If you are looking for Achilles tendonitis treatment in Gatton, the information below will help you make a better decision, as well as help you avoid unnecessary and expensive healthcare treatment.
What is Achilles Tendonitis and what causes it?
The Achilles tendon is a large cord-like tendon at the back of your ankle. It attaches your calf muscle to the back of your heel. Its job is to transfer the forces from the calf muscle to lift your heel and allow you to push off from the ball of the foot during walking and running. This tendon withstands tremendous stress. When you walk it supports your body weight. When you run, it may withstand 10 times these forces! That is greater than 450kg! Because of the great forces it is under, the tendon can become inflamed and injured. When it is hurt, you can feel swelling, in the tendon or at the back of the heel, lower leg weakness, and stiffness in the morning. It’s common for the pain to get better over the day.
Causes of Achilles Tendonitis include:
- a rapid increase in physical activity
- Repetitive motions like distance running
- Limited flexibility of the calf muscles
- Excess rolling of the foot during walking and running
Even if Achilles pain persists for a long time, it responds usually well to a specific program of eccentric loading, stretching, and strengthening.
Correcting your gait and running techniques are important to prevent recurring injury. Given time and correct technique, you can recover from this problem that may have been bothering you for several months.
RICE
What should you put ice on a strained muscle or joint? We get asked this question all the time.
In the first 48 hours after an injury think: RICE:
R est
I ce
C ompression
E levation
Immediately after you have injured a joint, tendon or muscle, rest the area as much as you can in the first 24 hours-48 hours. Ice helps with pain relief and can help to reduce the swelling coming into the injured area. You should ice the area for 20-30 minutes 2-4 times per day. Wrap the ice pack in a damp towel before wrapping it around the area.
Compression and elevation help reduce the swelling that results because of the soft tissue injury. Excessive swelling can cause extra damage to the cells and tissues. When you elevate, the area of injury should be higher than your heart. Elevate your ankle and try to only bend the knee a little over the pillows. Think of helping the swelling & fluid to flow easily towards your heart.
Consult your doctor if your pain persists. Consult your physiotherapist to assist your recovery and safe return to your sport.
How Our Physiotherapists will Care for You
Our physios are experienced in treating Achilles tendonitis
The key to rapid and successful recovery is early intervention. We will perform a thorough initial evaluation, discuss your treatment goals, provide you with a custom treatment program, and schedule follow-up visits based on the agreed-upon plan of care.
Your treatment plan depends on what we learn during your initial evaluation but often includes the following:
- Modifications to your daily activities,
- Stretching,
- Avoiding aggravating activities,
- Over-the-counter orthoses,
- Hands-on soft tissue and mobilization techniques, and
- A home program
Practical Advice
If you are experiencing Achilles tendonitis, we can help. We’ve successfully treated many people without the use of addictive drugs, risky injections, expensive tests, or surgery.
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Give Us a Call at 07 54621131 to Get Started
