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Treatment of Achilles Tendonitis and Achilles Heel Pain
Achilles Tendonitis is a common cause of heel pain in runners and jumping athletes. Heel pain from achilles tendonitis can make running, cycling, jumping and even climbing stairs quite painful.
The achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and connects the muscles of the calf to the back of the heel. When the calf muscles contract during running and jumping, the achilles tendon pulls up on the back of the heel and forces the foot down. Pushing off with your feet during running, jumping and cycling relies heavily on a healthy achilles tendon.
The repetitive stress put on the tendon during these activities can cause injury to the tendon, resulting in heel pain and inflammation. Once achilles tendonitis becomes chronic, activity can become too painful to enjoy. Active Release Technique® has proven very successful in treating achilles tendonitis, and is employed by many runners, cyclists and triathletes as a part of their regular training regimen.
Causes and Symptoms of Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is a painful conditions that occurs when the tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel becomes injured. This results in fairly intense heel pain, lower calf pain, and pain over the back of the foot. The repetitive stress placed on the achilles tendon during running, jumping, cycling, and even standing on hard surfaces causes microtears and injury in and around the tendon. The body produces adhesions and scar tissue at the site of injury, causing the muscles of the calf to become stiff and weak. This leads to inflammation and achilles tendon pain (achilles tendonitis).
With continued overuse and injury, achilles tendonitis heel pain can become chronic with an increased risk for partial or complete tear of the tendon. And although repetitive use is the most common cause of achilles tendonitis, there are usually other factors involved in this type of injury. Tight muscles in the leg, improper foot biomechanics, overuse, overtraining, and running on hard surfaces can all contribute to achilles tendonitis heel pain.
Active Release Technique Treatment for Treating Achilles Tendonitis
If achilles tendonitis is not properly addressed, it can lead to more serious injury and an extended period to time away from activity. Active Release Technique® is a tremendously effective treatment for achilles tendonitis, and patients often report a dramatic reduction of pain in 4-6 treatments. By breaking up adhesions and scar tissue, Active Release® can help restore strength and flexibility to the achilles tendon. ART® can also help restore normal function to the muscles of the leg, calf and foot which is an important consideration since they can all contribute to achilles tendonitis. Custom foot orthotics can also be helpful for people who have poor foot mechanics contributing to achilles tendonitis.
Achilles Tendonitis Treatment in Bellevue, WA
If you’re interested in learning about how Chiropractic and Active Release Technique® can help eliminate your achilles tendonitis, please consider scheduling a consultation with Bellevue Chiropractor Dr. Keith McGahey. His Chiropractic clinic, Eastside Chiropractic Group, is located in downtown Bellevue near Overlake Hospital. Open Saturdays, same day appointments are available, and consultations are ALWAYS FREE! Call (425) 455-2711.