Achilles Tendon Pain

Posts Tagged ‘tendon’

***The information in this video is not a substitute for professional care, and must not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine assume no liability for the information contained below or for its use. ***Washington University Orthopedics Sports Medicine Specialists are the team physicians for the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis Rams. We also offer the following services: Foot and Ankle, Hand and Wrist, Joint Preservation, Resurfacing and Replacement, Musculoskeletal Oncology, Orthopedic Trauma, Pediatric Orthopedics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shoulder & Elbow, Spine Surgery and Sports Medicine. To learn more about Washington University Orthopedics please visit our website: www.ortho.wustl.edu

Torn Achilles tendon is a common sports injury, and usually occurs when someone pushes off their heel with an explosive force.Let’s look at common symptoms.

The calf is the muscle component in the back of a person’s lower leg. It is comprised by two named muscles: gastrocnemius (main part) and the soleus. When a person says “I tore a ligament in my calf” he really means that he tore, or ruptured, his Achilles Tendon—since this is the primary ligament that controls the calf. Torn Achilles tendon is a fairly common sports injury, and usually occurs when someone pushes off their heel with an explosive force: leaping high to grab a rebound in basketball, or sprinting in the backcourt to hit a forehand during a tennis match, as examples.

Anatomy and Definitions

As mentioned, the gastrocnemius (also called ‘gastroc’) is the primary muscle of the calf. At the base of the gastroc, the muscle converges to become the Achilles tendon, which courses down and attaches to the back of the heel bone—called the calcaneus. The Achilles tendon is composed of dense fibrous tissue, and is about 6 to 7 inches long in the average size male. There are two types of Achilles tendon tears:

Complete rupture—this is when the tendon is completely severed across its width; this is more severe, and takes longer to heal from

Partial tendon tear—only about 20-50% of the Achilles is ripped; this is easier and faster to recover from

Discussion of ‘Symptoms and Signs’ will mainly focus on the complete Achilles rupture, as that is the most common type of ligament tear.

Symptoms and Signs of an Achilles Tear

These are the common signs seen when a ‘weekend athlete’ suffers a ruptured Achilles tendon: (See Reference Textbook)

A sudden and sharp pain, either in the back of the calf or at the Achilles area (patient may say “I feel like I got whacked back there.”)

Noticeable swelling on the back of the leg, between the calf and heel

Difficulty walking on the affected leg, especially to go uphill or climb stairs

Unable to stand on tiptoes with the affected leg

A ‘snapping’ or ‘popping’ sensation when the injury first occurs

When the patient palpates along the Achilles, he will likely feel a crevice or soft spot—this is the location of the tear

If injury is on the right Achilles, she will be unable to push down on the gas pedal of her car

If a patient experiences any of the above symptoms, he should seek medical attention to get thoroughly examined for a possible Achilles tear.

Rest: keep off the injured leg, as walking or weightbearing can cause more damage

Ice: apply an ice pack to the swollen area; this is key especially during the first day of injury

Compression: wrapping the lower leg and ankle with an ace bandage will help minimize the pain and swelling

Elevation: keeping the affected leg elevated (higher than the hips) will also reduce swelling

An athlete with a suspected Achilles tear should see a physician as soon as possible, preferably an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist. Once the specialist confirms the diagnosis, she will discuss options for treatment, which include surgery (sewing back the torn tendon), or nonsurgical treatment (wearing a leg brace or cast). Most cases heal within two to three months, but slow healers can take up to six months for full recovery.

I have been having off and on pain in both my achilles tendons for about 9 months now!!! It only last for an hour but it really hurts. Did i do something to it?

P.s. I don’t do any sports but i was working out for a till about may but i stopped because of my feet.

I recently developed a case of achilles tendinitis from playing basketball. Not knowing what it was i continued to practice on it but lightly and at half speed. A week and a half later i went to the doctor who took some x rays and told me to keep completely off it ( no running or jumping ) and to come back in three weeks if it was still hurting.Ive been off it for almost two weeks now, but it doesn’t seem to be getting much better. I’ve also been stretching it. Oddly enough, it doesn’t hurt when i wear slippers but as soon as I put shoes on or ankle braces that touch it it starts hurting and makes me limp when i walk. Is there anything else i can do to make it heal faster and keep me in shape besides the stationary bike? I’m mostly concerned for track season because meets start in around five weeks. How much longer do you think it’ll take to heal ? Do you think I’ll be in shape enough to run competitively ( around a 5 or 6 minute mile – I was able to do that by the end of cross country season) by the time track starts?
i mean completely off it for around two weeks no practicing what so ever and have been careful. I dont plan to run on it unless its fully healed I’m just hoping it will heal soon because i can’t stand this lack of activity especially when im used to running miles a day

