Experts explain the common causes of Achilles injuries and how to avoid them.
is good news, but an Achilles injury can be especially painful. It typically feels like a sharp pain that shoots through the back of yourevery time you push off the ground with that foot.
And unfortunately, figuring out how to protect your Achilles from pain isn’t always easy. In fact, dealing with Achilles tendinopathy—which affects 1 in 20 recreational runners—once within the past year is the biggest risk factor for experiencing it again, according to aHere’s more about the types of Achilles pain you might experience, exactly how to prevent more serious injuries like Achilles tears, and what makes certain runners more prone to Plus, steal a handful of expert-backed exercises to help strengthen the tendon and the surrounding area to keep you from getting sidelined.
“Acute” means the pain is usually fairly short-lived . You can feel the pain in the middle of the tendon or at the insertion point—which is on the back of the heel where the Achilles inserts onto the heel bone, she explains.
John Vasudevan, M.D., director of the running and endurance Sports Medicine Program at Penn Medicine says acute Achilles tendinitis is usually caused by a sudden or out-of-the-ordinary change to running pace, terrain, orand stiffness around the Achilles. It’s often caused by a cumulative strain on the tendon, Vasudevan says, which is why it’s common in runners.heels at once could relate to other medical issues, like diabetes or rheumatologic diseases, especially if you feel other body aches.
So you definitely want to visit a doctor if that’s the case. Finally, there’s an Achilles rupture, which is much more severe.
“This is when tears in the tendon eventually cause a partial or complete break,” says, D.P. T., C.S. C.S. , a physical therapist in New Jersey.
“It feels like a pop at the back of your heel or This injury is less common, but the incidence is on the rise. Nearly 82 percent of all Achilles ruptures occur in people participating in a sport or recreational activity; basketball is by far the most common, but running accounts for 5.8 percent of ruptures, according toAside from that telltale pop or snap associated with a rupture, there’s a good chance you’ll feel a shooting pain in the back of your ankle with Achille tendonitis or tendinopathy—especially when you’re on your tiptoes or pushing off the ground while running.
But the ache doesn’t always present the same way and can vary in severity, says “Morning stiffness in the tendon is a common sign in Achilles issues, particularly tendinopathy,” he says.
“In milder cases, some people may experience an initial improvement or reduction in pain with activity or movement as the tendon warms up—that’s known as the ‘warmup effect. ’” You may also notice swelling or redness in the area, but not always, and the area will also likely be tender to the touch.tend to load their calves and Achilles more, which can make them more susceptible to Achilles injuries, says Bui.
can also increase risk of Achilles issues.
“You might not realize it, but you can be compensating for this by increasing the load to the soft tissue structures around the ankle joint, such as the Achilles,” Bui says. can also lead to Achilles pain, as it’s meant to provide the most power on your push-off, Vasudevan says. Sometimes it’s that runners lackMen and older runners have a higher incidence of Achilles injuries, especially tendinopathy.
And if you have a history of other injuries in the area—includingLuckily, there are several easy, no-gear exercises you can add to your routine to gradually increase the load on your Achilles tendons and help prep it for running injury-free.
“To proactively negate the risk of Achilles issues, the emphasis should be on maintaining Achilles load capacity,” says Vickerman. “This can be achieved through a consistent regimen of calf complex strengthening, incorporating heavy,Slowly lower and rest for 2 minutes. Lift heels, then stand on the affected leg and slowly lower that heel off the edge of the step. Stand with feet hip-width apart in front of a box at least 12 inches high.
Step off the edge and land softly on the floor in front of the box with both feet, keeping weight distributed evenly from toes to heel. First things first: Take some time off. Getting at least a few days of R&R at the first signs of aches in your Achilles can help a lot when dealing with the initial painful stage, says Bui.
But after those few days of dialing it back, get back to activity .
“Tendons need progressive loading over time to heal,” Bui explains. “Resting a tendon for weeks or months usually does not promote healing. ” For any ongoing tendinopathy , Betiku advises talking to a doc or physical therapist.
They can help you figure out the best plan to get you back up and running while nixing the aches for good—instead of risking re-injury. Laurel Leicht is a writer and editor in Brooklyn. She's covered health, fitness, and travel for outlets including Well+Good, Glamour, and O, The Oprah Magazine. John Vasudevan, M.D. is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
He is board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. He is a Team Physician for UPenn Athletics and medical director of the Broad Street Run and Philadelphia Distance Run, and previously for the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon and Tri-Rock Triathlon in Philadelphia. He is a director of the running and endurance Sports Medicine Program at Penn Medicine.
Dr. Vasudevan provides non-operative management of musculoskeletal conditions affecting athletes and active individuals of all levels, and combines injury rehabilitation with injury prevention. He utilizes a variety of ultrasound-guided procedures and regenerative approaches such as platelet-rich plasma and percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy. He sees patients at the Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration hospital. Dr. Vasudevan attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
After his Transitional Year in Tucson, Arizona, he went to residency in PM&R at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and onwards to Stanford University for his fellowship in Sports Medicine. He has been in practice at the University of Pennsylvania since 2012.
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