Achilles Tendonitis Question... (1)

Triathlon Forum
1

I seem to have a case of it, started hurting two weeks ago. I felt like I had a strain of some sort going up through my Soleus into the bottom of the calf about a month ago, and then the achilles got sore.

I haven’t changed footwear in over a year. I mean, new shoes every so often, but same model.

If I want to still do some easy running and physio says OK, should I be modifying my insole in any way to take pressure off the achilles?? Do I want to give my heel a small lift, like a 2-3mm pad under it?

I’ve started doing heel drop exercises as well, have been trying to stretch and roll my calves, and am shopping for a strassburg sock…

Edit - I also did a 1.5 hour hike up to the top of Mont Tremblant a couple weeks ago, I think it was a few days after that, that I noticed it hurt, so maybe the climbing, which was new to me, caused it, not sure.

Thx!

2

I seem to have a case of it, started hurting two weeks ago. I felt like I had a strain of some sort going up through my Soleus into the bottom of the calf about a month ago, and then the achilles got sore.

I haven’t changed footwear in over a year. I mean, new shoes every so often, but same model.

If I want to still do some easy running and physio says OK, should I be modifying my insole in any way to take pressure off the achilles?? Do I want to give my heel a small lift, like a 2-3mm pad under it?

I’ve started doing heel drop exercises as well, have been trying to stretch and roll my calves, and am shopping for a strassburg sock…

Edit - I also did a 1.5 hour hike up to the top of Mont Tremblant a couple weeks ago, I think it was a few days after that, that I noticed it hurt, so maybe the climbing, which was new to me, caused it, not sure.

Thx!

Sorry to hear about the pain. We work with endurance athletes regularly. Please stop the heel drops immediately and seek out a rehab specialist who works with runners. Where are you? Maybe I can help locate someone in my web.

In the realm of things to change, footwear and insoles are at the bottom of the list. Managing stress, loads, and training strategies are most important.

Cheers

3

I seem to have a case of it, started hurting two weeks ago. I felt like I had a strain of some sort going up through my Soleus into the bottom of the calf about a month ago, and then the achilles got sore.

I haven’t changed footwear in over a year. I mean, new shoes every so often, but same model.

If I want to still do some easy running and physio says OK, should I be modifying my insole in any way to take pressure off the achilles?? Do I want to give my heel a small lift, like a 2-3mm pad under it?

I’ve started doing heel drop exercises as well, have been trying to stretch and roll my calves, and am shopping for a strassburg sock…

Edit - I also did a 1.5 hour hike up to the top of Mont Tremblant a couple weeks ago, I think it was a few days after that, that I noticed it hurt, so maybe the climbing, which was new to me, caused it, not sure.

Thx!

Sorry to hear about the pain. We work with endurance athletes regularly. Please stop the heel drops immediately and seek out a rehab specialist who works with runners. Where are you? Maybe I can help locate someone in my web.

In the realm of things to change, footwear and insoles are at the bottom of the list. Managing stress, loads, and training strategies are most important.

Cheers

Thanks for the reply. I do have a well respected local physio that I am booked to see tomorrow.

I’m interested in your comment about stopping the heel drops. Pretty much everything I’ve read online, plus the physio I am booked to see, say that the heel drops are exactly what I need to do!

4

I seem to have a case of it, started hurting two weeks ago. I felt like I had a strain of some sort going up through my Soleus into the bottom of the calf about a month ago, and then the achilles got sore.

I haven’t changed footwear in over a year. I mean, new shoes every so often, but same model.

If I want to still do some easy running and physio says OK, should I be modifying my insole in any way to take pressure off the achilles?? Do I want to give my heel a small lift, like a 2-3mm pad under it?

I’ve started doing heel drop exercises as well, have been trying to stretch and roll my calves, and am shopping for a strassburg sock…

Edit - I also did a 1.5 hour hike up to the top of Mont Tremblant a couple weeks ago, I think it was a few days after that, that I noticed it hurt, so maybe the climbing, which was new to me, caused it, not sure.

Thx!

Sorry to hear about the pain. We work with endurance athletes regularly. Please stop the heel drops immediately and seek out a rehab specialist who works with runners. Where are you? Maybe I can help locate someone in my web.

In the realm of things to change, footwear and insoles are at the bottom of the list. Managing stress, loads, and training strategies are most important.

Cheers

Thanks for the reply. I do have a well respected local physio that I am booked to see tomorrow.

I’m interested in your comment about stopping the heel drops. Pretty much everything I’ve read online, plus the physio I am booked to see, say that the heel drops are exactly what I need to do!

Good, glad youre in to see someone.

Tendon issues are classified by their location. Insertional tendon pathology should be treaded differently than mid-substance pathology. Also the myotendinous junction should also be treated somewhat differently as well.

Unfortunately most people jump right into eccentrics (heel drops) when isometrics are a safer option to increase tolerance to loading. Concentric loading should also be incorporated. Generally I save eccentrics for full range loading.

5

I’ve had bouts of Achilles tendinitis over the years and it’s always traced back to something externally irritating my ankle. New shoes, obvi, also winter booties, tight leg warmers, a pants cuff clip from commuting.

Lucky, I guess, that it’s so easily remedied for me. My first step is always to consider anything new on my ankles.

