How to deal with Achilles Tendon Injury?

The Achilles tendon is a large band of tissue that links your calf muscle to your heel. It is essential for walking, running, and jumping. When your Achilles tendon is injured, everyday activities like walking or running can be extremely painful. In severe cases, you will even experience pain while only standing. While injury to the Achilles tendon is most common in athletes, it can happen to anyone just going about everyday life.

Achilles Tendon Injuries

It is tendonitis if you are experiencing inflammation, pain, and the tendon becoming thicker. Tendonitis occurs from too much stress on the Achilles tendon caused by overuse during everyday and athletic activities. Another and more serious injury is an Achilles rupture or tear. You can experience a partial or complete tear of the Achilles tendon. It happens suddenly when the tendon is stretched to its breaking point and is very painful. It often occurs when a person falls or trips and twists their ankle. When a person suffers from a ruptured Achilles, it might sound like a pop coming from the back of your calf or heel and needs instant medical attention.

Prevention

While there is no way to completely rule out the chance of experiencing an Achilles tendon injury, there are ways to lower your risk of injury. To begin with, if you ever feel pain or tightness in the back of your calf while exercising, you should stop. In addition, always warm up and stretch before physical activity, and gradually increase intensity as you exercise instead of going all out all at once. You also always want to wear shoes that fit correctly and provide good support. Finally, it is very beneficial to do workouts that strengthen your calf muscle and improve ankle flexibility. When in doubt, always rest if you are feeling pain or stiffness in the back of your calf or heel.

Treatment

If you suffer from a ruptured Achilles tendon or tendonitis, it is essential you get on the right path to recovery to prevent further injury and recover fastest. For the most part, tendinitis responds very well to rest and icing, along with over-the-counter pain medications. It is also suggested that people with tendinitis use shoe inserts to relieve strain. Although if your symptoms stay persistent or become more severe, your doctor may recommend more advanced treatment. On the other hand, if your Achilles tendon is ruptured, you will need immediate medical attention. Your doctor will decide whether or not surgery is the best method of treatment based on how bad the damage is, your level of activity, and your age. Surgery is more commonly used in younger active people. A standard non-surgical method of treatment is a walking boot. You usually have to wear the walking boot for 6-12 weeks for a full recovery.

Physical Therapy

No matter what method of treatment you go through, you will need physical therapy. Physical therapy will involve different exercises and stretches designed to get you moving again. Everyone and every situation is different, so the amount of time spent doing physical therapy varies from person to person. Generally, a person meets with their physical therapist weekly and learns exercises to be done at home. Achilles tendon injury can happen to anyone. Therefore it is vital that if you are suffering from one, seek treatment immediately.