I’m a 41 year old, 210 pound 5′.9″ male, who falls into the “weekend warrior” category (group sports every now and then). I love Ultimate Frisbee and I’ve played with resulting mild injuries from time to time, for over exertion or just the result of not being constant enough with routine exercise, not taking of the extra weight, or in most cases stupidly forgetting that at my age warming up and stretching are the most important parts of the whole workout (never did it in my 20’s or 30’s, so I’m also paying for it now).
I’ve had mostly tendinitis issues, related to knee joints, ankles and heels. Sometimes some other part of my body aches, maybe from a fall, maybe from a sudden hard movement, but in most cases, it’s my feet (I know, the weight).
The past couple of months I’ve been relocated far from home and because of that my “two times a week” of two hour hard running games was halted. But I was really happy when I made contact with a local Ultimate Frisbee league and so I started into a one day a week routine. I honestly played less intense, aware of my being in less shape than before, specially because the hours the games started didn’t allow for much (if any) warm up.
Anyway, last Friday night I warmed up for about five minutes and then ran into the field as a point was scored against my team. On my first strong run a disk was thrown at me, but away from my diagonal direction (I was running left and the disk flew to my right and back). I tried to change directions but I felt a popping crunching sensation on my knee and all of the sudden I was on the grass. I felt like my left knee had given out slightly forwards and to the left. I’m not really sure, because it was so quick.
I felt pain, strong pain. And all that was going through my mind was “NO! not my KNEE!!”
I’ve heard so many terrible accounts of knee injuries and unsuccessful surgeries (a friend of mine even had to have his knee “welded” and he walks with a permanently straight leg now) that it was the worst thing in my mind that could have happened to me. In my pain I asked a team mate to pull on my leg a bit because I couldn’t stretch it. Finally I did and I got up, not wanting to hold up the game and hoping stupidly it was nothing. I stretched it out, jumped a few times, shook it and the pain was gone and I could walk and run… sooooo, I started to play some more (yeah, I know…) and on my first run, pop!-ground!
That’s when I finally realized something definitely wasn’t right.
I walked out of the field limping and the wife of a team mate, who had actually been telling me her own foul tale regarding her knee injury and following failed surgery a week before told me to try to crouch and get up again. I could. Actually all I felt on my knee was tightness. No burning. No pain. I hoped for the best.
I sat out a bit of the game, and decided it was time to go home.
Our company housing fridge had died the day before and we where waiting on a new one Saturday afternoon, so there was no ice to be had.
So I simply showered and went to bed. I guess I wasn’t doing anything about it because I wanted it to be nothing, fear can make you be stupid that way.
The next day of course, my knee had swollen up. Well, actually not my knee, but the point where the quadriceps meets the knee. I realized then I had to have someone look at it.
As I said, I’m temporarily relocated for work reasons, out of my country. So insurance is a bit complicated. I made all the necessary calls and went to a walk in clinic.
I had x-rays done, the doctor examined me, for resistance and strength. He tried extracting fluid from my knee but there was basically none to extract. He didn’t have an answer for me, all he said was: Rest it, wrap it. Time for ice is over. Take Motrin, and these pain killers (as I said I don’t have any pain, except if I do a wrong twist). He told me that if it gets worse, to go back or see a speciallist and maybe get an MRI, because if it’s tissue, it won’t show on the x-rays.
So, I read up a bit on google.
And I found info on patellar tendon injuries. I believe it’s not a rupture, at least not a serious one. It reminds me more of the times I’ve twisted my ankles (when I used to play basketball in my 20’s). This could be the final result of being stupid about my knees. I over did at some point, when I was about 23, using that machine where you sit and lift the lower part of your legs against weight, showing off. Then I played for years basketball, never warming up or stretching. And so, in my late 30’s I’ve had very weak knees, having a hard time with stairs mostly. Also one of those mild injuries I’ve mentioned is a recurring plantar fasciitis, which had me limping for two weeks, putting additional preasure for over compensating precisely on the leg where I ended up hurting my knee.
I believe it’s related to the patellar tendon because of where I have the swelling, and because of the other things I’ve mentioned. But I also believe it’s not a seriou

I rolled my ankle while walking in February in the snow an was later diagnosed with tendonitis in my tibial tendon. I was in a walking boot for 3 months with minimal time on my feet. I am a dance teacher and taught dance from a chair for three months (yuck) Anyways, I did the whole physical therapy thing for 4 months and that helped a lot, but it is still hurting, not as bad, but the pain is still there and I can’t jump on it yet. As a teacher I am on my feet for 5-10 hours a day(classes just started again yesterday. I have been off of it the whole summer as well) I also have foot orthotics in my shoes that helps support my arch, and I wear them with my dance shoes. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this injury and didn’t have surgery on it…how long did it take for your tendon to completely heal? And do you have any tips other than ibuprofen and ice for healing?

IVE RECENTLY STARTED RUNNING (FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS OR SO). WHEN I RUN UP HILL I RUN AS HARD AND AS FAST AS I CAN, THEN SLOW DOWN A LITTLE AFTER THE INCLINE. BUT FOR THE PAST WEEK OR SO IVE NOTICED PAIN IN BOTH MY ACHILLES TENDONS. IT WAS MINOR AT FIRST, BUT NOW ITS REALLY BAD AND WHEN I TRIED RUNNING YESTERDAY I COULDNT EVEN DO IT IT HURT SO BAD, SO I WALKED INSTEAD. TODAY I WAS ABLE TO RUN, BUT I HAD TO GO REALLY SLOW AND EASY AND DEFINITELY COULDNT SPRINT UP HILL. I LOOKED AROUND A LITTLE ONLINE AND THINK IT MIGHT BE ACHILLES TENDONITIS, BUT IM NOT POSITIVE. ITS BOTH OF MY TENDONS. I ICED THEM TODAY AFTER MY RUN. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THIS IS AND WHATS THE BEST THING TO DO??? THANK YOU.

For the past few days it has been really sore. I woke up on day and it was just sore. It’s not extremely painful, but enough for me to try and keep from straining it too much. I’ve been icing it, but it’s still sore. What should I do for the pain? Any insight is appreciated.

From time to time i will tip toe and hear and feel my achilles tendon snap or pop, the pain is bearable but it is still there when it happens… Other than the initial pop their is no other pain in my achilles…. What is it and what should i do?

Podiatrist Ian Sadler explains to The Sports Injury Clinic the causes of pain in the achillies tendon. For more information visit: www.sportsinjuryclinic.net