What is Achilles tendonitis?
Achilles tendonitis can be triggered by a number of things, including:
- Rapidly increasing running distance or speed
- Adding hill running to training routine
- Starting too quickly after a break from exercise (This occurs frequently at the beginning of a soccer season when there is a sudden increase in activity)
- Sudden contraction of the calf muscles such as during a final sprint
- Overuse resulting from a lack of flexibility in the calf muscles
Symptoms of tendonitis
- Pain in the morning
- Painful at the beginning of exercise until warmed up
- Advanced tendonitis - constant pain
- Stiffness that generally diminishes as the tendon warms up with use
- Swelling
What you can do
- Rest and ice the area
- Reduce training, cut out speed or hill work
- Stretch calf muscles gently when the muscle and tendon are warm
- Avoid excessive stretching, as this may aggravate the problem
- Strengthen the calf muscle
- If pain persists for more than two weeks, follow-up with a physician
- Visit a sports injury specialist, physiotherapist or orthopaedic surgeon