Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is a painful and often debilitating inflammation of the Achilles tendon. This large tendon is an extension of the two calf muscles; it runs down the back of the lower leg and attaches to the heel bone or calcaneus. Because it directly connects the strong leg muscles to the foot, the Achilles tendon gives us the ability to rise up on our toes, facilitating the movement that initiates the act of walking.

The Achilles tendon derives its name from Achilles, the mighty warrior of Greek mythology, whose mother dipped him into the magic waters of the river Styx at birth to give him the power of physical invulnerability. According to legend, she held him by the heel, which was not touched by the mystic waters and therefore remained his only vulnerable spot. Many years later, he was killed when an arrow struck him in the heel.

The name, therefore, reflects the vital importance of the Achilles tendon to our most defining human function - the ability to walk upright. A traumatic injury or a painful, chronic condition such as tendinitis that afflicts the Achilles can make walking almost impossible.

Symptoms

 
In most cases, the appearance of symptoms is gradual. The discomfort may be relatively minor at first, but gradually worsens if the patient tries to "work through" the pain. Many Achilles tendinitis sufferers attribute their initial discomfort to the aches and pains that accompany age or fatigue.
Athletes and exercise devotees, in particular, may try to push themselves in the belief that there is "no pain, no gain." This is not only unfortunate, but also unwise, because pain of any kind is the body's warning signal that something is wrong. Repeated or continued overstress will increase the inflammation. In severe cases, a total rupture of the tendon can occur, resulting in traumatic damage and severe pain. Such injuries may make walking virtually impossible, take a long time to heal, and may even require corrective surgery.
 

Causes

Achilles tendinitis is often described as an ailment of athletes. Rugby players, squash players, tennis players, sprinters and dancers are particularly susceptible to it because their activities involve sudden stops and starts, as well as jumping and other actions that stress the tendon. However, women who typically wear high-heeled shoes and switch to sneakers for exercise also can develop Achilles tendinitis.

Athletic people normally warm up and cool down properly by stretching before and after exercise. The condition is common in the "weekend warrior" who often has little flexibility at the back of the leg due to inactivity. Overdoing exercise in the beginning can cause Achilles tendinitis because the muscles are not flexible enough to withstand the new forces being placed upon them. Therefore, people who are just starting to exercise after a long layoff should warm up and then stretch properly, start slowly, and increase gradually.

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The athlete may do everything right, but an inborn trait causes them to get Achilles tendinitis. Typically, this is due to abnormal pronation or “rolling in” of the feet when walking, running, sprinting etc. In such people, the arch of the foot flattens too much, causing the leg to twist more than normal. This in turn causes the lower leg muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, to stretch more than normal. Like a rubber band, the further it stretches, the tighter it becomes. Therefore, the force on the tendon and the calcaneus becomes greater than normal, resulting in inflammation and pain.

Because the arch of the foot tends to flatten over time, especially in athletes, it is not unusual for someone to be problem-free for years, only to develop Achilles tendinitis later in their life.
If pain develops even with proper stretching and training techniques the addition of a simple orthotic may be enough to maintain good arch and foot alignment and eliminate pain.
If you have tried correct stretching techniques and you feel that your feet “roll in” when you walk, then you may like to try one of our orthotic products

Or, for further advise please contact one of our professional team here:  or use our Contact page.

Women who typically wear high-heeled shoes and switch to sneakers for exercise also can develop Achilles tendinitis. In these cases, the Achilles tendon and muscles gradually adapt to a shortened position because the heel does not have to stretch all the way to the ground. When this occurs, the switch to exercise or flat shoes forces the Achilles tendon to stretch further than it is accustomed to; it then becomes inflamed. For these reasons, high heels should not be worn everyday. If they are deemed necessary, stretching should be done every morning and night to keep Achilles tendon lengthened.

Again, if this advice does not help then you may like to try one of our orthotic products.