Achilles Tendon Pain

The achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in your body and connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. It runs down the back side of your lower leg. Achilles tendonitis is responsible for around 10% of all running related injuries.

The most common type of injury to the achilles tendon, that causes pain, is achilles tendonitis but it is more commonly referred to as achilles tendinopathy. Tendonitis is considered an inflammatory condition and what is commonly thought of as achilles tendonitis is typically degenerated tissue with loss of tendon fibres.

Achilles tendonitis comes in two variations, acute and chronic. Acute will cause pain over a small number of days and chronic will occur over a longer time frame. While it can be either acute or chronic the injury can also vary in it’s location. IT will sometimes occur at the heel where the tendon attaches or maybe further up the tendon. The amount of time it will take for the tendon to heal will vary because this tendon receives poor blood flow.

Symptoms Of Acute And Chronic Achilles Tendon Pain

Acute

• An onset of pain localized around the ankle close to the heel bone.
• Occurs over a period of days.
• You may experience pain at the beginning of exercise which may subside during the exercise.
• The pain may subside after rest.
• Tenderness in the area.

Chronic

• Gradual onset of achilles tendon pain over a period of weeks.
• Pain during any exercise that does not subside.
• Tendon pain when walking especially up stairs or hills.
• Tendon pain even after rest or when waking up in the morning.
• You may feel lumps in the the tendon.
• Swelling of the achilles tendon.
• Redness of the skin.

It’s important to note that acute tendonitis can turn into chronic tendonitis if not properly treated. If you believe you are suffering from acute tendonitis you should get plenty of rest and take stress off the tendon. Once you progress to chronic tendonitis and can be difficult to treat.

Cause Of Achilles Tendon Pain

• An increase in activity. (running, athletics)
• Limited recovery time.
• Improper footwear.
• Weak calf muscles.
• Limited range of motion in the ankle.
• If you are a runner then running up hills excessively can cause irritation. The tendon is taxed more than usual when running on uneven surfaces.
• High heels worn on a regular basis can cause irritation to the tendon.

Achilles tendon pain can be caused by different factors as we have pointed out but achilles tendonitis is commonly caused by a combination of several factors. Be sure to properly rest after heavy athletic activity and be sure to seek treatment if you believe you have damaged the tendon to prevent the onset of chronic achilles tendonitis.