where the tendon attaches?

I live alone and have no family local so being immobile is a tad inconvenient to say the least.

[anonymous-user]

If you really cannot stand on it you need to see someone. Now. Q&A on the internet will not help you.

Got straight to a Physio. It is where you will end up if you go to A&E or your GP.

[croyde]

I got sent to a podiatry clinic where I was checked then given insoles to change the way my feet sit inside my shoes. Been good for a year now, just the odd twinge.

They basically lift up one side of my heel.