How do I treat Achilles tendonitis? (2024)

FAQs

What is the most effective treatment for Achilles tendonitis? ›

Rest: Stop doing activities that stress your tendon. Switch to low-impact activities, such as swimming, that put less stress on your Achilles tendon. Ice: Put ice on your tendon for up to 20 minutes, as needed throughout the day.

Unlike muscle tissue, tendons don't get a significant supply of blood. Blood delivers fluid and nutrients that are essential for healing. The less blood delivered, the longer it takes for tissue to heal. Add to that the sheer size of the Achilles tendon, and you're in for a lengthy recovery.

Cold Compresses: A cold compress helps reduce pain and swelling, two main symptoms of Achilles tendinitis. It will also help relax the affected muscles. Warm Wraps or Elastic Bandages: You can use warm wraps or compressive, elastic bandages to reduce the amount of stress placed on the affected muscles.

This constant mechanical stress on the heel and tendon can cause inflammation, pain and swelling of the tendon. Being overweight can make the problem worse. footwear – wearing shoes with minimal support while walking or running can increase the risk, as can wearing high heels.

Don't go out walking for miles, unless yours is a very mild case of Achilles tendonitis or you are in the later stages of your rehab programme. If you've given up running for the time being to help your Achilles tendon to heal, it really does not make sense to delay your recovery by walking too much.

It is important to remember that it may take at least two to three months for the pain of Achilles tendonitis to go away. If your pain does not improve, you may need surgery to remove inflamed tissue and abnormal areas of the tendon. If there is a bone spur irritating the tendon, surgery can be used to remove the spur.

The other option is to move to the bottom of the bed where possible and hang the leg over the side of the bed. People utilising this method of foot position change have generally reported significant improvement in pain within the first 2 weeks, as the calf tightness markedly reduces.

Should I stretch my Achilles tendon if it hurts? ›

Should you stretch your calf muscles and Achilles tendon? If you are injury-free, there's no reason to avoid calf and Achilles stretches. However, you should avoid overstretching and don't stretch if you feel Achilles pain.

Symptoms include pain, swelling and stiffness in the Achilles tendon and can be further aggravated while running. Without treatment, it can permanently put a strain on running. It usually takes up to three months to recover fully. However, in severe cases it can take up to one year.

Common causes of flare-ups include: Using a weight that's too heavy or an exercise band with a resistance that's too high. Doing too many repetitions or sets of an exercise. Holding stretches for too long or stretching too hard (injured tendons often don't like being stretched)

Acute Achilles Tendinitis will usually calm down in 3-4 weeks (I say CALM DOWN, not GET BETTER here. This is explained later in this article under the header 'Calmed Down vs Gotten Better). Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy is a tricky one and can take anywhere from 3 months to 18 months to calm down and get better.

You can help your Achilles tendon to recover by staying active but limiting your walking and other activities to a level that doesn't aggravate your symptoms too much. A useful rule that we ask our patients to use is the "niggle rule".