Achilles Tendonitis advice

HHdeern66

I walk about 15-20 miles a week and my right Achilles tendon has been bothering me for several months. The doc gave me anti inflammatory and recommended heel inserts. That didn't really help. I taped it, wore a brace, tried different shoes but after a few miles of walking it starts acting up again. Does anybody have a recommendation what I can try next ? I'm positive weight loss will help but I need some relive now.

psuLemon

Did you get fitted for shoes? For example, for my plantar fasciitis i found out through my local running store that i needed more support. But also, keys are generally rest, and ice. But you should also consider physical therapy.

Isabelisik

I had a very similar problem with my running. I applied ice bag twice a day, used anti inflammatory, didnt wear high heels at all, avoid exercises that impact my feet, did special exercises just for the Achilles tendon (you can find online) and stopped running for almost 3 months, 2,5 months. I just started running now with a new running shoes. I do serious warm up and cool down exercises before and after. Also, I still do ice bag, anti inflammatory and Achilles tendon exercises. Everything seems okay for me now. I can advise you to do the same and give it some time to heal properly. I know it sucks, but seriously there is nothing much to do. Good luck, keep healthy 😊

nooshi713

With Achilles tendonitis you have to rest it for it to heal. I had it 10 years ago and had to forgo walking and exercise for 6 months for it to heal. Anti inflammatories and orthotics can help but it won’t heal unless you rest it.

lgfrie

@nooshi713 is right. Antiinflammatories, orthotics, etc., will help but only sufficient time to heal will enable you to turn the corner. For me, five years after injuring my Achilles, it still acts up. In the first year when I wasn't yet in the mindset of "This has to really heal before I push it", I was in a constant cycle of exercise - flair up - time out - exercise - flare up - time out.

Two things for you to consider.

1. Figure out how far you can walk before it starts getting irritated. For me, it was 1.5 miles - a pittance compared to the 4-6 miles I was used to walking. Do NOT walk more than that distance until you are sure you're past this, no matter how long it takes, 6 mo, year, however long.

2. As soon as you feel discomfort/pain in your ankle, stop what you're doing. Not 1/2 mile later, not 1/2 hr later, immediately. Call your S.O. or a friend to come pick you up if necessary. Do not walk on a stressed tendon or you will set yourself back to zero.

RunsWithBees

Don’t know if it’ll help you but what works for me is foam rolling. I absolutely hate foam rolling but it’s the only thing that ever really helps when I feel the Achilles acting up. It helps my Achilles heal in days instead of weeks/months trying other things and I’ve tried it all. Foam rolling when done correctly is not fun but it’s literally like magic for my tendonitis. It can be done as a preventative measure, during healing or post workout.

NorthCascades

I don't know much about what you have specifically, but I've spent the last 15 months or so healing a different tendon in my foot. I'm going to talk about what's worked for me, some of it will probably be helpful for you. I'll also say that if you're discerning, there's actually good advice on YouTube, but you have to be very careful looking for advice there.

Tendons take a very long time to heal. You need to take pressure off the tendon so it can heal. For me it meant walking as little as possible for a short time. It meant wearing those medical boots for a while. They helped. Doctor told me to stay active after a brief period of near complete rest.

Doctor told me shoes with cushioning are important, the cushion absorbs impact keeping it from the tendon. He told me never be barefoot except in bed and the shower. He said this is probably more important than support. (I've tried so many different shoes, eventually found one that's helping me a lot.)

We progressed when I was ready to physical therapy which is strengthening the muscles around the tendon to prevent future injuries. I'm my car a lot of it is balance, you'll probably need different exercises for a different tendon.

Anti-inflammatories help more than opiates for pain. Corticosteroids work if the pain is extreme but it's better not to use them if possible. Ibuprofen is a miracle.

I hope you get a complete recovery and that it doesn't take long.

Gr8nurs1271

Physical therapy. I had what we thought was tendinitis but actually turned out to be a partial tear. Physical therapy helped along with massage.

LiftandSkate

I've been battling this all year. What has finally worked for me is the protocol outlined by Squat University. I'm sure you can Google it. It requires specific daily exercises over time. I tried ice, resting, anti-inflammatories and everything else, but it was just a vicious cycle. I feel like I'm finally getting at the root of it and making progress with this program.