Achilles pain

Treatments for Achilles pain and injury can be challenging.

Achilles pain can affect all levels of physical activity, from people that enjoy going for a walk to people that enjoy running long distance and playing all manner of sports…..or not!

Determining the diagnosis is very simple, the challenge is how to treat it.

To understand the best treatment option, we need to first understand the role the Achilles tendon plays in your body.  Imagine the Achilles tendon being a very useful long spring. It connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. Every time your calf muscle stretches out, your Achilles needs to recoil back to its resting length….The Achilles tendon is constantly challenged and considering we use this muscle every time we take a step….the Achilles tendon has a very hard job to do.  As a result, it is vulnerable to injury.

Unfortunately if you have had pain for a while in your Achilles tendon, anti-inflammatories may not necessarily help your pain. The treatment for Achilles pain is to help it getting strong but without overworking it!

How do you achieve this? Your Physiotherapist or your sports Doctor are the best people to talk to about this. They will be able to give you tactics on how to “reload” your Achilles tendon to make it strong but without causing further pain and damage. Research shows that complete rest is not beneficial, so the key is a progressive and well monitored strengthening program without causing pain/aggravation in the process.

At Better Health we will be able to assess what type of Achilles tendon problem you have and exclude any other injuries. If necessary we can refer you to a specialist doctor or other allied health professional for further management.

Achilles rehabilitation includes specific exercises for you ankle, leg and even your core muscle. Your whole body needs to help control the way you are landing in order to take pressure of the Achilles tendon. Remember, most Achilles pain will heal with the right treatment and guidance.

At Better Health our Physiotherapists will be able to perform a thorough examination to help you finally fix your Achilles problem and resume your favourite activities without pain.