To cure tendonitis of the Achilles tendon, located on the back of the leg, close to the heel, it is recommended to do stretching exercises for the calf and strengthening exercises, twice a day, every day.
The inflamed Achilles tendon causes severe pain in the calf and especially affects joggers, who are known as 'weekend runners'. However, this injury can also affect elderly people who do not practice physical activity on a regular basis, although the most affected are men who practice physical activity daily or more than 4 times a week.
What symptoms
Achilles tendonitis can cause symptoms such as:
- Pain in the heel when running or jumping; Pain in the entire length of the Achilles tendon; There may be pain and stiffness in the movement of the foot upon waking; There may be pain that bothers at the beginning of the activity, but that improves after a few minutes of training; Difficulty to walk, which makes the person walk with a limp; Increased pain or standing on the tip of the foot or turning the foot upwards; There may be swelling at the site of the pain; When running your fingers over the tendon you can notice that it is thick and with nodules;
If any of these symptoms are present, an orthopedist or physiotherapist should be consulted so that they can investigate why these symptoms may indicate other conditions such as calcaneus bursitis, heel contusion, plantar fasciitis or calcaneus fracture. Know how to identify a calcaneal fracture.
During the consultation, it is important for the person to inform the doctor about when the pain started, what type of activity they practice, if they have tried any treatment, if the pain worsens or improves with movement, and if they have already undergone an image exam like Ray X or ultrasound that can help in the diagnosis.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for inflammation of the Achilles tendon is usually done using ice packs at the site of the pain, for 20 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day, resting from activities and wearing closed shoes, comfortable and without heels, as tennis, for example. Taking anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or apyrin, for example, can help relieve pain and discomfort, and collagen supplementation can be helpful for tendon regeneration. See which foods are rich in collagen.
Pain in the calf and heel should disappear in a few days, but if they are very intense or take more than 10 days to stop, physical therapy may be indicated.
In physiotherapy, other electrotherapy resources can be used with ultrasound, voltage, laser, infrared and galvanization, for example. Calf stretching exercises, local massage and then eccentric strengthening exercises with the leg straight and also with the knee bent are of great help for curing tendonitis.
When you need to stop training
People who train must watch when the pain arises and worsens, because this will indicate whether it is necessary to stop completely or just reduce training:
- Pain starts after training or activity ends: Reduce training by 25%; Pain starts during training or activity: Reduce training by 50%; Pain during, after activity and affects performance: Stop until treatment has finished. expected effect.
If the rest period is not performed, tendonitis may worsen, with increased pain and longer treatment time.
Home Remedies
A great home remedy for Achilles tendonitis is the consumption of foods rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12, so one should invest in the daily consumption of foods such as bananas, oats, milk, yogurt, cheeses and chickpeas., for example.
Putting an ice pack in place is one way to relieve pain at the end of the day. The ice pack should not come into direct contact with the skin and should not be used for more than 20 minutes at a time. You can also resort to the use of anti-inflammatory ointments and use pads or felt to avoid contact of the painful area with the shoe.
Insoles or heel pads can be used for daily use for the duration of the treatment, which varies between 8 to 12 weeks.
What causes
Tendonitis in the heel can happen to anyone, but it is more common between 30 and 50 years of age, especially affecting people who practice activities such as uphill or hill running, ballet , pedaling, as in spinning classes, and football and basketball games. In these activities, the movement of the tip of the foot and heel is very fast, strong and frequent, which causes the tendon to suffer a 'whip' injury, which favors its inflammation.
Some factors that increase a person's risk of developing tendonitis in the heel are the fact that the runner does not stretch the calf in his workouts, prefer running on the slope, uphill and mountains, training daily without being able to allow the recovery of muscles and ligaments, favoring tendon micro-tears and use of sneakers with latches on the sole.
