Achilles Tendonitis

Most people know where to find their achilles tendon.

 It is positioned at  the back of the leg, a thick chord like structure which connects the muscles of the back of the calf to the calcaneum  or, the heel bone. The action of these muscles bends the knee and points the toes at the ankle joint. When the tendon becomes tender , sore or painful, it is described as Achilles Tendonitis. This may  not be a true scientific description of the  pain, but it will serve our purposes.

Damage to the achilles tendon is responsible for an estimated 11% of all running injuries. A typical runner who jogs one mile experiences 1,500 heel strikes.  This  is very demanding on the Achilles tendon and overuse injuries are commonplace.    They are exacerbated by wearing footwear that lacks support and has poor shock absorption . It is estimated that even high quality running shoes decrease their shock absorption by approximately 40 percent after about 300-400 miles. That isn't very far for someone training for the marathon!

Sometimes overzealous training, especially, too much, too soon  after an injury, causes problems as the  tissues do not have a chance to adapt to the increased demands and decreased recovery time.

Achilles tendonitis can be caused by running on hard ground, by hill training and running on uneven surfaces.

The injury itself is graded from 1 - 5.

At grade 1 there is no pain during activity, but pain in the Achilles tendon is felt after sports training has ended and any tenderness usually clears up within 24 hours. At grade 5 the Achilles tendon pain will interfere with daily activities the Achilles tendon becomes deformed and muscle function is lost.

It is important to stop activity immediately if you have problems with your achilles tendon and apply ice to the affected part. A podiatrist or physiotherapist will be able to strap it for you and use of a heel lift can ease the pain. It is wise to rest the area and stop all jumping and twisting movements. A visit to a biomechanics specialist is always recommended as they can prescribe custom made orthotics to help prevent' over twisting' within the foot and prevent re-injury.

Once the acute stage of injury has passed, light exercise using a rocker board is very useful for initial exercise and then slowly reintroduce sports activities on soft, flat surfaces with an emphasis on stretching and strengthening exercises. Normal activity can be resumed when the tendon is free of pain.

Tendonitis

Cure Tendonitis In Seconds

 "Tendonitis" the doctor said. "There is no substitute for rest and gently working your way back to full exercise.  Use a support bandage and if the pain gets too bad, then take some pain killers".

The patient though, was a self employed swimming teacher and  life guard for whom 'rest' wasn't an option. Well, not if she wanted to eat!

 So, it was time for physical therapy, not pills. She saw a practitioner who smiled and agreed that the problem could be resolved in a matter of minutes.  The patient was doubtful.  "I've had the pain in my knee for nearly two weeks and I can hardly bear to walk on it"

The therapist explained that she was going to use the Jones Strain Counterstrain technique.  This is a simple process which was explored fully by Dr Lawrence Jones, an osteopath, in 1955. The theory is that pain occurs when a muscle is forcibly stretched as it is trying to contract. This produces a physiological response which results in inflammation and restricted joint movement, often at the muscle tendon - known as tendonitis.

The simple procedure involved the patient relaxing on the couch whilst the practitioner found the 'sore spot'.  Then with constant feedback from the lady about the level of pain, the practitioner slowly straightened the leg with her finger on the 'sore spot' all the time.  When the patient reported that there was no pain, the practitioner held her finger on the spot, keeping the leg in the optimum position, for 90 seconds.

Once the time had elapsed, the patient straightened her leg, bent it and said,

"That's incredible. There is no pain at all"; The tendonitis had gone!

And the happy ending was that the lady went back to work the same day, took no painkillers, needed no strapping and was able to buy her tea!

Here is a YouTube video which explains treating Foot/Calf Pain with Gentle Technique.