Your Achilles tendon is responsible for connecting the soleus and the gastrocnemius muscles to the heel or calcaneus bone. A necessity for running, jumping and walking, injury to this important tendon can mean the end of training. There are a small group of injuries that may develop as a result of injury to the Achilles tendon.
Achilles Tendonitis
Run often and you are more susceptible to Achilles tendonitis. This is an overuse injury that appears in the form of inflammation or small tears of the tendon. Other causes of this form of tendonitis include excessive jumping and intense exercise in general. If you suspect you have this injury, watch for common symptoms such as pain in the heel or calf after training, stiffness in the morning that gradually recedes as you become more active and occasionally a cracking sound when you move the tendon. Treatment includes not exercising or limiting the amount of exercise you perform, icing the affected area, elevating the leg when possible and using ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce swelling and ease pain.
Achilles Tendinosis
If you are a middle or long distance runner you are more likely to suffer from Achilles tendinosis. Also known as Achilles tendinopathy, this injury is believed to be caused by small tears in the connective tissue of the tendon. Causes include over training and drastically increasing your exercise regimen from one day to the next. Symptoms increase gradually starting with discomfort in the morning, increasing to mild pain while running and finally unbearable pain that makes running impossible. Treatment revolves around rest, icing the affected area, elevating and compressing the leg and taking ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce swelling and pain.
Achilles Tendon Rupture
An Achilles tendon rupture can result if you are quickly accelerating, jumping or pushing off. Other factors include a sudden increase in running or running only occasionally. Men are much more likely to suffer from this injury than women. Symptoms will likely include a popping sound and potentially serious pain. Standing on your toes, bending the foot downward and pushing off the foot are all likely to be impossible to do. Treatments include surgical and nonsurgical methods, though opting to skip surgery increases the likelihood of reinjuring the tendon. Recovery periods from this injury can last anywhere from four to 11 months.
