Achilles tendon
Discussion
Mine was very specific to shoes - I really needed lots of cushioning in the heel. Magnum Classic boots, Palladium Shoes, Doc Martens even, I can walk all day. No cushioning and I’d get a warning twinge in minutes.
On those rare occasions I have to wear ‘smart’ work shoes with a leather sole/ heel I’ll travel in trainers and change them at the last possible moment.
On those rare occasions I have to wear ‘smart’ work shoes with a leather sole/ heel I’ll travel in trainers and change them at the last possible moment.
I’m 11 weeks post surgery on my Achilles. It’s an injury that I struggled with for 9 months and had loads of physio.
Despite a scan showing no tears I underwent surgery and there was a 2” tear lurking unseen that would never have repaired itself.
My surgeon frequently reminded me it’s a year long recovery for anyone of my age (64 fit and active) due to the nature of Achilles getting a less than optimal blood flow as it’s furthest from the heart and very slow to heal.
If it’s been going on for more than 6-8 weeks then see a surgeon rather than a physio.
Despite a scan showing no tears I underwent surgery and there was a 2” tear lurking unseen that would never have repaired itself.
My surgeon frequently reminded me it’s a year long recovery for anyone of my age (64 fit and active) due to the nature of Achilles getting a less than optimal blood flow as it’s furthest from the heart and very slow to heal.
If it’s been going on for more than 6-8 weeks then see a surgeon rather than a physio.
Drawweight said:
I was doing a field archery shoot in a particularly hilly wood and one of my Achilles tendons has been giving me trouble since then.
It’s been 2 weeks and I’m still limping.
Is this an injury that takes a while to heal or hopefully can I look forward to it improving shortly?
Exercises!It’s been 2 weeks and I’m still limping.
Is this an injury that takes a while to heal or hopefully can I look forward to it improving shortly?
What worked for me is to balance on the injured foot, and perform a curtsey. Bend the knee as much as you can whilst maintaing balance.
Other one was to rise up on the balls of your feet and hold.
Sounds like tendinitis, which is an inflammation injury.
So rest, correct footwear to try get the inflammation down and heel drops, progressing to weighted, to keep the tendon supple.
The thing with these injury types is if you don’t let them heal they degenerate more. More inflamed, more pain, more tendon damage.
So listen to your body and do your physio and change your shoes to give a good months of easier time.
Cycling or swimming is better for cardio than running. Stop all running if you do any for a bit IMO.
Good luck.
So rest, correct footwear to try get the inflammation down and heel drops, progressing to weighted, to keep the tendon supple.
The thing with these injury types is if you don’t let them heal they degenerate more. More inflamed, more pain, more tendon damage.
So listen to your body and do your physio and change your shoes to give a good months of easier time.
Cycling or swimming is better for cardio than running. Stop all running if you do any for a bit IMO.
Good luck.
Clearing some ivy of the garden shed, I came off the step-ladders rather quicker than expected and managed to damage my Achilles tendon. After 10 days of manageable pain and limping I went to the GP and was sent for an ultrasound scan and prescribed Naproxen and a stomach protector. Scan shows no tears, but tendon is swollen. Meds appear to be working, still in a little pain and limping less but I suspect that it will take another couple of months for me to return to normal.
Just take it nice and slow OP, don’t overdo it.
Just take it nice and slow OP, don’t overdo it.
Nick Forest said:
I’m 11 weeks post surgery on my Achilles. It’s an injury that I struggled with for 9 months and had loads of physio.
Despite a scan showing no tears I underwent surgery and there was a 2” tear lurking unseen that would never have repaired itself.
My surgeon frequently reminded me it’s a year long recovery for anyone of my age (64 fit and active) due to the nature of Achilles getting a less than optimal blood flow as it’s furthest from the heart and very slow to heal.
If it’s been going on for more than 6-8 weeks then see a surgeon rather than a physio.
I have had this for a couple of years now, generally after even the shortest of runs mainly but also after a long walk. My Achilles swells up, becomes extreamiliy tender to touch and is generally painful for a couple of days. Like you Nick, I got a scan a while back and they said that it's not tendinitis as there is no tear but I remained convinced it is as I can't think what else it could be. It ticks all the right boxes.Despite a scan showing no tears I underwent surgery and there was a 2” tear lurking unseen that would never have repaired itself.
