Nagging pain above your heel could be a result of Achilles tendonitis. Since your Achilles tendon bears the heavy load of many times your entire body weight, it is prone to injury and overuse syndromes. Often Achilles tendonitis can be managed with self-care at home; however, see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and sound treatment plan before attempting any at-home strategies.
Achilles Tendon
Your Achilles tendon is a thick tendon that attaches your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in your calf to your heel bone. It is the thickest and strongest tendon in your body, responsible for helping your foot flex and point. Every time you run or jump, your Achilles tendon bears the force of that activity. Because of how much wear and tear it suffers, your Achilles tendon deserves special treatment even if you do not have pain in the area.
Achilles Tendonitis
If you have Achilles tendonitis, you will likely feel pain and soreness in the back of your ankle just above your heel. You may also notice that your Achilles tendon is stiffer in the morning and loosens up a bit with activity. Achilles tendonitis can be caused by increasing the intensity of your workouts too quickly, failing to warm up properly, an alignment problem that causes more strain on your Achilles tendon or by trauma to the area, such as from a hard landing on an unforgiving surface like concrete. See a doctor for confirmation that you have Achilles tendonitis and to make sure there is not a more severe problem.
Gastrocnemius Stretches
To manage the symptoms of your Achilles tendonitis, you need to stretch your gastrocnemius muscles, the larger of your two calf muscles. You stretch your gastrocnemius with a straight leg because the muscle attaches above your knee to your femur. This can be done in a standing position with your hands against a wall and one leg extended behind you, in a seated position with one straight leg in front of you and your foot flexed, or even on a step with your heels hanging off and below the height of the step. The important part is to keep the leg you are stretching straight as you bend your ankle to move the top of your foot closer to your shin.
Soleus Stretches
Running underneath your gastrocnemius is your soleus. You activate this muscle that attaches to your tibia and does not cross over your knee joint by stretching with a slightly bent knee. Simply repeat the above gastrocnemius stretches with a bent knee. In a wall stretch, pull your back leg a little closer to the wall while you bend it and lean toward the wall for your stretch. In a seated stretch, simply lift your knee off the ground, bending it slightly. Finally in a step stretch, bend your knees as you hang your heels off the step.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Achilles Tendinitis
- Sports Injury Clinic: Achilles Tendinitis (Tendinopathy)
- "Foot Ankle Clinic"; The Anatomy of the Achilles Tendon; M. O'Brien; June 2005
- Sports Injury Clinic: Stretching Exercises for Achilles Tendinitis
- Sports Injury Clinic: Gastrocnemius
- Sports injury Clinic: Soleus
