Achilles Heel Pain

Achilles Heel Pain: The Achilles tendon inserts into the back of the heel. If overused it can lead to insertion pain! Treat it at home.

Types Of Achilles Heel Pain:

1)Achilles Tendonitis Heel Pain:

• The most common cause of achilles heel pain is an overuse injury.
• This leads to inflammation of the achilles tendon, this leads to  Achilles heel soreness.
• This will appear as morning pain that gets better with 15-20 minutes of walking!

Achilles Tendonitis Heel Pain Symptoms:

• Pain in the back of the heel.
• Sore insertion of the achilles heel.
• Swelling may occur.
• You may experience Achilles heel soreness in the morning.
• The stiffness and pain go away with walking.
• Decreased strength.
• Sluggishness in calf muscle.

See the Achilles Heel Pain Treatment Section Below.

2)Achilles Heel Tear:

• An Achilles tear is usually partial.
• A complete tear can occur, this will lead to a complete loss of calf muscle function.
• Most common in males 30-50 years old.
• Especially jumping or falling.

Achilles Heel Tear Symptoms:

•  There will be a sudden sharp tearing feeling.
• This is usually in a big fall.
• Severe heel pain.
• Will not be able to stand on tippy toes.
• If you look at both Achilles tendons, there will be a groove if fully torn.

 3)Achilles Heel Spur:

• An Achilles heel spur can usually develop.
• This usually happens after years of achilles heel pain & inflammation.
• The chronic overuse can lead to micro-tears that fill in with blood.
• This blood can then calcify over time.

Achilles Heel Spur Symptoms:

• Achilles heel soreness.
• Usually worse in the morning, gets better with light walking.
• You can feel a palpable mass with your fingers.
• It may press against the back of the shoe and cause pain.

See the Achilles Heel Pain Treatment Section Below.

4) Achilles Heel Pain Running:

• Walking and running are the most common causes of Achilles heel pain.
• This condition is frequently due to overuse of the tendon.
• Ever step you take during running strikes at 3-4x your body weight.
• During walking this can be around 2x your body weight with each step.
• So for most of us that is about 800 pounds of weight with each step!
• This continues for a few thousand steps.

Achilles Heel Pain Running Modifications:

• If your plantar fascia, achilles tendon and hamstrings are tight, this needs to be corrected.
• Studies show that you need at least a certain amount of flexibility, which most non-athletes do not have!
• If you cannot dorsiflex your foot 10 degrees (or 80 degrees to the shin), you are at risk!
• This alters your running mechanics and places extra unnecessary strain through your foot and ankle.

Achilles Heel Pain Treatment:

1) Sore Achilles Heel Pain Relief!

• This stage alone can give 50-60% complete resolution of symptoms!
• It will take a couple days or weeks to decrease the pain.
• Once the pain is gone, stretch and exercise to strengthen the Achilles!

A)Massage The Back Of The Heel & Achilles:

• Use your hands.
• Use a tennis ball.
• Use a rolling pin or any other on-line special item.
• Anything will work as long as it doesn’t damage at the skin.
• Any blood flow or motion will decrease the pain within 15-20 minutes.

My Recommendation: Freeze a water bottle, stick it in an old t-shirt and ice your Achilles!

B)Ice The Back Of The Heel & Achilles:

• Do this 2-3x a day for 2-3 days.
• The inflammatory process needs to end for healing to being.
• Each session of 15-20 minutes will decrease the flow of inflammatory cells.
• Afterwards the arteries will vasodilate flushing out inflammatory cells.
• Ice has deeper penetrating power than heat.
• But heat can work as well.

My Recommendation: Use ice rather than heat.

C)Topical or Oral Anti-inflammatory Medication:

• These include Ibuprofen & Aspirin.
• This can be over the counter or prescription.
• Do not take these unless instructed to do so by your physician or podiatrist.
• Take a 1-2 week course of pills.
• This will decrease the inflammation and speed up your healing time.
• Take 2-3x doses per day as instructed by podiatrist,
• This dosage builds up anti-inflammatory enzyme levels in your system.
• Taking just 1-2 pills and then stopping does nothing for inflammation!

