For anyone who has ever had symptoms of hurting at the area behind the heel when walking or running, these symptoms may be a warning signal that you are having the problem of inflammation of the Achilles tendon, which is a symptom that affects the living of daily life, making the movement of the body not free; and if correct treatment is not received, it may make the Achilles tendon tear. This article will take you to get to know the symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon, what it is, what causes it, and what the methods of treating inflammation of the Achilles tendon are

Getting to know inflammation of the Achilles tendon

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon (Achilles Tendinitis) is a state in which inflammation of the Achilles tendon arises, which is the tendon that connects between the muscle of the calf and the bone of the heel. When the symptoms arise, the patient feels pain at the area behind the heel when walking, running, or doing various activities, and the symptoms may have a severity ranging from a slight level to a severe level, which may affect movement and the living of daily life. Understanding about inflammation of the Achilles tendon and the method of treating it is therefore extremely important in managing the symptoms and preventing complications that may arise

What is the Achilles tendon

The Achilles tendon (Achilles Tendon) is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body. It is at the area of the back of the lower leg, having the duty of connecting the muscle of the calf with the bone of the heel. The Achilles tendon has an important role in the movement of the foot, having the duty of being like a spring that helps transmit the force of pushing off and reduce the force of impact while we get up to stand, walk, run, or jump. The Achilles tendon is therefore an organ that is used often, making it easy for inflammation to arise, particularly in the group of athletes or those who exercise heavily

The causes that make the Achilles tendon inflamed

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon is a problem that can be met often, particularly in the group of athletes and those who must stand for a long time. Although it seems to be only a slight illness, if it is left without treatment it may lead to severe problems of health. Understanding about inflammation of the Achilles tendon and the method of treating it is therefore extremely important. Let us go and see what the causes that give rise to this state are, and how we should care for and treat it

Exercise that receives impact force

Exercising or playing sport that has high impact force, such as running, jumping, or playing sport that requires changing direction suddenly, can give rise to injury of the muscles and the tendons at the area of the ankle, particularly when exercising too much or increasing the intensity of the exercise quickly. The body may not be able to adapt in time, with the result that inflammation of the Achilles tendon arises

Using the ankle too much

The Achilles tendon is in an area that must receive weight and impact force all the time that we move. If the ankle is used too much, such as standing for a long time, or walking or running a long distance without having prepared the body, inflammation of the Achilles tendon can arise, particularly in those who do not exercise regularly or those who have just begun a new programme of exercise

The tendons and the muscles being tight

If one does not often do exercise that helps increase the flexibility of the muscles, or does not often stretch the muscles before and after exercising, the muscles and the tendons will come to be tight, which is one of the causes that make injury arise easily. When the muscles and the tendons are too tight, the ability to receive impact force and the flexibility reduce; this is another cause that gives rise to inflammation of the Achilles tendon

The bones and the joints coming to be inflamed

For those who have problems concerning the bones and the joints, such as rheumatoid disease or gout, there is a high risk of inflammation of the Achilles tendon arising easily, particularly those who have the problem of a bone spur at the area of the heel, which gives rise to rubbing between the bone spur and the Achilles tendon, giving rise to irritation and inflammation easily. Besides this, diseases connected with the inflammation of the joints can also affect the Achilles tendon directly, giving rise to inflammation and pain

The symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon

Ankle pain and inflammation of the Achilles tendon

When the problem of inflammation of the Achilles tendon arises, it begins from symptoms of pain that are not very severe, and the symptoms become more severe as time passes. If the symptoms still do not improve within 2-3 days, a physician should be consulted in order to receive a diagnosis and learn about inflammation of the Achilles tendon and the method of treating it that is suitable, because treatment early will help prevent the symptoms from spreading until they are severe. Generally, patients usually have the following symptoms

Feeling a dull pain at the area behind the heel, particularly when just waking up or after sitting for a long time
The symptoms of pain usually become more severe when walking, running, or going up stairs
Having severe symptoms of pain just after finishing exercising
There may be slight swelling at the area of the Achilles tendon, and it feels hot when touched
The muscle of the calf may feel tighter than normal
There may be a crackling sound when moving the ankle
In a severe case, there may be hurting even while resting

The risk factors that make the Achilles tendon inflamed easily

Besides the main causes mentioned, there are also other factors that may trigger the symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon to arise more easily

Sex: it is found that men have a tendency to have symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon more than women
Age: those who are older in age have a higher risk, because the Achilles tendon degenerates with age
Body weight: those who are overweight or have the disease of obesity have a tendency to have the symptoms more easily
The state of the foot: those who have a flat foot or a foot that is arched too high have a higher risk
Wearing shoes that are unsuitable, particularly shoes that do not support the heel sufficiently
Changing the surface of running or of playing sport suddenly can give rise to the problem of inflammation of the Achilles tendon

The approach to relieving the symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon by oneself

