Preventing Achilles Tendonitis

The best defense against Achilles tendonitis is to be sure to do jumping jacks, light jogging, and leg stretches, or get a massage before engaging in vigorous physical activity and to wear low-heeled, well-fitted shoes. Never continue exercise if you feel a sharp pain in your heel.

The standard treatment for minor tendon pain is known by the acronym RICE:

• Rest the tendon by staying off your feet as much as possible. This does not mean complete immobilization of the heel. It’s important to place some weight on the heel from time to time to stimulate the production of collagen that repairs the tendon. If you use crutches, place some weight on the affected side as you walk, just not so much as to cause pain.
• Apply ice packs to the affected area for 10 minutes at a time at least 3 times a day for several days to reduce inflammation. Ice chills the tissues surrounding the heel and prevents the influx of tissue-destructive white blood cells from the bloodstream.
• Compress the ankle and foot with a firm (but not tight) elastic bandage.
• Elevate the leg to reduce swelling.

Ice packs are universally recommended in treating injury and swelling, but not everyone feels better after applying a cold pack to the Achilles tendon. Use other methods if applying ice increases rather than decreases pain.

Avoid wearing high heels. In women who wear high-heeled shoes on a daily basis, the Achilles tendon and muscles gradually adapt to a shortened position because the heel does not stretch all the way to the ground. When this occurs, switching to sneakers or flat shoes forces the Achilles tendon to stretch.

If high heels must be worn every day, stretching exercises should be performed every day to keep the Achilles tendon at its full length.

When Achilles tendon pain occurs even with proper stretching and warm-ups, it is helpful to consult a podiatrist to check for hyperpronation and adequate arch support. Inserting an orthotic into the shoe may be enough to maintain a good arch and foot alignment and eliminate pain.

Magnet therapy is clinically demonstrated to offer relief for Achilles tendon pain, but the magnetic field needs to be pulsating, not static. That is, simply sticking a magnet on your heel or calf muscle is not likely to offer much relief. Pulsating magnetic field is thought to alter the production of inflammatory bradykinins in the heel itself.

Electrocorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) generates shock waves of sound that seem to reduce pain and encourage tissue regeneration. Exactly how ESWT works is not yet know, although it is often helpful.

Surgery for Achilles tendonitis is about 95 per cent effective when the condition is caused by an identifiable injury, but much less likely to produce good results when the immune system is involved (Achilles tendonosus). Recovery from surgery can take as long as six months.

Read about Understanding Achilles Tendonitis and Natural Products for Achilles tendonitis. Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books on natural health including the critically acclaimed Complete German Commission E Monographs and Healing without Medication.

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