Most runners have either experienced Achilles tendonitis or know someone who has. The Sharp pain felt right above the heel and the stiffness first thing in the morning, which makes going down stairs difficult. It is a painful injury that runners and triathletes find frustrating as it causes lay-offs for months, even years affecting racing careers and the ability to train.
It is still unknown as to why certain athletes will develop tendonitis and others won’t. It is thought that perhaps the possibility of tendonitis exists for those who have gait faults such as pronation or supination where feet roll in or out. Another possibility may be irritation due to poorly fitting or worn footwear. If an athlete experiences a sudden increase in training load or an increase in distance, speed work or hill training they may also be at risk for tendonitis.
Athletes that are involved in sports that require running or jumping are especially at risk for tendonitis.
Tendonitis can strike those individuals who lead sedentary lifestyles and then decide to be weekend athletes without giving their bodies the chance to be trained properly for the change in activity level. It is common for Emergency room doctors to find patients with tendonitis who have had recent spurts in activity level before the injury. Even someone out sightseeing while on vacation and doing an unusual amount of walking can come down with tendonitis.
Athletes are often referred to sports consultants for tendon injuries. They can use ultrasound imaging in order to make a diagnosis about the tendon. They may also use a Doppler Scan that allows a radiologist to visualize vessels in surrounding tissues. Tendons that have poor blood supply will not heal well.
Athletes with tendonitis who wish to return to the sport quickly will need to follow rehabilitation regimes that involve eccentric exercises that exercise the muscles in 3 different ways. Eccentric exercises are used to treat Achilles Tendinopathy. There are two muscles involved in the Achilles tendon, the gastrocnemius and the soleus. You need to work both muscles by doing knee bent and then straighten the knee. Usually this is repeated 15 times, three times a day. You may feel some discomfort while doing the exercises but you should not feel sharp pain.
As the tendon starts to heel the discomfort and morning stiffness should lessen. You can add lightweights to your physical therapy to help strengthen the muscles. It will usually take 12 full weeks of rehabilitation before you will be ready to return to sports. There are several factors that dictate the number of weeks it will take such as how severe the original injury is, the level of training the individual had before the injury and how dedicated the individual is to following rehabilitation regimes.
During your recovery period you can improve your cardiovascular fitness by cycling and swimming unless this is too painful then you can modify the activity by using light gears. Your therapist will tell you when you are ready to return to light running or jogging.
Most runners have either experienced Achilles tendonitis or know someone who has. The Sharp pain felt right above the heel and the stiffness first thing in the morning, which makes going down stairs difficult. It is a painful injury that runners and triathletes find frustrating as it causes lay-offs for months, even years affecting racing careers and the ability to train.
It is still unknown as to why certain athletes will develop tendonitis and others won’t. It is thought that perhaps the possibility of tendonitis exists for those who have gait faults such as pronation or supination where feet roll in or out. Another possibility may be irritation due to poorly fitting or worn footwear. If an athlete experiences a sudden increase in training load or an increase in distance, speed work or hill training they may also be at risk for tendonitis.
Athletes that are involved in sports that require running or jumping are especially at risk for tendonitis.
Tendonitis can strike those individuals who lead sedentary lifestyles and then decide to be weekend athletes without giving their bodies the chance to be trained properly for the change in activity level. It is common for Emergency room doctors to find patients with tendonitis who have had recent spurts in activity level before the injury. Even someone out sightseeing while on vacation and doing an unusual amount of walking can come down with tendonitis.
Athletes are often referred to sports consultants for tendon injuries. They can use ultrasound imaging in order to make a diagnosis about the tendon. They may also use a Doppler Scan that allows a radiologist to visualize vessels in surrounding tissues. Tendons that have poor blood supply will not heal well.
Athletes with tendonitis who wish to return to the sport quickly will need to follow rehabilitation regimes that involve eccentric exercises that exercise the muscles in 3 different ways. Eccentric exercises are used to treat Achilles Tendinopathy. There are two muscles involved in the Achilles tendon, the gastrocnemius and the soleus. You need to work both muscles by doing knee bent and then straighten the knee. Usually this is repeated 15 times, three times a day. You may feel some discomfort while doing the exercises but you should not feel sharp pain.
As the tendon starts to heel the discomfort and morning stiffness should lessen. You can add lightweights to your physical therapy to help strengthen the muscles. It will usually take 12 full weeks of rehabilitation before you will be ready to return to sports. There are several factors that dictate the number of weeks it will take such as how severe the original injury is, the level of training the individual had before the injury and how dedicated the individual is to following rehabilitation regimes.
During your recovery period you can improve your cardiovascular fitness by cycling and swimming unless this is too painful then you can modify the activity by using light gears. Your therapist will tell you when you are ready to return to light running or jogging.