Dealing with Achilles Tendon Injuries: What You Need to Know

The Achilles tendon is the biggest in the human body and plays a very crucial role in pointing your toes toward the floor and raising the tiptoes. An Achilles tendon injury can result in severe pain and it may hamper your capabilities of walking and running properly.

While you can manage the symptoms of a minor Achilles tendon injury, it’s important to contact an expert in case of a major injury or complete tear of the tendon. A Maryville, IL achilles tendon specialist can diagnose your condition and provide you with an appropriate treatment to alleviate the symptoms.

Understanding different Achilles tendon injuries

The Achilles tendon, stretching from your heel bone to calf muscle, feels like a springy band at the back of your ankle right above the heel. Due to dense fibers, the Achilles tendon can withstand about 1100 lbs of force. However, since tendons have relatively poor blood supply, your Achilles tendon can easily get injured. Following are some common Achilles tendon injuries.

Noninsertional Achilles tendinitis: Noninsertional Achilles tendinitis is when the fibers in the middle of your tendon break down and cause swelling. It’s highly common in athletes, especially runners.
Insertional Achilles tendinitis: An insertional Achilles tendinitis affects the part where the tendon goes into your heel bone. Although common in runners, it can happen to anyone due to tight calf muscles putting more stress on the Achilles tendon.
Achilles bursitis: The back of your heel has a fluid-filled sac called a bursa, which acts as a cushion for the Achilles tendon to slide over the heel bone. Overusing the foot or ankle and inflame and irritate the bursa and cause Achilles bursitis. It can also occur due to arthritis or gout.
Achilles tendon rupture: The Achilles tendon can rupture or come out of your heel bone with a popping sound, causing massive pain, swelling, and bruising. Achilles tendon rupture will cause you trouble pointing the toes and push you off the toes when you try to walk.
Achilles tendinosis: A long-term tendinitis will cause the cells in tendons to break down and alter the functioning of the Achilles tendon. The condition is called Achilles tendinosis.

Signs of an Achilles tendon injury

Following are some telltale signs of an Achilles tendon injury.

Tightness in the tendon in the morning
Stiffness and pain along the Achilles tendon
Pain that worsens with activity
Pain in the heel while wearing shoes
Severe pain after a day of physical activity
Bone spurs and thickening
Persistent or recurring swelling

Common causes of an Achilles tendon injury

Various activities can cause an Achilles tendon injury. However, the following are some common reasons and risk factors for Achilles tendon injuries.

Speeding up, slowing down, or pivoting quickly during a sporting activity
Wearing high heels can stress the Achilles tendon.
Having flat feet can make you more prone to the Achilles tendon injuries.
Tight leg muscles or tendons
Wearing wrong size shoes for physical activities
Running or walking on uneven surfaces
Glucocorticoids or fluoroquinolones
Chronic conditions that may weaken the Achilles tendon like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, or gout.

Treating an Achilles tendon injury

A minor to moderate Achilles tendon injury can heal on its own if you do the following to speed the process.

Rest your injured leg, and don’t put weight on it.
Apply icing to the affected area for 15-20 minutes every 45 minutes to rescue swelling, inflammation, and pain.
Use an elastic bandage to compress the affected area to keep the swelling down.
Prop pillows below the injured leg to raise it above the heart level, as it’ll slow down the blood supply to the affected area and ease the pain.
You can ask your doctor to prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce the pain and inflammation.
Your doctor may also recommend a heel lift to protect your Achilles tendon from straining.

However, if you heard a popping sound at the time of injury and are unable to bear weight on the injured ankle, your ankle may need immediate attention. Such cases may require surgery for Achilles tendon repair.