Achilles Tendinopathy
WHAT IS IT?
Achilles Tendinopathy refers to a common overuse injury of the tendon that attaches your calf muscles to your heel.
Pain can be generated from the central part of the tendon (mid-portion) or where it inserts into the heel (insertional).
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
Localised Pain at the Achilles
Morning stiffness
Aggravated by things like running and jumping
Symptoms often develop gradually
WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?
Training load errors account for many of the Achilles Tendinopathy cases we see. When a person’s physical activity spikes relative to their normal loads, they are at further risk of a tendon like the achilles becoming painful.
Poor calf muscle capacity, low fitness and poor footwear can also contribute to the development of this condition.
HOW TO GET BETTER?
Education - Understanding what is likely to aggravate symptoms, what is an acceptable level of pain to work through and what the rehabilitation path back to full recovery looks like are all important factors
Load Management - Working closely with your physiotherapist to figure out where the training load error may have occurred in the lead up to your pain, and developing a detailed and systematic pathway back to achieving your exercise goal safely.
Exercise Rehabilitation - Working hard to build the capacity of the achilles tendon and calf complex so your tendon can tolerate better the loads you are exposing it to. It is also important to build capacity through other areas in the lower limb to ensure the achilles tendon doesn’t have to work harder than it needs to.