Achilles tendon pain: how to treat and relieve it

tendons they transmit the force exerted by the muscles to the bones and thus allow our mobility. Tendons are part of the muscles and are made of very strong connective tissue.

Tendons attach muscle tissue to bone. If a muscle is tensed, the tensile force acts on the tendon, which in turn moves the connected bone.

What is the Achilles tendon?

The strongest and thickest tendon in the human body is the Achilles tendon. It connects the lower end of the triceps surae, the three-headed calf muscle that includes the gastrocnemius and soleus, to the heel bone.

If we tense the calf muscles, the heel rises and our foot bends towards the sole of the foot. This is what allows us to walk and run.

Symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles heel

Tendonitis or inflammation of the Achilles tendon it generally occurs as a result of an overload that is sustained over time. Occasional physical exertion and being overweight can favor it. If the tendon is irritated and inflamed, you will notice the following symptoms:

Swelling of the tendon and heel area. Tenderness when stepping. Diffuse and radiating pain in the tendon. Restricted movement of the ankle. Redness and warmth in the tendon. Lameness.

Causes of tendonitis

In most cases, tendinitis is caused by microscopic tears and small lesions in the connective tissue of the tendon.

These injuries can be caused by a few shortened calf muscles which, when tense, exert constant tension on the tendon and promote overload. Other causes of improper tension on the Achilles tendon include:

Shortened hamstring muscles. Different leg lengths and therefore more stress on the tendons. Hip misalignment. Abnormal spinal curvature. Flat feet.

How to avoid Achilles tendon pain

Acute Achilles tendonitis often has causes related to the practice of sport. They favor it:

Not doing a good warm-up before a physical exercise session or not relaxing afterwards.Running with the wrong shoes.Running on hard surfaces, such as asphalt or concrete.Performing physical activities that involve continuous jumping.

Hobbyist athletes make the mistake of training with too intense and for longer than necessary for your physical condition. If the tendons are not used to constant stress, microcracks in the tissue cannot heal properly and inflammation is encouraged.

If the Achilles tendon is repeatedly overloaded, acute inflammation can become chronic. In these cases, scar tissue forms at the sites of the unhealed microtears, which feel like knots in the tendon. These knots rub against the tendon with each movement, causing further irritation and pain.

treatment of inflammation

Treatment depends on the cause of the inflammation. Acute Achilles tendinitis, for example, it is treated in most cases simply by resting from exercise. Cooling the affected area can also help if there is warmth, redness, and swelling.

If the cause of Achilles tendon overload is hip misalignment or different leg length, orthopedists can relieve it with custom-made insoles.

Chronic inflammation can be treated with specific weight-bearing exercises and physical therapy. A physical therapist might recommend stretching and eccentric strengthening exercises. This exercise is performed as follows (according to the so-called Alfredson protocol). To do this there must be little or no pain:

Stand on the edge of a step, planting only the front half of your feet and leaving your heels in the air. Stand on your toes on the edge of the step. Bend your uninjured leg so that you put all your weight on the other foot. Slowly lower the heel of the supported foot. Support the other foot, which remained in the air, to slowly regain height without exerting effort with the injured foot. Now you are back on your toes on both feet. Descend again and use the other foot to ascend. Repeat 15 times. Rest and perform two more series. Do the same, changing legs to avoid decompensation. Practice this exercise twice a day for 12 weeks. At 5 weeks, if it does not hurt and is comfortable, a 5 kg backpack can be carried.

To do this exercise correctly you can practice it with the help of a physiotherapist or carefully watch videos like this one.

On the other hand, there are orthopedic treatments. A wedge or shoe insert that slightly elevates the heel can relieve stress on the tendon and act as a shock absorber that decreases the amount of force exerted.

Avoid overloading the Achilles tendon

The Achilles tendon has a total area of ​​80 square millimeters. It can support loads of 60 to 100 Newtons per square millimeter. Calculated over its entire surface, this corresponds to a load of 800 kilograms.

The tendon supports all the forces that occur when walking, jumping, running and also extreme sports loads. However, if we constantly overload it and do not attend to the symptoms of inflammation, it can be broken (a loud snap is heard), a very painful and serious injury that requires surgery with a recovery time of about 6 months.