Achilles Tendinopathy
The Achilles Tendon is a remarkable structure that transmits forces from the calf muscle complex to the foot and ankle.
It is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body, for good reason as it has to withstand 12 x our body weight when running. Given the increased demand/load that is placed on the achilles tendon when active it is no wonder that we see a number of people with pain and dysfunction, commonly known as Achilles Tendinopathy.
What is Achilles Tendinopathy?
Achilles Tendinopathy is pain around the back of the heel most commonly seen in people that have had a sudden increase in their activity and/or load. For instance, those that have suddenly started running or returned to sport after a long spell.
There are 2 types of Achilles Tendinopathy based on the anatomic location of symptoms. The most common is Mid-Portion, which as the name suggests is pain of the mid-portion of the achilles tendon approximately 2-6cm above its insertion of the heel. The other is Insertional, which is pain located at the junction where the tendon attaches to the heel.
Pain can often present with morning stiffness when getting out of bed, or getting up from sitting and will increase with running or jumping. It can tend to “warm up” with activity and return when cooled down or the following day. The tendon may also appear swollen and thickened at the site of pain.
What causes Achilles Tendinopathy?
Common causes of Achilles Tendinopathy include a sudden increase in activity or training load, abrupt transition to minimalist shoes, reduced ankle range of motion and weak calf muscles.
How is it treated?
Treatment of Achilles Tendinopathy will be dependent on your assessment findings but mostly consists of temporarily modifying your training load, particularly energy storage and release exercises such as running, jumping and hopping. We will also incorporate a graduated strengthening program to ensure optimal healing and prevent it from happening again.
Appropriate calf muscle strength is key for managing achilles tendinopathy and therefore assessment of its function is important in the initial assessment. Active Health utilises a variety of tests to objectively assess calf function, including use of the state of the art AxIT System.
Active Health provides a number of treatment for Achilles injuries options including Shockwave Therapy, footwear modifications, dry needling, foot & ankle mobilisations, stretching, taping and orthotic therapy.