For those who have only slight symptoms of pain, or symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon in the first stage, the symptoms of pain can be relieved and oneself cared for preliminarily, beginning from resting the use of the ankle and avoiding activities that make the ankle receive impact force, in order to prevent the symptoms from becoming heavier. Besides this, applying a cold compress with ice or a cold pack at the area that hurts for about 15-20 minutes, every 2-3 hours, will help reduce the inflammation. Using an elastic bandage wrapped around the ankle is another method that helps reduce the swelling and support the tendon very well, but care should be taken not to bind it too tightly. However, if the symptoms do not improve after caring for oneself, a physician should be consulted in order to receive suitable treatment

When the Achilles tendon is inflamed, what are the methods of treating it

When relieving the symptoms of pain from the Achilles tendon by oneself has been tried, but the symptoms still do not improve, the physician will assess the symptoms and choose the approach in treatment that best suits the patient, and the methods of treating inflammation of the Achilles tendon are as follows

Medicine to relieve the symptoms of pain

For those who have symptoms of pain from a moderate level through to a severe level of pain, the physician may consider giving pain-relieving medicine in the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or diclofenac, in order to help reduce the symptoms of pain and the inflammation. However, the use of these medicines should be under the recommendation of a physician only, because there may be side effects if they are used continuously for a long time

The injection of steroid medicine

The injection of steroid medicine is a method that is not very popular, because it may increase the risk of a tear of the Achilles tendon arising in the long term. However, in a case where the patient has symptoms of pain so severe that they cannot endure it, the physician may consider injecting steroid medicine locally in order to reduce the pain and the inflammation temporarily, and the result must be followed closely and it must be used as a last choice only

Surgery

For patients who have symptoms of pain at a severe level or have a tear of the Achilles tendon, and who do not respond to other forms of treatment, the physician may recommend doing surgery in order to treat and repair the tendon. The surgery may be done by several methods, such as sewing and repairing the tendon that has torn, moving tissue from another part to strengthen it, or removing the tissue that has degenerated. This depends on the severity of the symptoms and the discretion of the physician

Treatment with shock waves at a particular point

For patients who have symptoms of pain that are not too great, and who have the area of inflammation in the middle of the muscle, treatment with shock waves (Shockwave Therapy), besides helping heal the symptoms of injury, has steps of treatment that help the patient not need to rest and recover from surgery as well. It suits symptoms of hurting that are not too serious and where the muscles must be used continuously. The diagnosis should be through a team of specialist physicians only

The treatment of inflammation of the Achilles tendon of PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic

PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic is a clinic carried out by physicians specialised in the branch of rehabilitation medicine. For anyone who feels pain, you may come in and consult the doctor in order to have an assessment of the symptoms first. The physician will consider the form of the treatment and give accompanying medicine according to the suitability for the patient. PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic recommends that if you have symptoms of pain, contact the clinic and make an appointment with a physician so that an expert physician can make the diagnosis and give a recommendation for suitable treatment

Can inflammation of the Achilles tendon be prevented or not

Although inflammation of the Achilles tendon may not be able to be prevented 100%, there are several methods that can help reduce the risk of the symptoms arising, beginning from stretching the muscles and warming up the body before exercising every time, in order to increase the flexibility and reduce the tightness of the muscles and the tendons. What is important is that during the exercise, using the ankle and doing activities that use the ankle too heavily should be avoided

Besides this, exercising in order to strengthen the muscles at the area of the ankle and the calf regularly will help increase the endurance and reduce the chance of inflammation arising. Choosing shoes that are suitable and that have good support of the heel is also another important factor in preventing the problem of inflammation of the Achilles tendon

FAQ

For anyone who has read as far as this but still has questions and doubts concerning inflammation of the Achilles tendon, we have gathered information to resolve the doubts for you

When will it be possible to go back to playing sport

Generally, the treatment of the symptoms of inflammation of the Achilles tendon takes about 3-6 months, depending on the state of the body of each person. After that it will be possible to go back to exercising

About how much is the price of the treatment

The forms of treatment at PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic have the following courses

Western medical needling (Dry Needling), a course of 5 sessions, price 24,000 baht
Reducing deep pain with electromagnetic waves (Magnetic Stimulation), a course of 5 sessions, price 16,000 baht
Treating the symptoms of hurting with laser light (High Power Laser), a course of 5 sessions, price 16,000 baht

How should hot compresses and cold compresses be done

When the Achilles tendon is inflamed, the preliminary method of treatment and nursing will help the symptoms improve. When the Achilles tendon is inflamed, a cold compress will help reduce the symptoms of pain, swelling, and redness very well

Can treatment at PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic claim insurance or not

At present many insurance companies have policies that cover treatment connected with physiotherapy, and there must be a medical certificate issued by a rehabilitation medicine physician. At PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic every step is carried out by physicians specialised in the branch of rehabilitation medicine, so the clinic can issue a medical certificate for every service carried out in the clinic. The patient needs to check the entitlement and the conditions of the insurance as to whether it covers it or not

In summary

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon is a problem that can be met often, particularly in the group of athletes and those who exercise regularly. This symptom can affect the quality of life if suitable care and treatment are not received. Understanding the cause, the symptoms, and the methods of prevention will help reduce the risk of this problem arising. When the Achilles tendon is inflamed, the preliminary method of treatment and nursing will help relieve the symptoms of pain very well. After that, treatment with the doctor should be received quickly; it should not be left to become chronic