What Are the Symptoms, Causes, and Therapies for Achilles Tendonitis?

Achilles tendonitis is an injury caused due to overuse of calf muscles attached to the heel due to jumping or other physical activity. The function of the Achilles tendon is to attach calf muscles to heel bones or calcaneus. It is used while jumping, running etc. Continuous use of the Achilles tendon such as jumping, running can cause severe damage, and that injury is known as Achilles tendinitis. 

There are two types of Achilles tendonitis:

1. Insertional Achilles tendonitis: occurs at the lower portion of the tendon where the heel bone is attached
2. Non-insertional Achilles tendonitis: Occurs at the middle portion of the tendon, affects younger people more often

Commonly, excessive physical activity such as jumping, walking causes Achilles tendonitis. Any potential activity that strains your Achilles can lead to Achilles tendonitis. Some of the reasons include:

1. Exercises exclude proper warm-up
2. Straining the calf muscles during repeated exercise
3. Playing sports that require sudden changes of direction or quick stops
4. A sudden increase in physical activity without allowing one body to adjust accordingly
5. Wearing uncomfortable shoes.
6. Wearing high heels daily
7. Aging

The symptoms of Achilles tendonitis include discomfort and swelling in the back of your heels, tight calf muscles, limited range of motion when flexing your foot, skin at heel portion is heated up. The very common symptoms of Achilles tendonitis are feeling pain in heels while walking, tight calf muscles, and limited range of motion while flexing the foot.

There are various treatments to cure Achilles tendonitis from home remedies to surgical solutions. But the physical therapies are often recommended by doctors in normal cases to cure the injury. Therapists may recommend some stretching and strengthening exercises to promote healing of the Achilles tendon and the muscles around it. The RICE(rest, ice, compression, and elevation) method has been proved as one of the best methods to cure Achilles tendonitis.

Can Physical Therapy Cure Achilles Tendonitis? 

Physical therapies have been proved as the most gentle and safer treatments to the ailment like Achilles tendonitis. Achilles tendonitis occurs when one is involved in excessive physical activity damaging one’s Achilles tendons and heels resulting in swelling, tightening, and heating of heels.

One can undergo rest after the injury has occurred and must see the best physical therapy to cure it. Therapists often suggest one do some stretching and strengthening of the Achilles heels and their supporting structures. A wedge is inserted that slightly lifts the tendon and lessens the amount of force exerted on it.

Another therapy known as RICE(rest, ice, compression, and elevation) method is known as one of the effective methods.

Rest: One must avoid putting pressure on the tendon for one or two days. Tendons recover fast when they stay in a resting position.

Ice: Apply an ice-pack therapy on the injured part for 15-20 minutes, 4-5 times in a day for fast recovery

Compression: Wrap a bandage or an athletic tape around the injury, this saves the tendon from swelling more.

Elevation: Raise the foot above the level of the chest, this way the blood flow will be towards the heart that will relieve one from the pain of Achilles tendonitis. This is the easiest method to control swelling.