How to Treat and Prevent Achilles TendinitisAchilles tendinitis or regular achilles pains are injuries many runners come across in their running career. 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?
Achilles tendinitis is caused by stress on the achilles. More stress than the achilles can take. This typically happens when: 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. 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. 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! Don't know what pronation is ? Then have a good look at the running shoes section. 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 ! 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: Massaging your achilles can help to make your achilles a bit more flexible. 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. 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. click here for more information Cho-pat Achilles Tendon Strap  The Cho-pat Achilles Tendon Strap provides relief and support. click here for more information Bauerfeind AchilloTrain Pro Achilles Tendon Support  Relieve pain and swelling with the lightweight, breathable Bauerfeind AchilloTrain Pro Achilles Tendon Support click here for more information 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. Wish to have all the best running tips at your disposal? Subscribe to the Best Running Tips Newsletter or to the Best Running Tips Blog! Go from Achilles Tendinitis Page to Running Injuries Page Go 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 Like this page: |
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