Achilles Tendon
The largest, thickest, and strongest tendon in the body that connects the two major calf muscles-the gastrocnemius and soleus-to the back of the heel bone is the achilles. When there is enough force and under too much stress, the “tendon tightens and is forced to work too hard. This causes it to become inflamed, and, over time, can produce a covering of scar tissue, which is less flexible than the tendon” (Runner’s world, Achilles Tendinitis). When this happens, and the achilles continues to be stressed, it can tear or rupture.
Causes
- Tight or fatigued calf muscles from not stretching the calves properly.
- Increasing milage too quickly.
- Overtraining.
- Excessive hill running or speedwork
- Inflexible running shoes which can force the Achilles to twist.
- Runners who overpronate are more common to Achilles tendinitis.
Symptoms
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Stiffness
- Pain along the back of your foot and above your heel
- Hearing a snap or pop noise during the injury
- Difficulty flexing foot or pointing toes
Treatments
When you first start to experience any pain in the achilles, stop running. You can take aspirin or ibuprofen, and ice the area between 20-30 minutes.
- Rest your leg
- Compress and elevate your leg
- Practice stretching and strengthening exercises
Prevention
The best prevention that you can do is to stretch the calf muscles. Make sure that you don’t start running again until you do toe raises without any pain. Strength training is also important. You can do eccentric heel drops, ankle strengthening and mobility exercises.
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