I suffer with this and have done since I was 11, I've had steroids injected directly into the tendon, ice wraps, physiotherapy and all sorts, I done a few things to try and help with the pain.
1.decent pair of trainers/shoes/boots- the only footwear I can wear are reebok workouts, skating trainers or magnum boots.
2. Decent ankle support- I can't stress this enough, when it's really playing up an ankle support is a god send, make sure it's decent though and not a cheap one as it won't make a difference, mines a lace up support that can be worn on either foot.
3. Sleeping position/ mattress- I used to sleep on my stomach with my ankles and feet stretched as my mattress was a useless cheap one that wasn't supportive enough, I bought a new mattress and that helped straight away!!
4.massage- when I feel them getting tight I sit and massage the tendons very gently using something like deep heat or ibuleave gel.
5. When all else fails nurofen plus works a treat as it has an anti inflammatory in plus a small amount of codeine for the pain.
Hope these help
Blimey 14 years of it at your young age too ...I really do emphasise.
Thanks for the helpfull hints....I'll be looking into all these areas one by one in an attempt to find a way of easing the discomfort and perhaps be able to avoid the triggers that make it worse.
For some people they seriously and irrevocably hinder ... they cause it.
I'm not really up on statins tbh Gramps, but it sounds like they could be bad news for some people taking them.
I tend to get tight Achiles when running, by far the best way I have found to ease the pain and massively help me is to use a foam roller. see the below vid.
If you have tight muscles, it will hurt like hell! but you have to keep it going and it can do wonders.
For the £15 or so outlay via fleabay, I would say give it a go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAPyDxcsfq4
Thanks for the link...I'll do some more rsearch into this.
Anything that helps has to be worth a try.
Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy is really, really hard to treat.
Have you had an assessment with a Physiotherapist? The things they should be looking at are:
1. Calf muscle tightness
2. Foot position (i.e. pronated or else too high an arch.)
3. Footwear and whether you need insoles
4. Adapting activities ( i.e. change the type of sport/activity you do)
5. There is some evidence that eccentric calf muscle strengthening exercises can help. They were pioneered by Alfredson et al
http://ajsm.highwire.org/content/26...be4cb0600f7f4f94bffdfbd7&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha but you really need someone who knows what they are doing to use these exercises as you can make things worse.
Good luck.
As yet I have only had the advice/consultations with my GP regarding this problem.....I'm not one for whining over nothing when it comes to ailments and purposely avoid Drs but I reckon i'm going to hav to request a deeper investigation either with a physiotherapist or other proffessional in this field.
Hi Asha,
Tendinitis is usually brought on by activity that is irregular and strenuous for the tendon therefore causing inflammation and pain.
Runners tend to get Achilles problems when they switch to barefoot shoes for example or ramp up the mileage. If you were to walk/climb a mountain which you are not used to, this can cause it. Sprinting, again, when not used to can cause it.
Basically anything that involves force when on your toes could flare up a bought of tendinitis.
Tendons are not very vascular and as a result take months to heal.
You can reduce the time by applying heat to the area to improve blood flow. A hot water bottle would be great.
When exercising you can buy a strap to reduce pain (an eBay search should give you results) but as a biomechanics coach, I'd say just stick to cycling
As mentioned above, foam rolling to the calf along with massage to the area and foot can help improve healing time.
Stretches of the calf can help.
It may be something you have lifelong but generally, perform small amounts of the exercise to build up the strength of the tendon and be weary of new and Long duration calf- strenuous exercise.
Look up exercises for your tibialis anterior as strengthening this muscle will help to alleviate Achilles pain.
Hope that all helps!
Thank you for taking time to offer info and suggestions, of which i will look further into.
I understand how blood flow to the achiles is limited hence very slow to heal and that warmth increases blood flow.....Does this mean that I continue with ice as well as that reduces the swelling?
Also look at changing your footwear. Get something with lots of cushioning at the heel. Replace old trainers etc
I've read so much on how footwear can help or hinder the problem.
The general concensus does seem to be for plenty of support in the ankle/ heel area.
When I was in practice I found that dealing with chronic TC tendinitis required more than massage or exercise to kick start healing.
Firstly you have to be certain of the diagnosis. About 10% of all cases I saw were caused by something called a retro calcaneal bursa which is a fluid filled sac that gets inflamed.
There are other causes of TC pain but they are much less common.
The most effective treatment I found was called low level laser therapy. I sometimes combined this with injection of corticosteroid, the steroid injections alone could produce good results but great care needs to be taken when injecting steroids.
Ultrasound I found less effective.
You really need to see a specialist in the field whether medically qualified or a physio or podiatrist who has access to diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
The approaches mentioned elsewhere in this thread are very useful but I found they were effective in preventing recurrence once the chronic condition has been dealt with.
I don't know whether the treatments I've described are available in France.
I would reckon the treatments you mention are available here as in the UK.
I'm going to have to pester at the GPs door.
I've no doubt there will be a particular order in which treatments are offered but to be assessed by a specialist would be the best way forward.
If needs be I'll find a podiatrist privatley simply to get myself heading in the right direction towards either full recovery or at least a practical way of being able to live with the condition.
I was diagnosed about 2 years ago and my Physio suggested Orthotic Insoles.
Best £175 I have spent. Pain free even on day long walks in the hills. Only downside is I had to ditch 4 pairs of shoes as the addition of the insoles made the shoes too tight but it was a small price to pay.
This is something else I have read about ....Another reason to get a specific diagnosis done by someone who knows how to treat the problem correctly.
I would be delighted if by using orthotic insoles, I was to be rid of this problem for good.
OP: have you had your feet tested to determine any abnormalities in your gait??
No I haven't.
As mentioned above, only my GP has assessed me and informed me that I suffer with chronic achilles tendonitis which is extremely difficult to treat, not to continue with sport ( not that I could possibly do any atm) and to use ice/ anti inflamitory creams...........Doesn't really help in finding the actual cause of the problem does it?
Thanks everyone for all your very informative and practical replies.
Much as I don't expect an answer to this overnight, I will now be pushing for more help and support to sort it.
Basically I NEED that specialist!