My surgeon frequently reminded me it’s a year long recovery for anyone of my age (64 fit and active) due to the nature of Achilles getting a less than optimal blood flow as it’s furthest from the heart and very slow to heal.
If it’s been going on for more than 6-8 weeks then see a surgeon rather than a physio.
I have found that if I stretch my Achilles for a good 5- 10 mins before any activity and then stretch as a warm down, that minimises the pain but I still have a thought that one day it will just snap. Someone suggested that I get another scan but go for a run before the scan so that the issue is clear to see when they do it.
We are all wise after the event. Back in the dark ages, 1975, I had trained really hard during the closed season for Rugby. No booze, long and short runs, light weights and very heavy weights etc. Got down to pre-season and tore my right Achilles as I was too busy chatting to have warmed up properly doing stretches and I usually applied some rubbing stuff. It hurt like hell. Eventually needed an operated and a few weeks off work. Ended my rugby career as such and still gives me some problems today. Warm it up people.
topaz said:
Eventually needed an operated and a few weeks off work.
Operation, and only a few weeks of work? Sure about that?Snapped my achilles 4 weeks ago, no operation as a couple of strands still attached. 2 weeks in a cast, 6 weeks in a boot.
Physio for 6 weeks ish, boot of after that. Total 3 months of work.
And Docs say aleast 9 months for total recovery if into sports.
Genuine question, does having an operation shorten recovery that quickly?
I’d been doing some really long runs as I was training for a 100 mile fell run.
I did 44 miles of it then dropped out of it as it was one of those days when you’ve got no energy and I saw no way of finishing it.
After, I was looking back and realised my Achilles had hurt for at least 2 years and I’ve been coming downstairs sideways for that long!
It’s taken since May, but the pain has finally just about gone. I think I was lucky not to do any long term damage.
I’ve enrolled in a gym and got a PT to try to loosen up my Achilles and hamstrings as I think that’s what caused it.
I did 44 miles of it then dropped out of it as it was one of those days when you’ve got no energy and I saw no way of finishing it.
After, I was looking back and realised my Achilles had hurt for at least 2 years and I’ve been coming downstairs sideways for that long!
It’s taken since May, but the pain has finally just about gone. I think I was lucky not to do any long term damage.
I’ve enrolled in a gym and got a PT to try to loosen up my Achilles and hamstrings as I think that’s what caused it.
I had a mid portion partial tear in July last year. NHS not really interested in soft tissue stuff unless you push hard to get into the system (luckily there is a MSK clinic at my GP surgery which eventually saw me and got me looked at by the orthopaedic surgery team}. My advice is try and get a scan as early as possible to help with a precise diagnosis. See a decent physio and get an exercise schedule. However in my case, 67 at time in injury, I did see any meaninngful improvements for many months and began to lose hope. I had a few setbacks due to accidentally aggravating it and returning to square one, it seemed.
The physio will try and get you into weekly visits but I found that pointless after a while as £80 for chat and 10 mins massage and ultrasound did not seem to accelerate recovery,
What I learned is that exercise as per instructions, up to an acceptable discomfort (not pain) threshold, is the best way. Likewise with walking. I was later advised that there is no harm in massaging in some Ibuprofen gel before exercise, It helps loosen things up. For many months my walking threshold (before real discomfort and limping) was stuck at c2000 steps. Since May I have worked up to 10000+ and 200k target a month. The irony is now that when moving I am fine. When sedentary it gets stiff and painful really quickly. So, I am 14 months in and at my last consultation I was advised it could be another year before everything clears up properly.
Finally, the NHS specialist physios are superb. It's just very difficult to get access to them.
The physio will try and get you into weekly visits but I found that pointless after a while as £80 for chat and 10 mins massage and ultrasound did not seem to accelerate recovery,
What I learned is that exercise as per instructions, up to an acceptable discomfort (not pain) threshold, is the best way. Likewise with walking. I was later advised that there is no harm in massaging in some Ibuprofen gel before exercise, It helps loosen things up. For many months my walking threshold (before real discomfort and limping) was stuck at c2000 steps. Since May I have worked up to 10000+ and 200k target a month. The irony is now that when moving I am fine. When sedentary it gets stiff and painful really quickly. So, I am 14 months in and at my last consultation I was advised it could be another year before everything clears up properly.
Finally, the NHS specialist physios are superb. It's just very difficult to get access to them.
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