My Recommendation: Be careful of stomach irritation!

D)Once pain is decreased, start Achilles heel stretches & exercises!

• Achilles heel exercises and stretching are needed to correct the cause of pain.
• Studies show that at least 10 degrees of ankle motion off the floor are needed to walk without stressing the achilles tendon.

2) Achilles Heel Stretches & Exercises:

• The plantar fascia & the Achilles tendon are basically a continuation of each other.
• They both need to be stretched out to take tension off the achilles tendon.

•  Biomechanical studies show that the foot the foot needs at least 80 degrees of dorsiflexion to the leg (10 degrees off the ground.).
• If it does not, the foot must compensate.
• This puts increased stress on the Achilles tendon.

A) Plantar Fascia Stretching Exercises:

• Most stretches of the plantar fascia, stretch the calf as well.
• The calf and plantar fascia are essentially a continuation of each other.

• Pick one stretch for each muscle group.
• All stretches should be for 15-30 seconds until tightness.
• Do these 2-3x per day.
• The entire stretching session should take less than 5 minutes per day.

B) Achilles Tendon Stretching Exercises:

• Stretch your calf muscle as well as the plantar fascia.
• Most stretches work both the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon.
• All stretches should be for 15-30 seconds until tightness, 2-3x for the calf.

• Stretching will take a long time, weeks and months!
• This will keep you pain away and make you feel more athletic than ever!
• Studies show stretching is the single most important thing to keeping the pain away.

C) Hamstring Stretching Exercises:

• It is also extremely important to stretch out your hamstring.
• All stretches should be for 15-30 seconds until tightness, 2-3x for the plantar fascia.
• Stretching this muscle out will help take tension off the Achilles tendon.

My Recommendation: I like to always stretch both legs at once, this saves those crucial minutes!

D) Ho Long Do I Keep Stretching:

• Pick one plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and hamstring stretch.
• Ideally you will stretch even more muscles in the leg as you become more knowledgeable.
• In a few weeks you will notice how flexible you are becoming.
• It will feel less painful to walk and run.
• With more elasticity, the joints work much more naturally.
• You will be able to stand longer and run farther.
• It should even decrease your knee, hip and lower back pain.
• You will notice results in a couple weeks, and hopefully continue this habit for life!

• Stretching is the secret to amazing running and walking biomechanics.

• Don’t ignore it!

3) Extra Heel Support & Shoes:

• This stage gives 80-90% success in relieving symptoms!
• Once you regain some flexibility, support is needed!
• This means good over the counter arch supports.
• It also means a proper pair of shoes to keep the pain away.

A) Heel Supporting Shoes:

• Get a good running shoe.
• Make sure it has a stiff base.
• May sure it is not too flexible.
• Make sure there is enough room for your big toe and pinky toes.
• The heel counter should be rigid.
• The average running shoe should be worn less than 400 miles or so.
• This is about 3-6 months, don’t keep a shoe for years!
• I’m as frugal as it gets, but you can get a good new shoe for $35 on sale.
• Don’t risk your future mobility!

B) Fit Supporting Shoes Properly:

• Fit your shoes in the evening.
• Your feet are the most swollen at night.
• Use a Brannock device to measure your size properly.
• Measure your foot length.
• Measure your arch length.
• Measure your foot width length.

C) Achilles Heel Pain Orthotic:

• Get a good rigid over the counter foot orthotic.
• There are many crummy brands out there.
• Get a rigid pair that supports the arch.
• This is extremely important.
• Try ordering Powersteps online, they are about 20-30$.

4) Treat Your Plantar Fasciitis!

• Does the bottom of your arch hurts as well?
• Think Plantar Fasciitis!