When you have achilles tendon
pain, you are likely to have achilles tendinitis. Check out this page
to find out all about your hurting achilles tendon.
You are more than likely familiar with Achilles, a
character in Homer's
Iliad who was invulnerable save for the back of his heel.
This was the only spot on his body that was covered when he was plunged
into a liquid that made him invincible.
This weakness was his downfall when a Trojan archer's
arrow found its mark in
this spot.
The term Achilles' heel has
come to denote a fatal flaw - and this
character from ancient Greek literature has also lent his name to the
tendon found on the backs of our heels, known to us as the Achilles
tendon.
What is the
Achilles Tendon
The Achilles tendon
is the tendon that connects the muscles of the calf
to the heel bone.
It is sometimes referred to as the heel
cord. This tendon allows for flexing of the foot.
Symptoms of
Achilles Tendinitis
In an injured Achilles tendon, the pain starts off gradually,
with
slight pangs as you walk or run along.
The pain or odd sensation
disappears once you get going but may return when you
stop.
The injured tendon feels tender to the touch and may even have
some
swelling.
Strain initially irritates the tendon.
If not corrected the strain
leads to small tears
developing in the Achilles tendon.
These small
tears are painful and are responsible for the
swelling of the tendon.
If not
treated, the Achilles tendon can end up causing severe pain and injury
which will keep you from your running for a long time. Too long!
Causes of
Achilles Tendinitis
Most runners injure the Achilles tendon by doing exercises that are
strenuous.
For example, doing exercises that overextend
your foot or
running for periods far
longer than you are accustomed to.
This can
occur as the result of too many uphill reps.
Not only your running training can cause
issues, a natural
deformity such as a flat
arch can cause Achilles tendon pain as well.
Recognizing
an Injured Achilles Tendon
An injured Achilles tendon can worsen if not attended to.
Once the
tendon is injured its symptoms can be deceptive.
Initially you may feel
the pain only in the morning when you wake up or when you start
running.
The pain seems to let up
as you warm up and you may think there are no problems.
But the next day it hurts
a little more.
When you go for a run and are warmed up
again, the pain is goine. Then the next day it hurts again, just a
little more. And so on.
How to
Treat Achilles Tendon Pain
Achilles tendinitis responds well to palliative treatment.
The first and foremost treatment is rest.
Icing
the injured tendon can help reduce the swelling. Anti-inflammatories
may help as well.
While your Achilles tendon is healing, you need to change your exercise
regimen to include exercises that do not rely on
the tendon. This can be bike riding, swimming, etc.
There are also some products that you can use to relieve the pain and
help you heal.
HTP
Heel Seat
One of those products is the HTP
Heel Seat.
The acupressure points on the HTP Heel Seats
work to quickly relieve pain.
The biggest reason you and others get Achilles tendon pain is due to overtraining. Too
much mileage. Maybe too many hills. So whatever you do, build up your
running training program gradually.
Make sure you warm up
before your runs by running easily for 5-10 minutes. After your runs cool down with a few
more minutes of easy running and then do some running stretches. Especially
calf raises and heel drops are very good for the Achilles.
Cross-training
is a great way to build up your strength or aerobic capacity while
giving your running muscles a rest. As mentioned before, cycling and
swimming are great cross training activities. Bodyweight exercises,
pilates, yoga etc. are great alternatives for more strength and
flexibility as well.
If the tendon is severed or torn then your only option is surgery to
fix the tendon.
In that case the pain is extreme and you would not be able to move your
foot.
To
avoid damaging your tendon further you should then seek medical
attention
immediately.
Ideally, with the help of the information on this page, it has not come
to that and you now know what to do to treat and prevent Achilles tendon
pain.
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The 
Most runners injure the Achilles tendon by doing exercises that are
strenuous.
