Achilles tendinitis

What’s the scoop?

To know what Achilles tendinitis is, we’ll first discuss what the Achilles tendon is. You may have heard of it before from the term “Achilles’ heel” that is used to describe someone’s vulnerabilities or weak points.

The Achilles tendon is the strong band of tissue (tendon) that connects the lower leg muscle (calf) to the heel bone at the back of the foot. While the Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon we have, overworking it can lead to injury. Achilles tendinitis is a common condition that happens when the tendon becomes inflamed from being overworked, therefore people with Achilles tendinitis have pain and swelling in the back of the leg, just above the heel.

The good news is, in most cases, you can treat it fairly easily, but we will get to that later.

Who’s most likely to get it?

Runners. Because of the nature of running, it is common for the Achilles tendon to suffer from overuse if you are a runner. Other risks includes

• Middle-age or older: The Achilles tendon can become irritated over time, so often people who are of this age range (50s) are more likely to develop Achilles tendinitis, especially if they play stop-start sports, such as tennis, basketball or dance.
• Flat feet: People who don’t have as much arch in their foot can accidentally cause strain to their Achilles tendon.
• Heavier people: When there is more weight on the body, there is a higher strain on the Achilles tendon as it moves you throughout your day.
• Workout conditions: Pain in the Achilles is more common in colder weather, uphill movement and in shoes without sufficient support, such as worn out tennis shoes.
• Psoriasis or high blood pressure: Both of these conditions can make you more likely to develop Achilles tendinitis.
• Bone spur: This is a bone-like lump that grows on a normal bone over time. They usually develop near joints, such as those around your heel and ankle, and can irritate the Achilles tendon if it’s near.
• Specific Antibiotics: An antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, Flouroquinolones, has shown to be linked to Achilles tendinitis.

Diagnosis

Most likely your doctor will be able to tell if you have Achilles tendinitis from a physical exam, where she will evaluate things like flexibility and range of movement of the area around the tendon. If you do have pain around your Achilles tendon, it is important to get a physical exam, and if necessary, imaging scans as well. This is to rule out the possibility that you have ruptured your Achilles tendon which is more severe.

Treatment & Prevention

There are a lot of ways that Achilles tendinitis can be treated, which range from resting the tendon, to surgery. We will go over the non-surgical treatment options first.

Non-surgical

• RICE Method: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. This is common with sports injuries, especially those dealing with swelling.
• Avoiding exercise and movement that hurts the tendon
• NSAIDS - such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve)
• Shoe inserts
• Physical therapy exercises to heal the tendon
• Shockwave therapy
• Brisement - a type of therapy that involves an injection into the area

Surgical

Your surgery will depend on how severe your case is, age, activity level and way of life. Your doctor will give you multiple options to choose, ranging from less involved to more involved. Some surgeries may mean that you may not be able to play sports after, so it is important that you choose the surgery that is right for you.

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