Tendonitis refers to the inflammation of the tendon of the muscle. This is different than injury to the muscle belly itself. Tendonitis can happen to any tendon in the body and typically develops as the result of overuse of a muscle. The achilles tendon is the longest tendon in the body. It connects our calf muscles (our gastrocnemius and soleus) to our heel bone. Achilles tendonitis is often considered to be one of the most common, if not the most common, overuse injury. The majority of patients suffering from achilles tendonitis tend to be between 30-50 and  involved in recreational or competitive sports, or running. This condition can also develop in more sedentary and elderly populations however and in these cases it may be linked to other medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. There are certain conditions that make achilles tendonitis more likely to develop. This includes tight and weak calves, a stiff ankle joint, a stiff heel bone, and having an ankle that rolls inwards causing the foot to rest in a more outward position. When achilles tendonitis develops there will be pain in the area along the heel, there may or may not be swelling in the area, and the tendon is often thickened as compared to the other side. Achilles tendonitis is often a precursor to an achilles rupture thus physical therapy is very crucial.

 

 

In physical therapy we work to promote blood flow to the area of the tendon to allow it to heal and we can do this via dry needling, soft tissue massage, and IASTM. We work to reduce pain and swelling with these techniques as well. We also work to restore mobility in the ankle and the heel. Once we we reduce pain and start to restore normal motion we work on strengthening the leg to prevent recurrences of the problem. Achilles tendonitis tends to get excellent results in physical therapy. For examples of how we treat achilles tendonitis in our clinic please see some photos below. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us.