Return of the a Achilles tendinitis

[flyfisher117]

I'm into this a year, my tendinitis is coming back and I don't know what to do.

March/April the doctor confirmed its Achilles tendinitis. The stretches the doctor gave me aren't helping. He didn't act like he believed I was doing them.
The stretches in the Mtn Tough app aren't helping. I can do everything they reccomend with zero pain. I have been doing their reccomended stretches and workouts all summer..

I essentially didn't do much this summer other than very light gym work and very minimal outdoor activities. I've been taking collagen, stretching, icing etc. I was starting to feel OK back in September. For what ever reason it's now starting to flair up again.

Is this something it would be beneficial to find a physical therapist for? Find a new doctor? Has anyone battled this and found a fix?

 

[Coach Chris]

What are you doing now that is irritating it?
Other than the modalities mentioned above what else have you done to strengthen your lower leg muscles?

 

[rickyw]

Is this something it would be beneficial to find a physical therapist for? Find a new doctor? Has anyone battled this and found a fix?

Dry needling of the lower soleus and Achilles tendon and manipulation of the talus. If they lack ankle stability due to a history of sprains then they may need some proprioceptive rehab. Typically a mixture of these approaches works quite well as long as the clinician has good hands and knows how to go about things

 

[Skerhunter]

I’m about ready to tape my ankle in place before bed every night so it stays extended while I sleep.

I have been dealing with the same thing for the past few years, but I haven’t found anything that helps a ton. Like mentioned above my right ankle was sprained repeatedly in HS sports and it just finally caught up to me. Taller hunting boots that put pressure on my leg seem to irritate it more vs normal low top shoes. But running also this past year also pissed it off.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

I have been dealing with the same thing for the past few years, but I haven’t found anything that helps a ton. Like mentioned above my right ankle was sprained repeatedly in HS sports and it just finally caught up to me. Taller hunting boots that put pressure on my leg seem to irritate it more vs normal low top shoes. But running also this past year also pissed it off.

Same.

I just began stretching a lot, quit doing high impact cardio (very rarely to i sprint anymore and if i do its build-ups, no hard sprint takeoffs), and used kinesiology tape when it was really bad.

Took me a couple of years but it's not a problem anymore.

 

[Skerhunter]

Same.

I just began stretching a lot, quit doing high impact cardio (very rarely to i sprint anymore and if i do its build-ups, no hard sprint takeoffs), and used kinesiology tape when it was really bad.

Took me a couple of years but it's not a problem anymore.

Good to hear! I haven’t tried k tape yet, but may need to give it a try this year.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

Good to hear! I haven’t tried k tape yet, but may need to give it a try this year.

 

[ElPollo]

I'm into this a year, my tendinitis is coming back and I don't know what to do.

March/April the doctor confirmed its Achilles tendinitis. The stretches the doctor gave me aren't helping. He didn't act like he believed I was doing them.
The stretches in the Mtn Tough app aren't helping. I can do everything they reccomend with zero pain. I have been doing their reccomended stretches and workouts all summer..

I essentially didn't do much this summer other than very light gym work and very minimal outdoor activities. I've been taking collagen, stretching, icing etc. I was starting to feel OK back in September. For what ever reason it's now starting to flair up again.

Is this something it would be beneficial to find a physical therapist for? Find a new doctor? Has anyone battled this and found a fix?

Do you know what created the issue? Was it a full tear, partial tear, or something else? I’ve struggled with Achilles tendonitis for 18 months now and the dr originally thought it was a partial tear. It took over a year to come to the conclusion that I had a blood clot that affected the blood supply to my Achilles and my sural nerve. If you have any numbness in your foot, it can be a sign that you have something else going on. Even if it isn’t something like this, your Achilles gets very limited blood flow which means they are very slow to heal. Stretching when you are having a flare up is not particularly helpful, but anything you can do to promote blood flow is. This includes soaking in warm water or heat pads, using a deep tissue massager on the area around your Achilles, and wearing loose fitting, low top shoes. Once you get the pain level reduced, that’s when you bring back in the stretches and calf raises. I have also found a Mobo Board to be a really good resource. Their website has multiple exercises that promote foot, ankle, and calf strength and flexibility. Wish you luck.

 

[JohnB]

I'm into this a year, my tendinitis is coming back and I don't know what to do.

March/April the doctor confirmed its Achilles tendinitis. The stretches the doctor gave me aren't helping. He didn't act like he believed I was doing them.
The stretches in the Mtn Tough app aren't helping. I can do everything they reccomend with zero pain. I have been doing their reccomended stretches and workouts all summer..

I essentially didn't do much this summer other than very light gym work and very minimal outdoor activities. I've been taking collagen, stretching, icing etc. I was starting to feel OK back in September. For what ever reason it's now starting to flair up again.

Is this something it would be beneficial to find a physical therapist for? Find a new doctor? Has anyone battled this and found a fix?

I haven't dealt with Achilles tendonitis but I would highly recommend seeing a PT as opposed to relying on the exercises from the doc and mtn tough. I'm constantly amazed when I'm dealing with some nagging injury that I've been nursing along for 6 months and a PT is able to get me squared away relatively quickly.

