Achilles Tendonitis: Warning Signs, Treatment Solutions, and Recurrence Prevention

Achilles tendonitis is a common sports injury. It also accounts for foot and heel pain in both athletes and non-athletes.

Your Achilles tendon is named after the Greek hero and demi-god Achilles, who was vulnerable only in the heel of his foot. 

As a fibrous band of tissues that connects your calf muscles to your heel, a healthy and pliable Achilles tendon allows you to:

• Jump
• Walk
• Run

Due to its constant use and overuse in sports or some professions, the Achilles tendon is one of the more vulnerable spots in the body. Daily activities such as walking or running can irritate, stretch, or damage the tendon over time.

Our expert podiatrists — Trent Brookshier, DPM, and Ricardo Navarette, DPM — want to help you keep your Achilles tendon healthy and strong. They diagnose and treat Achilles tendonitis and other sources of heel pain at our San Diego, California, office.

Do you have or are at risk for Achilles tendonitis? Here are some tips to recognize, treat, and prevent its recurrence.

Warning signs of Achilles tendonitis

About 4% of recreational runners develop Achilles tendonitis. However, you don’t have to be a runner to run down this important tendon. The average person has a 6% lifetime incidence of an inflamed and tender Achilles tendon.

When you develop Achilles tendonitis, you may feel pain in the tendon, or the pain may radiate to areas connected to the tendon, including your heel.

Achilles tendonitis may come on gradually because it is usually associated with overuse. Stay alert to the health of your Achilles tendon when you notice symptoms or changes, such as:

• Mild ache in the back of leg after activity
• Mild pain above the heel
• Tenderness or stiffness in the morning
• Heel pain
• Tendon thickens or hardens

The most common type of Achilles tendonitis is non-insertional, where small tears develop in the middle of the tendon, breaking it down. This type is most likely to affect active young people.

Another type of Achilles tendonitis, called insertional Achilles tendonitis, can even affect people who aren’t physically active and may occur at any age. The damage occurs in the area where the tendon connects to the heel. You may also develop bone spurs.

Treatment solutions for Achilles tendonitis

If your tendon feels tight or tender, you may be able to institute self-care steps at home until the inflammation or pain subsides. Try the RICE protocol for a day or two, followed by the MEAT protocol:

RICE (no more than 48 hours)

• Rest
• Ice the area with wrapped ice packs
• Compress with bandages, braces, or compression socks
• Elevate your foot

MEAT

• Move your ankle and foot gently
• Exercise carefully
• Analgesics subdue inflammation and pain
• Treatment by a professional

When your tendonitis doesn’t resolve within a few days, or if you must get back in play ASAP, it’s time to see our podiatrists. If you continue to stress an inflamed Achilles tendon without the care it needs, you risk a rupture or tear.

Surgery is always a last resort. However, if you tear your Achilles tendon or develop bone spurs, you may need a surgical procedure to get you back on your feet.

How to prevent recurrent Achilles tendonitis

Adopt habits to prevent recurrent Achilles tendonitis. Caring for your feet and paying attention to the signs they send you can help you stay injury- and pain-free, no matter how much demand you put on them. 

To keep your Achilles tendon strong and flexible:

• Lose excess weight
• Introduce new activities slowly
• Warm-up and cool down
• Wear the correct shoes for your sport
• Don’t exercise on uneven surfaces
• Take extra care when the weather is cold
• Cross train to activate other muscles and tendons
• Strengthen your calf muscles

You may also need extra support to compensate for conditions such as a flat arch. We may suggest customized orthotics to keep your foot in perfect alignment and give your arches the support they need to absorb shocks.

We may also suggest working with a physical therapist to strengthen and lengthen your Achilles tendon and surrounding tissues. Our podiatrists also analyze your gait and other moves you make for your sport or activity to determine if you need to make adjustments.

To protect or heal your Achilles tendon, call us to resolve your heel pain today, or schedule a consultation using our easy online appointment form.