Achilles Tendonitis: Causes, Symptoms and Risk Factors

Achilles tendonitis is the result of an overuse injury to the tendon that attaches your heel bone to the calf muscles in the back of your lower leg.

Runners who have suddenly increased their run length or intensity are most likely to suffer from Achilles tendinitis. Middle-aged people who play weekend-only sports like tennis or basketball also tend to experience it.

Most cases of Achilles tendinitis respond well to relatively basic at-home therapy when administered under your doctor's supervision. The majority of the time, self-care methods are needed to end recurring episodes. Ruptures or tears in the tendon may arise from severe cases of Achilles tendinitis and may require surgical correction.

Causes Of Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendinitis is a condition caused by inflammation or straining of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. This tendon is used when you run, jump, walk, or push up on your toes.

The structure of the Achilles tendon weakens with age, making it more prone to injury, particularly in people who do sports only on the weekends or who have recently upped the intensity of their running routines.

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Symptoms Of Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendinitis pain typically begins as a mild soreness in the back of the leg or above the heel after jogging or other physical activity. Running for extended periods, stair climbing, or sprinting may result in more severe pain episodes.

Furthermore, you can experience stiffness or pain, especially in the morning, although they usually go away after a little exercise.

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Risk Factors Of Achilles Tendonitis

Many factors can cause Achilles tendonitis, including:

• Your sex life: Men are more likely than women to suffer from Achilles tendinitis.
• Age: Achilles tendinitis is more common as people age.
• Physiological Problems: If the arch of your foot is naturally flat, your Achilles tendon can be under more stress. Obesity and taut calf muscles can also make tendon strain worse.
• Choices for training Achilles tendonitis may be more common if you run in old, worn-out shoes. Running on hills may raise your chance of Achilles injury, and cold weather is more likely to induce tendon soreness than warm weather.
• Health Problems: People who have both psoriasis and high blood pressure are more likely to suffer from Achilles tendinitis.
• Drug: One class of antibiotics is called fluoroquinolones which have been linked to higher rates of Achilles tendinitis.

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Diagnosis Of Achilles Tendonitis

During the physical examination, your physician will apply light pressure to identify any areas of pain, tenderness, or edema. The reflexes, flexibility, alignment, and range of motion of your foot and ankle will also be evaluated by him or her.

Radiological Assessments

A test from one or more of the following may be ordered by your doctor to assess your condition:

• The CT scan: X-rays can help rule out other conditions that may be causing the same symptoms, but they cannot reveal soft structures like tendons.
• Ultrasound: With the use of sound waves, this device lets users see soft. Using color-Doppler ultrasound, one may evaluate the blood flow around the Achilles tendon and observe the tendon moving in real-time.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): The MRI machine uses radio waves and a very strong magnet to produce extraordinarily detailed images of the Achilles tendon.

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Treatment Of Achilles Tendonitis

Treating tendinitis using self-care measures is often successful. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, your doctor could suggest trying different treatments.

Drugs

Your doctor can suggest stronger medications to reduce inflammation and relieve pain if over-the-counter analgesics such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, etc.) or naproxen (Aleve) don't work well enough.

Clinical medicine

One or more of the following treatment plans may be suggested by a physical therapist:

Exercise. The Achilles tendon and its accompanying structures can heal and strengthen, and therapists often prescribe specific stretching and strengthening exercises to promote this process.

Chronic Achilles problems have been found to benefit most from "eccentric" training, a special sort of strengthening that entails lowering a weight gradually after elevating it.

orthotic implements. If you use a shoe insert or wedge that slightly elevates your heel, your Achilles tendon might be less strained and subjected to less force.

Surgery

If further conservative therapy doesn't work for several months and your Achilles tendon is injured, your doctor may suggest surgery to repair it.

Prevention Of Achilles Tendonitis

Although you may not be able to prevent Achilles tendonitis, you can reduce your risk by doing the following:

• Increase your activity level gradually: Take it slow while beginning a new fitness regimen and gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts.
• Take easy breaths: Sports that overstretch your tendons, such as hill running, should be avoided. Before beginning a strenuous activity, warm up with slower-paced exercise. If discomfort develops when engaging in a particular activity, stop and take a break from it.
• Choose your shoes carefully: Your exercise shoes should provide adequate heel cushioning and strong arch support to help reduce pressure on the Achilles tendon. Replace your old, worn-out shoes. If both of your shoes are in decent condition but don't support your feet, consider using arch supports in them.
• Stretching every day: Spend some time stretching your calf muscles and Achilles tendon in the morning, before, and after any activity to maintain your flexibility. This is very important to avoid recurrent Achilles tendinitis.
• Gain muscle mass in your calves: Strong calf muscles enable the calves and Achilles tendons to endure the stresses of exercise and movement.
• Reverse-train: Replace high-impact activities such as running and jumping with low-impact activities, such as cycling and swimming.

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