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Flexed Tendon Can Ail A Heel
Category: Ankles and Feet
Nov 4, 2006
The Achilles tendon is the large band that connects the calf muscles to your heel bone. Achilles tendonitis occurs when this band becomes irritated or inflamed. The symptoms of Achilles tendonitis can come on gradually, or following a day of overusing your Achilles tendon. Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis can include pain in or around the tendon, a stiffness in the tendon that is worse in the morning and that gradually improves after you have been up and moving, a throbbing or dull ache at night, or swelling in or around the tendon. Unlike tendonitis, a rupture of the Achilles tendon, a complete tear of the tendon, is a medical emergency that requires you to be seen immediately by your physician. You may have ruptured your Achilles tendon if you cannot lift your heel off of the ground when you are standing and have sharp pain and swelling, just above your ankle.
What causes it?
Pushing off of your toes (raising the heel off of the floor) increases the stress on the Achilles tendon. Anything that increases the stress on the tendon more than it can handle can cause Achilles tendonitis. The four main causes of Achilles tendonitis are doing more exercise or activity than the tendon can handle, inflexible calf muscles, foot or ankle deformities, or poorly fitting shoes, and trauma. Increasing your activity level by leaps and bounds can leave you sore and with nagging tendonitis injuries. Not taking the time to stretch after exercise can leave the calf muscle and Achilles tendon tight, and more prone to injury. Having a pronated (flat) foot can increase the stress to the inside of the Achilles tendon. Similarly, a supinated (high arched) foot, without a supportive and cushioned shoe, can develop tendonitis because of the additional stress that this type of foot places on the Achilles tendon. In rare cases, Achilles tendonitis can become chronic, leading to a weakening of the tendon and eventual rupture of the tendon requiring surgery.
Treatment
Achilles tendonitis is treated acutely by using the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) principle. Before implementing RICE, anyone with a pre-existing medical condition, such as diabetes, should consult his or her physician. If your pain does not subside within a few weeks of resting, speak with your physician or a physical therapist. This will lead to a treatment plan that may consist of the use of an orthotic in your shoe, or stretching and strengthening exercises to help you reduce your symptoms and allow your tendon to heal. In severe cases of Achilles tendonitis, a cast or boot may need to be used to immobilize the area to allow further healing of the tendon.
How Peoplefit can help
Peoplefit Health and Fitness Center is devoted to improving the health and wellness of people in the greater Woburn community. We use our expertise to create safe and effective individualized exercise programs in order to help you reach your goals. For a tour of our facility or to speak with a physical therapist about exercise and its effects on any health related condition, contact us at: Peoplefit Health and Fitness, 237 Lexington St., Woburn; 781-932-9332; www.Peoplefit.net.