I have been struggling with Achilles issues for nearly a year now. I’ve just started running again twice a week. After the run my ankle kind of aches/stiff hard to describe not pain but takes about 24 hours to go away. I am in no position to run more at the moment. I have no issues riding outside or on the turbo/swimming is ok too. I am now thinking do I need to change shoes. I have always run in cushioned shoes (high arch - 178lb - 5ft 11) would lower the grounds shoes work better for achilles issues or should I stick with the highly cushioned ones any advice much appreciated.
I feel your pain. Achilles issues suck! I have struggled with them in the past when I really cranked up the mileage. I think running in more minimal shoes will be helpful. But, I would do it gradually. Start off with something more minimal than you have now and then keep working your way down. I wouldn’t start though until you have the achilles issue under control b/c the minimal shoes will just aggravate it more if it is already bothersome.
A good place to start would be the brooks launch.
For what it’s worth I had an achilles issue that I didn’t think would ever go away. I happened to mention it to my doctor. I went to physical therapy and the first thing they did was work on strengthing my glutes (lie on side and write the alphabet with your foot - 2x each side). I also paid more attention to keeping my feet facing forward when I ran, and iced after running. It slowly got so that I could run a lot - so much so that I overdid it and pulled my hamstring! Then after a few months going easy because of the hamstring I currently have no issues (with running I mean)
Achilles problems are generally caused by 2 things - overpronation, and reducing the heel lift that strains the Achilles. If you are using supportive shoes you should NOT go for a more minimalist shoe, this will only aggravate the problem.
I ran for 15 years in a highly supportive shoe and custom orthotics, and only began to have a problem when I went for a more minimalist shoe.
Have you tried exercises doing heel drops on the edge of a stair? That seems to be one of the best exercises to alleviate Achilles problems.
I had an achilles problem for about 8 months last year. The doc told me to were heel lifts, I got the rubber heel cups. I stopped wearing them in my street shoes a long time ago, but still wear them in my running shoes.
Massaging the achilles and calfs with a roller might be helpful. It was for me and only took a short time to notice the difference. I would do it a couple times a day.
Also heal drop/raises and stretching the achilles and calfs.
I struggled with Achilles issues on my left side from 2009 through most of 2010. I’ve told the story before, but is probably of interest for you.
Out of desperation, i began running in an old pair of first-gen Nike Free’s, which I used as kickaround shoes. Slow & short - .5M @ 15’ / mile pace. over the next couple of months, I slowly increased time and distance. At first 1/10 of a mile, eventually no more than 1/4 mile a week. After I was up to 1.75 mmiles, I bought a pair of Newtons. Another couple of months and I was up to 3 miles, etc. eventually hitting 8 miles @ roughly 8’ / mile pace.
Then ITBS kicked in, but my Achilles was responding well.
What helped me:
Massage - aggressive massage that was painful. Not ART, but similar concept.Swimming - always felt great after a swim.Night brace / split - eases pain in the AMEccentric calf drops - not raises, drops. Google them. And make sure you use a weighted backpack when you do it. That is key to the exercise. Otherwise youa re wasting your time. Start with 10 lbs and work your way upNever run 2 days in a row. Give yourself longer to recover if your Achilles is sore the next AM.
People will tell you that minimalist shoes will put more strain on your calves and Achilles, but for me they were a key component in getting running again. Also, check the stiffness and height of your heel cups. I had a pair of addidas Supernovas that I now believe were a significant contributing factor to my Achilles issues. A lower and softer heel cup may help your issues.
Good luck!
OMG this link is the best info ever. I am strugglling with an achilles problem and this is great information. I’m getting depressed because nothing seems to work as fast as I want ( yah, yah looking for a quick fix). Doing walking, pool jogging, stretching, dropped heel (will use weights now), ultra sound…etc. having trouble putting weight on the ankle (achilles) and pain at push off while walking have not tried to run because of pain.
duron-
Sorry, there is no quick fix for Achilles issues. It sucks, but that is the reality. You gotta accept that it takes time and will be painfully slow. Rejoice in the baby steps (I was THRILLED when I got to 3 miles) and remain focused on the big picture.
Good luck!
I have been struggling with Achilles issues for nearly a year now. I’ve just started running again twice a week. After the run my ankle kind of aches/stiff hard to describe not pain but takes about 24 hours to go away. I am in no position to run more at the moment. I have no issues riding outside or on the turbo/swimming is ok too. I am now thinking do I need to change shoes. I have always run in cushioned shoes (high arch - 178lb - 5ft 11) would lower the grounds shoes work better for achilles issues or should I stick with the highly cushioned ones any advice much appreciated.
