There are two muscles in the back of our lower leg, collectively we refer to them as the calf muscles. The calf muscles run into a single tendon, the achilles tendon, which then attaches to the heel bone. Due to muscle weakness, overuse, or poor flexibility this tendon can become painful, irritated, and inflamed. Resulting in a diagnosis of Achilles Tendinopathy.
Smptoms of Achilles Tendinopathy
Symptoms associated with this are pain in the back of the lower leg at and above the heel, which feels achy and tight . The tendon can feel sore or swollen with palpation and pain tends to worsen with prolonged walking, running, or jumping.
Treating Achilles Tendinopathy
Often the tendon will feel very tight and the inclination will be to stretch the calves. This can be helpful and important if there is a restriction there. However, often another reason the tendon has become painful is due to weakness in the calf muscles. Isolated strengthening for both the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle is utilized along with other manual techniques to decrease the inflammation and reduce overall pain levels. Physical therapy is the go to option in treating tendonitis, especially in the achilles. Call us today to schedule a consultation!
