Achilles Tendinitis - Self Help

What are the Symptoms of Achilles Tendinitis?

Some of the symptoms of achilles tendinitis are the following:

• Pain along the back of your foot and above your heel
• Pain when stretching your ankle or standing on your toes - Tenderness
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• A snapping or popping sound during the injury
• Difficulties pointing your toes or flexing your foot

The degree of pain will vary depending on the damage to the tendon. Your pain may be mild and worsen gradually if your Achilles Tendinitis is due to overuse or a non-serious injury. If there is a rupture in the tendon, the pain can be abrupt and severe.

Who is Prone to Achilles Tendinitis?

People who participate in the following sports are more likely to suffer form Achilles Tendinitis:

• Running
• Gymnastics
• Dance
• Football
• Baseball
• Softball
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Volleyball

You are more likely to injure or tear an achilles tendon in activities that require you to start moving suddenly. For example, a sprinter might injure his achilles tendon at the start of a race.

Achilles tendinitis is more common in men, especially between the ages of 30 and 50. Men account for about 80% of all achilles tendon ruptures.

TRIGGER POINT SELF HELP

There are many reasons why you might have trigger points, so it is important to consider your trigger point pain in the context of the rest of your body.

It must be stressed that the techniques offered on this page are not a substitute for therapy from a qualified practitioner; although aches and pains from trigger points are common, there can sometimes be an underlying pathology.

It is advisable to always seek a proper diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner or experienced manual therapist. 

Achilles pain is typically associated with trigger points in the gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis posterior muscles, all of which act as plantar flexors of the foot.

Try to seek out a "sweet spot" of pain in the calf.

TECHNIQUE:

This technique involves locating the heart of the trigger/tender point.

When this is compressed it may well trigger a specific referred pain map (preferably reproducing your symptoms). This technique involves applying direct, gentle and sustained pressure to the point:

PROCEDURE:

1. Identify the tender/trigger point you wish to work on (see illustration above). 

2. Place the host muscle in a comfortable position, where it is relaxed and can undergo full stretch. 

3. Apply gentle, gradually increasing pressure to the tender point until you feel resistance. This should be experienced as discomfort and not as pain. 

4. Apply sustained pressure until you feel the tender point yield and soften. This can take from a few seconds to several minutes. 

5. Steps 3-4 can be repeated, gradually increasing the pressure on the tender/trigger point until it has fully yielded. 

6. To achieve a better result, you can try to change the direction of pressure during these repetitions.

STRETCHING 

Stretching is an important part of the rehabilitation process and should begin as soon as pain allows and be continued throughout the rehabilitation program and beyond - Good maintenance prevents re-injury. 

TECHNIQUE: