Athletes of all flavors cringe when they hear the words Achilles tendonitis. Most of the time it takes weeks to recover from an Achilles injury when properly treated and cared for. Untreated it can lead to a full-on tendon rupture and surgery, which can take six months or longer to heal.
Stretch
The Achilles tendon attaches the gastrocnemius muscle to the heel bone. It is one of the larger tendons in the body and has very little blood supply. It takes a few minutes of getting the blood pumping with jumping jacks or a light walk or jog as well as stretching the calf muscle to get the tendon properly warmed up and ready for activity. Many people skip stretching, but when there is pain in this area, it is very important to stretch to prevent further injury. Washington, D.C., podiatrist Dr. Stephen Pribut recommends a simple wall stretch with the body facing the wall with one leg back, knee locked. Lean forward towards the wall until a stretch is felt in the straight leg. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch sides.
Modify Work Outs
Pribut states that training modification is essential to healing this type of injury. As this can be a long lasting problem ignoring it and training normally will only perpetuate the problem. Cutting workouts by 50 percent in terms of frequency, duration and intensity will be helpful along with avoiding incline, speed interval and rapid change of direction training until the problem is fully resolved. The activity modification will still allow for nutrients and blood to be pumped in and waste to be pumped out with movement but not be so overworked that it cannot heal.
Supplements
Specific supplements help decrease inflammation naturally and have no side effects to the GI or liver like over the counter medications do. Health Communities recommends manganese, selenium, vitamin E, flax seed oil, bromelain, and wobenzyme daily for a few weeks to help manage and decrease inflammation. Additionally following an anti-inflammatory diet that is high in fresh vegetables and fruits and low in refined sugars, carbohydrates and saturated fats will also be helpful.
Icing
Other than supplementation it is still important to decrease inflammation with topical icing at least 20 minutes of every waking hour, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Even if there is no pain felt during or after exercise, it is still important to ice.
Gait Analysis and Braces
Immobilization may be the most helpful initially to help decrease added stress on the tendon. Splints or boots can be made to walk around in as well as sleep in to keep the tendon from tightening and shortening up. Additionally this problem can be caused by improper mechanics of the foot. Having a trained professional analyze posture while walking and running may help to determine the source of extra strain on the tendons. Dr. Pribut recommends examining the exercise shoes for signs of wear and decreased shock absorption. A combination of gait analysis, new shoes or splints and braces will help with support of the tendons during both activity and rest.