 

[mtnbound]

I'm into this a year, my tendinitis is coming back and I don't know what to do.

March/April the doctor confirmed its Achilles tendinitis. The stretches the doctor gave me aren't helping. He didn't act like he believed I was doing them.
The stretches in the Mtn Tough app aren't helping. I can do everything they reccomend with zero pain. I have been doing their reccomended stretches and workouts all summer..

I essentially didn't do much this summer other than very light gym work and very minimal outdoor activities. I've been taking collagen, stretching, icing etc. I was starting to feel OK back in September. For what ever reason it's now starting to flair up again.

Is this something it would be beneficial to find a physical therapist for? Find a new doctor? Has anyone battled this and found a fix?

I have used Laser therapy for several different injuries and found it to be very effective. I found it so effective that instead of paying for treatment packages from a doctor we bought a home rated unit and whiles it’s not as powerful as the one at the docs office it works. I even used it on our dog who had a nagging injury and the laser treatment worked for him.

 

[Jason Snyder]

What are you doing now that is irritating it?

This. Find the root cause.

 

[satchamo]

Do you happen to have a haglunds deformity? I do and have had issues with tendinitis’s that stemmed from specific boots. Essentially stiff boots do not work for me at all. Most the time the heel cup pushes on that bony area and irritates the heck out of my Achilles. I need boots with a flexible upper. For me that’s been Solomon quest or hanwag alverstones.

This may not be your issue but just throwing it out there.

 

[flyfisher117]

What are you doing now that is irritating it?
Other than the modalities mentioned above what else have you done to strengthen your lower leg muscles?

I have no clue what's irritating it. It doesn't get irritated during exercise, only a couple days later. 2 days ago I was doing step ups, controlled descents so that I was dropping hard onto that ankle.

Been doing calf raises and presses. Lots of stretching. I don't have great ankle strength or stability so i have been trying to work on it with workouts like Bose ball RDL and similar.

Dry needling of the lower soleus and Achilles tendon and manipulation of the talus. If they lack ankle stability due to a history of sprains then they may need some proprioceptive rehab. Typically a mixture of these approaches works quite well as long as the clinician has good hands and knows how to go about things

I don't have any history of ankle injury but I am lacking in ankle stability and mobility. Doctor said for my age it's not great but he also said it wasn't concerning.

I’m about ready to tape my ankle in place before bed every night so it stays extended while I sleep.

I have been dealing with the same thing for the past few years, but I haven’t found anything that helps a ton. Like mentioned above my right ankle was sprained repeatedly in HS sports and it just finally caught up to me. Taller hunting boots that put pressure on my leg seem to irritate it more vs normal low top shoes. But running also this past year also pissed it off.

I haven't tried KT tape but I have been considering it. At least occasionally when thr gym or life activities may be intense.

Do you know what created the issue? Was it a full tear, partial tear, or something else? I’ve struggled with Achilles tendonitis for 18 months now and the dr originally thought it was a partial tear. It took over a year to come to the conclusion that I had a blood clot that affected the blood supply to my Achilles and my sural nerve. If you have any numbness in your foot, it can be a sign that you have something else going on. Even if it isn’t something like this, your Achilles gets very limited blood flow which means they are very slow to heal. Stretching when you are having a flare up is not particularly helpful, but anything you can do to promote blood flow is. This includes soaking in warm water or heat pads, using a deep tissue massager on the area around your Achilles, and wearing loose fitting, low top shoes. Once you get the pain level reduced, that’s when you bring back in the stretches and calf raises. I have also found a Mobo Board to be a really good resource. Their website has multiple exercises that promote foot, ankle, and calf strength and flexibility. Wish you luck.

Not sure what caused it. I tried talking to the doctor to see if he had an idea what could have caused it but that was pointless.

Aug of 2023 I stepped in a hole with a loaded pack. Rolled my ankle pretty good and it was sore for a few weeks.

October of 2023, 4 am hiking up a mountain, the Achilles really started to get painful. I stopped, removed the boot, stretched it out and then continued on. Rest of the hunt it was tender but not painful.

Nov-march 23-24 I was doing a fair bit of heavy lifting and running roughly 5 miles a week. I started out with no issues but towards the end of that time frame the pain got pretty bad. That's when I went to the doc.

I'll check out the Mobo Board. I got a slant board for at home and have been using the bose ball at the gym.

I haven't dealt with Achilles tendonitis but I would highly recommend seeing a PT as opposed to relying on the exercises from the doc and mtn tough. I'm constantly amazed when I'm dealing with some nagging injury that I've been nursing along for 6 months and a PT is able to get me squared away relatively quickly.

Thanks, that's what I figured but I wasn't sure if this was the correct use of a PT. I'll get reached out to one and get scheduled in.

