Creaking Achilles

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It would seem I have messed up my ankle racing over the weekend, its still creaking and a bit swollen now, but seems to be getting better quite quickly. I'm booked in to see a physio on Fri morning but just wondered what sort of recovery times people have had from this sort of thing?

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LordGrover said:

This racing malarky... running, cycling, swimming, driving, ...?

Ah yes, that would help, it was cycling

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Saw physio today, he said it was not too bad but my tendon was enlarged 2mm over the other side. I have been given a routine of stretching and heel drops which I should add weight to as they get easier, they are very different to raises, I have to do these for 3 months, but in the meantime I can gently re-introduce cycling as long as its not causing me pain, indoors at first then outdoors when I can do 30 fairly hard minutes indoor without pain.

He said that the heel drops should cause a bit of discomfort if they're done properly because this is the only way to increase blood flow and collagen production (I think?) in that area...

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These will be done purely with bodyweight at first, then he said to add weight as time does on via a rucksack as I don't have a gym.

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So strangely I can perform the heel drops without pain now, there is still a slight creak which apparently will be the case until the swollen tendon returns to normal size which should happen gradually. I've even added weight and still not really causing any discomfort, so not sure whether I am just healing quick or what but it seems odd that I am going to keep doing these for 3 months!

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Physiologist recommended 3x15 but I see the original alredsons protocol was 6x15 in two blocks.

It must elicit pain, if it doesn't then add weight till it does. I'm adding weight now to make sure it isn't comfortable.

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So I've decided to do my heel drops at home before bed, I was thinking logically about it, and to me, doing them in the morning thus irritating the tendon and sheath and then walking around on it all day makes little sense, the idea was to cause pain to promote repair, repair of all things happens in sleep I thought, so doing them before bed is a good idea in my head as its then not being further irritated by walking/stairs etc...

Am I making sense?