6

Sorry to hear about your Achilles. Here’s a post I’ve found really helpful and informative (and also appears to line up with what Yeeper was mentioning):
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?post=6553842#p6553842

Good luck. Hope you’re back at it soon.

7

How are you getting on?

I wondered if you’d had any luck with the Srassburg sock? I’ve got one but it isn’t great and I wondered if you (or anyone for that matter) had found one you could recommend. Thanks.

8

How are you getting on?

I wondered if you’d had any luck with the Srassburg sock? I’ve got one but it isn’t great and I wondered if you (or anyone for that matter) had found one you could recommend. Thanks.

Slowly getting better, but still have calf strain that may or may not be related.

I tried wearing the sock, lasted about 10 minutes, too uncomfortable!

9

Where is your pain? Mid or insertional. I’ve had both. Different treatments and they have worked for me.

10

That’s a shame but thanks for replying
.

11

Where is your pain? Mid or insertional. I’ve had both. Different treatments and they have worked for me.

Thanks. I’ve got chronic mid portion and had it a long time. I’m trying things slightly differently but it’s the generally the usual things that are recommended just trying to be a bit more patient this time and try and strike the balance between too much and too little.

I just thought I’d try sleeping in a sock or boot sometimes to see if it helps but just as an extra not relying on it. Like SBR I haven’t found a comfortable one. I’m seeing a physio and getting good advice.

12

If it’s chronic, I’m sure you already know what to do but I’ll tell you what I did. Lots of eccentric calf drops. Straight leg = 3 sets of 15 reps, bent knee = 3 sets of 15 reps; 3 x per day. Lots of rolling of the calves and soleus and stretching the calf and soleus using a slant board. I also did graston on it and had my PT “release” the calf. The goal is to strengthen your Achilles, not stretch it.

I was in severe pain 6 weeks out from an IM and couldn’t run more than 5 miles when it flared up and was getting worse. Doc got me to the start line pain free. Didn’t have my best race because of the time missed but every time I feel it, it do my drops and it takes care of it.

Good luck!

13

Thanks. Doing most of that but always worth checking. How painful was the Graston? Never been particularly motivated to try it and quite sceptical to be honest.

Sounds like you are on top of it, which is great. I’m working on gradually progressing the weights during the eccentrics but not over doing it like I’ve done before.

I do think the sleeping aspect is interesting. I’m a side/front sleeper which puts your foot in plantar flexion for hours precisely when you are healing. I don’t hear it talked about but it seems logical to me to do something about it. At the moment I just shuffle down the bed so my toes are over the edge.

14

Makes total sense try to take care of it every time of day (sleeping).

Regarding graston, it was painful. I’m not going to lie. It was brutal but my PT is a big proponent of it. He is super smart and explains everything he does and the reason why. He actually made his own tools to use because he thought they could be better.

I’m getting over insertional AT this time and he did it again. It’s always the first thing he does to break up any lesions and get the blood flowing. It’s certainly not fun but since he’s such a proponent and it has worked twice (along with the other things), I’m sold.

15

I was going to recommend graston. I had Achilles tendinitis earlier this year and graston helped a lot.

Also, you don’t need to go to the PT to do it. Videos on YouTube explain how you can do it yourself. The tools and massage lotion are fairly inexpensive on Amazon.

16

You are correct about doing it yourself. I have a tool and the lotion. For me, it was helpful for my PT to do it because it was part of his program. I tried it before seeing him and can’t say whether it helped by itself or it didn’t but I’m definitely a believer.

17

My right has occasionally had the odd bit of soreness and I can imagine doing something like that. Maybe.

The left. No. Not going to happen. It’s chronic and there is a bump there that if a physio goes near with fingers it’s a very tense moment. Steel? No. I’d rather pull my own teeth out.

The few videos I looked at it was incredibly cavalier the way they waved that thing around. For goodness sake. My 4 year old nephew butters toast with more care than that and toast doesn’t cry!

18

I have a bugger of achilles and planter fasciitis on one side. The strategies I use to keep it under control is Graston scraping technique (more successful when done by a chiropractor then by myself), loaded calf raises (standing, one foot at a time, starting with a 10 lb DB and working up to 50 lb added, 3 sets of 5 with two mins rest between), and foam rolling the calf like crazy.

I coach one athlete who has had bilateral achilles pain for years without much relief. He is a 1:30 half marathon, 3:15 marathon guy. I slowed his easy runs down from 7:30 to 8:30 pace and he said that’s the most relief of pain he has ever had. Fast forward 6 months of that change and now we are working in fast intervals without any pain increases and hill reps to prepare for St George.

19

Thanks. Aside from the achilles pain, the MTSS, I also lately have what feels like a bad soleus strain on the inside going up to the calf.

I have been doing graston for a while all over the area, but hasn’t helped much. For the Soleus strain, my physio just had me start doing what you described, loaded calf raises.

The MTSS and achilles stuff I can sometimes run through, but the soleus strain has me sidelined, really hurts. It first presented itself in July, when I think a massage therapist pushed way too hard on that area, and has felt like a tear/strain ever since.

20

You should get an MRI to see if it’s tendonitis or synovitis. I had similar pain and MRI said it was synovitis, podiatrist said it was from over use. I went to PT, rested, wore a boot etc. A few weeks ago it started showing up again and I wasn’t really training. Turns out it was gout, went to RA got a round of prednisone and it went away in a few hours.