 

[Spoonbill]

I started having achilles problems this year. One thing that has helped me is wearing zero drop/ barefoot shoes. The wide toe box and zero drop on my altras seem to help.
I also talked to a buddy who is pretty familiar with this injury and he sent me some stretches. Squat University on Youtube has a lot of stretches/rehab workouts.
Here is one that helped

 

[P Carter]

I second the PT recommendation - they are used to getting people back to performing well; docs just get people to functional.

I’ve read that there’s a line of thinking that tendon repair occurs best under load. So some prescribe heavy lifting rather than rest or stretching. Definitely look to a PT but I’ll try to find the source of my statement.

Edit: here, obviously not authoritative but can get you started

Tendons And Sinews With Keith Baar, PhD — Evidence-based coaching for trail and ultra athletes

The structures that transmit force from muscle cells to bone are critical components of your running health and economy in addition to a common site of injury. Today we learn all about tendons and sinews from the world's leading expert on this topic.

www.scienceofultra.com

How To Improve Our Tendon Health with Training

humanperformancealliance.org

 

[flyfisher117]

I started having achilles problems this year. One thing that has helped me is wearing zero drop/ barefoot shoes. The wide toe box and zero drop on my altras seem to help.
I also talked to a buddy who is pretty familiar with this injury and he sent me some stretches. Squat University on Youtube has a lot of stretches/rehab workouts.
Here is one that helped

Thanks! I've been doing the world's greatest stretch daily while I wait for my coffee to brew. I didn't like it at first but now I love it.

I second the PT recommendation - they are used to getting people back to performing well; docs just get people to functional.

I’ve read that there’s a line of thinking that tendon repair occurs best under load. So some prescribe heavy lifting rather than rest or stretching. Definitely look to a PT but I’ll try to find the source of my statement.

Edit: here, obviously not authoritative but can get you started

Tendons And Sinews With Keith Baar, PhD — Evidence-based coaching for trail and ultra athletes

The structures that transmit force from muscle cells to bone are critical components of your running health and economy in addition to a common site of injury. Today we learn all about tendons and sinews from the world's leading expert on this topic.

www.scienceofultra.com

How To Improve Our Tendon Health with Training

humanperformancealliance.org

So the doctor told me absolutely nothing more than walking or light toe raises. He just wanted rest, ice, and meloxicam and it wasn't working for me. I did feel that going back to lifting and stretching did more for me.

Oddly enough at its worse the tendonitis hurt during 2 activities. Running in the treadmill or stretching in a Yoga/downward dog pose. Otherwise it didn't bother me.

That's where I am starting to see it again. Downward dog pose or sitting on the floor
Toes pointed up and then trying to point my toes back at me.

 

[Spoonbill]

Thanks! I've been doing the world's greatest stretch daily while I wait for my coffee to brew. I didn't like it at first but now I love it.



So the doctor told me absolutely nothing more than walking or light toe raises. He just wanted rest, ice, and meloxicam and it wasn't working for me. I did feel that going back to lifting and stretching did more for me.

Oddly enough at its worse the tendonitis hurt during 2 activities. Running in the treadmill or stretching in a Yoga/downward dog pose. Otherwise it didn't bother me.

That's where I am starting to see it again. Downward dog pose or sitting on the floor
Toes pointed up and then trying to point my toes back at me.

I found this video helpful. I also mixed in riding a stationary bike before doing a cool down stretch.

 

[ETtikka]

Reverse calf raises are the only thing that I find that helps

 

[PTArcher1]

PT here. Yes, I believe seeing a good PT for an assessment is well worth your time. Treatment for Achilles tendonosis varies depending upon the individual's presentation. For example, stretching when your pain is primarily at the insertion (back of the heel) will often make the pain worse due to compression. Mid tendon problems may respond better.

Bottom line is your Achilles is currently unable to handle the stress/load it is undergoing on a daily basis. The key to success is finding a way to control the load at the same time as you work on increasing it's ability to handle stress (i.e. strengthening). Brief rest may help some in controlling the acute symptoms, but prolonged inactivity only leads to weakening of the tissue and decreasing it's ability to handle load.

Get some professional advice. A good PT can likely help you develop a plan to address the issue and get you back in the game.

 

[P Carter]

PT here. Yes, I believe seeing a good PT for an assessment is well worth your time. Treatment for Achilles tendonosis varies depending upon the individual's presentation. For example, stretching when your pain is primarily at the insertion (back of the heel) will often make the pain worse due to compression. Mid tendon problems may respond better.

Bottom line is your Achilles is currently unable to handle the stress/load it is undergoing on a daily basis. The key to success is finding a way to control the load at the same time as you work on increasing it's ability to handle stress (i.e. strengthening). Brief rest may help some in controlling the acute symptoms, but prolonged inactivity only leads to weakening of the tissue and decreasing it's ability to handle load.

Get some professional advice. A good PT can likely help you develop a plan to address the issue and get you back in the game.

Bingo, love this, I’d forgotten about the difference between insertional and “tendon belly” pain. (Each year I tend to have a few flareups, but I consult my sister, who’s a PT, and she almost always helps.) this year, I’ve been trying jump rope along with my other strengthening to see if I can head it off.

PTs are the best, in my opinion, thanks!