Over the past couple months I have noticed a lump on my left Achilles. I have zero pain running, biking or swimming but some days walking down the stairs from our bedroom first thing in the morning I notice it is sore but the soreness goes away after I walk around for just a few minutes. It’s kind of sore to the touch if you push on it or squeeze the lump but I have no pain stretching the Achilles or calf. The lump is pretty close to where my running shoe (brooks launch) heel cup touches the Achilles. I have tried to get a better sense of what is irritating it and I think I notice it more the next morning if I kick with fins the night before (no pain kicking at all) but other than that I have really had trouble figuring out what else is driving it. It does not feel sore during or after running. Since I noticed it, it has not really gotten much better or worse.
I am working with a great PT to address some longstanding hip imbalance-mobility-strength issues in that hip and think that maybe as I unmask some longstanding compensation issues I am loading the hip differently which may be contributing to it. My question at this point is how concerned to be about the lump given it’s not really affecting my running or biking, though I am not running very long at this point. The last thing I want to do is rupture it but I also feel like I need to keep loading it develop better, more healthy movement patterns. Be interested to here from others who have dealt with something along these lines - how concerned to be, whether these things eventually resolve on their own, what I can do to accelerate the process, could this be an irritation to the tendon sheath instead of damage to the tendon and if so does that matter, etc. Thanks in advance.
Over the past couple months I have noticed a lump on my left Achilles. I have zero pain running, biking or swimming but some days walking down the stairs from our bedroom first thing in the morning I notice it is sore but the soreness goes away after I walk around for just a few minutes. It’s kind of sore to the touch if you push on it or squeeze the lump but I have no pain stretching the Achilles or calf. The lump is pretty close to where my running shoe (brooks launch) heel cup touches the Achilles. I have tried to get a better sense of what is irritating it and I think I notice it more the next morning if I kick with fins the night before (no pain kicking at all) but other than that I have really had trouble figuring out what else is driving it. It does not feel sore during or after running. Since I noticed it, it has not really gotten much better or worse.
I am working with a great PT to address some longstanding hip imbalance-mobility-strength issues in that hip and think that maybe as I unmask some longstanding compensation issues I am loading the hip differently which may be contributing to it. My question at this point is how concerned to be about the lump given it’s not really affecting my running or biking, though I am not running very long at this point. The last thing I want to do is rupture it but I also feel like I need to keep loading it develop better, more healthy movement patterns. Be interested to here from others who have dealt with something along these lines - how concerned to be, whether these things eventually resolve on their own, what I can do to accelerate the process, could this be an irritation to the tendon sheath instead of damage to the tendon and if so does that matter, etc. Thanks in advance.
Fwiw, I didn’t notice my own bump until I actually had insertional Achilles tendonitis pain. It was very pronounced compared to the none affected leg. While the Achilles tendonitis did go away the bump did not. I massaged it every night before bed for about 2 years straight and it seemed to reduce some what in size. It would occasionally be slightly tender based on run volume but never had a problem with the Achilles again from a pain standpoint.
I had a huge lump on my Achilles. Due to a 3x injured loose ankle joint, my leg drove back into the Achilles sheath on a track (full sprint) causing injury. It was 1 year to get back to running and another year to sort through more injuries (more like adaptation(.
I thought I would have this lump there forever. But it’s gone!! And my lower legs are really better than ever. Human body is amazing.
Some things I’d like to add:
Wrapping my lower leg/ankle/foot in those rubber bands designed for that purpose - then working it until I couldn’t take it anymore. Results in >wooosh incoming circulation. This was one of the best therapies I used, w/results within a very short period of time.
Ultrasound was good, anything that breaks down the scarring I guess.
Posture. With proper run posture and balance there is actually very little loading on the Achilles, imo. I run tall and to keep my head aligned through my spine. That’s my focus. Now I’m trying to build a more performant stride
You need to differentiate achilles tendinosis (usually at the watershed area of the tendon that you are describing) vs. some skin irritation/fibroma (less likely and more obvious).
Achilles tendinosis or fusiform, palpable swelling of the tendon is never a good sign. No pain with activity is good, but those are also the ones I tend to repair after an acute rupture. Your PT should be able to assist some in the Alfredson protocol or similar.