Running is a great way to stay fit and keep healthy but poor technique, and inadequate stretching can lead to serious injuries, and one of the most common injuries among runners is Achilles tendinitis.
What is Achilles tendinitis?
The Achilles tendon is the connective tissue that attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone. Tendinitis occurs when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed. There are two types of Achilles tendinitis: insertional and non-insertional.
Insertional Achilles tendinitis occurs at the point where the tendon connects to the heel bone while non-insertional tendinitis affects the middle section of the tendon. Non-insertional tendinitis is more common in younger people and athletes such as runners.
Symptoms of Achilles tendinitis
The most noticeable symptom of Achilles tendinitis is pain and swelling in the heel when walking or running. However, you may also experience several other symptoms including tight calf muscles, poor mobility in the foot and ankle, and heat radiating from the skin at the back of your heel.
Causes of Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis is predominantly an overuse injury. Runners often experience tendinitis after increasing the intensity of their training regime without adequate preparation. Poor warm up and cool down can also contribute to tendinitis.
One of the biggest risk factors is an injury to the calf muscle or ankle which can put undue strain on the Achilles tendon causing it to weaken and become more prone to wear and tear.
Another risk factor for developing Achilles tendinitis is age. The Achilles tendinitis degenerates as we age, so older runners should pay careful attention to their warm-up and stretching routine.
Treatment for Achilles tendinitis
- Rest
Achilles tendinitis should be initially treated with rest and ice to minimize the inflammation. This will reduce the severity of the injury and speed up the healing times. You may need to completely immobilize the area while it heals and tape your ankle and calf with sports tape to prevent reinjuring the tendon when you resume your running regime.
- Hot and cold therapy
Chiropractic treatments have been proven highly effective for treating Achilles tendinitis. Some treatment options include hot and cold therapy to reduce inflammation and boost blood circulation to the area to aid healing.
- Chiropractic adjustment
Chiropractic manipulation is used to lengthen calf muscles and relieve tension to improve your range of motion. Some techniques they may use may include homeopathic treatments for Achilles tendinitis, massage and electric muscle stimulation. Your chiropractor may recommend a series of stretching exercises to strengthen and rehabilitate the calf muscles and tendon.
Final thoughts
Don’t let Achilles tendinitis stop you from doing the activities you love. There are several providers of homeopathic treatments for Achilles tendinitis in West Bloomfield, MI that can help heal your tendinitis and get you back running again in no time.
