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How to Treat
and Prevent Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis or regular achilles pains are injuries many runners
come across in their running career.
Reason enough to learn more about
them so you know what to look out for!
Your achilles connects your calf muscles with your heel bone.
When your
achilles has to work too hard it starts to hurt.
It tightens.
It can
feel like it is burning.
This is what they call achilles tendinitis or a achilles
tendon injury.
In this section I'll cover the following questions:
What causes achilles tendinitis?
How can you prevent achilles tendinitis?
How do you treat achilles tendinitis?
When do you go to the doctor?
What Causes Achilles Tendinitis?
Achilles tendinitis is caused by stress on the achilles.
More stress
than the achilles can take.
This typically happens when:
You increase your mileage too much
when you increase your mileage more than is good for you, your body,
including your achilles, will have to work too hard. Learn more about increasing
mileage safely.
You do too much speedwork in your
running training.
Speedwork is fun. But when you do too much you will put too much stress
on your body. Always make sure you do a very good warm-up before your
speed sessions and cool down properly afterwards.
You are doing more hill work than is
good for you.
I used to live in The Netherlands, easily one of the flattest countries
in the world, so not much chance for me to do too much hill work there.
But on holidays, like when I went to Tuscany, I take my chance to
run in the hills. After a longer hilly run my achilles is the first one
to tell me it is time for a rest day!
You overpronate
Don't know what pronation is? When you overpronate your arch moves too far
inward when your foot lands on the ground. This can cause an achilles
tendon injury like achilles tendinitis.
How Can You Prevent Achilles Tendinitis?
Well, just look at the causes above and eliminate them !
Follow a safe and sound running
program
Prevent excessive hill work
Check your shoes
But then we forget an important extra possibility to prevent achilles
tendinitis:
Making your legs stronger through stretching and
strengthening.
There are some exercises you can do. Good exercises are:
Heel drops to make your achilles stronger:
Stand on a curb with the front of your feet. Then let your heels drop.
Hold for a while (count slowly to five). And then lift again. Repeat.
Heel lifts to make your calves stronger:
Stand on the floor. Then lift your heels. Slowly count to five and drop
your heels again. Repeat.
How Do You Treat Achilles Tendinitis?
How to treat achilles tendinitis?
Well, there are a few different ways to do that:
(Self-)Massage
Massaging your achilles can help to make your achilles a bit more
flexible.
Ice
Putting ice on your achilles for 15-20 minutes at a time will help
against the
inflammation.
Note with icing: do it
for 15-20 minutes, it takes time for the ice to start working.
Do it shorter and you will only cool down your skin, but don't do any
work on your tendons.
Also note that it is recommended that you ice the achilles once every two hours.
That's a lot of icing, more than most of us can do with jobs, taking
care of kids and whatever else we do. Simply try to do it as much as
possible.
Use a specialized achilles
tendon injury product See the section below.
Achilles Tendon Injury ProductsBelow I have a carefully
selected group of products that help solve your achilles tendon
problems. Self-massage and icing are good first steps. But want faster
relief? Want to get back into running as quickly as possible? Then it
may pay off to have a look at some of the products below!
Silipos Achilles Heel Sleeve
The Silipos Achilles Heel Sleeve provides amazing
relief from heel maladies like an achilles tendon injury or other heel
pain issues you are dealing with.
Cho-pat Achilles Tendon Strap
The Cho-pat Achilles Tendon Strap provides relief
and support.
Bauerfeind AchilloTrain Pro Achilles Tendon
Support
Relieve pain and swelling with the lightweight, breathable Bauerfeind
AchilloTrain Pro Achilles Tendon Support
When do you go to the doctor?
When the issue gets worse, even after self-treatment, then go see a doctor.
Beginning achilles pains are not a
reason necessarily to immediately go to the doctor.
But if your
self-treatment and some of the excellent products above do not help,
then you should consider getting medical treatment.
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Go
from Achilles Tendinitis Page to Running Injuries Page
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from Achilles Tendinitis Page to Best Running Tips Homepage
Running Injuries
Running Injury Prevention
Foot Injuries:
Foot Pain |
Black Toenail |
Stress Fractures |
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis |
Heel Injuries:
Heel Pain |
Achilles Tendinitis |
Heel Spur / Plantar Fasciitis |
Knee Injuries:
Knee Pain |
Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITB) |
Leg Injuries:
Leg / Calf Cramps |
Shin Splints |
Hamstring Injury |
Hip Pain
Upper Body Injuries:
Nipple Chafing |
Side Stitch |
Back Pain |
Chest Pain
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