IMO when you have a problem of this sort you should ask your physician to refer you to a sports physical therapist with a ‘treat and evaluate’ prescription. They should have good (professional and scientific) insight that in some ways can go in a different direction from what a physician can offer.
There can be a big quality gap (for your purposes) in different physical therapy centers. Make sure you find one geared towards athletes.
In addition to the night splint, calf drops, and stretches, if you have access to a hot tub I blasted the achilles with the jets about 15 min a night. Seemed to help alot.
And I am trying to change my stride a little. I was more of a forefoot runner and am now focusing on striking midfoot. The forefoot strike stresses the calf and achilles alot.
Good luck
I have been struggling with Achilles issues for nearly a year now. I’ve just started running again twice a week. After the run my ankle kind of aches/stiff hard to describe not pain but takes about 24 hours to go away…
Totally, totally the same problem I had for 2 years.
I found a simple solution for myself. Whatever footwear you use, make sure there’s an enormous cut-out for your achilles tendon. And lace very loosely. ASICS Gel Nousas have a large cut-out, for example. If you wear good enough UV protection, you won’t go blind putting them on:
http://www.asicsamerica.com/footwear/running-shoes/gel-noosa-tri-7-t214n-mens/
Make absolutely sure that nothing… NOTHING… even touches your achilles tendon. Then, along with all the usual physio, you’ll have a fighting chance.
Believe me, nothing worked until I removed all contact from the achilles.
Few things that helped with mine last year on top of everything else mentioned here was Graston Technique. I got about 5 sessions done and really felt that they helped with the recovery.
How did you stand the night splint? Every time I try I wake up about an hour and a half later in an uncontrollable rage to get the damn thing off.
I have found that Muscle Activation Techniques have been super helpful for me when dealing with Achilles issues; you can find local practitioners here: http://www.muscleactivation.com/contact-lists/specialist.html.
My wife uses and combination of deep tissue massage, chiropractics, active release therapy and new orthotics to recover from her Achilles pain. She also cross trains quite a bit.
We have not found changing shoes to make a major difference though we have also found shoes that we like and stuck with them
Good luck; injuries are no fun!
Mick
http://www.zoomracingusa.com
Mine is the first one pictured. It wasn’t so miserable to sleep with, and it seemed to help alot.
Heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training for the treatment of chronic Achilles tendinosis.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9617396
Abstract: We prospectively studied the effect of heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training in 15 recreational athletes (12 men and 3 women; mean age, 44.3 +/- 7.0 years) who had the diagnosis of chronic Achilles tendinosis (degenerative changes) with a long duration of symptoms despite conventional nonsurgical treatment. Calf muscle strength and the amount of pain during activity (recorded on a visual analog scale) were measured before onset of training and after 12 weeks of eccentric training. At week 0, all patients had Achilles tendon pain not allowing running activity, and there was significantly lower eccentric and concentric calf muscle strength on the injured compared with the noninjured side. After the 12-week training period, all 15 patients were back at their preinjury levels with full running activity. There was a significant decrease in pain during activity, and the calf muscle strength on the injured side had increased significantly and did not differ significantly from that of the noninjured side. A comparison group of 15 recreational athletes with the same diagnosis and a long duration of symptoms had been treated conventionally, i.e., rest, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, changes of shoes or orthoses, physical therapy, and in all cases also with ordinary training programs. In no case was the conventional treatment successful, and all patients were ultimately treated surgically. Our treatment model with heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training has a very good short-term effect on athletes in their early forties.
I have been struggling with Achilles issues for nearly a year now. I’ve just started running again twice a week. After the run my ankle kind of aches/stiff hard to describe not pain but takes about 24 hours to go away…
Totally, totally the same problem I had for 2 years.
I found a simple solution for myself. Whatever footwear you use, make sure there’s an enormous cut-out for your achilles tendon. And lace very loosely. ASICS Gel Nousas have a large cut-out, for example. If you wear good enough UV protection, you won’t go blind putting them on:
http://www.asicsamerica.com/...sa-tri-7-t214n-mens/
Make absolutely sure that nothing… NOTHING… even touches your achilles tendon. Then, along with all the usual physio, you’ll have a fighting chance.
Believe me, nothing worked until I removed all contact from the achilles.
Hi Andy,
I have a similar experience. I got achilles problems out of nowhere after a business week in India in October, wearing hard, tight fitting dress shoes all week, all day. When I got back the weather had changed from 40+F to sub 25F. That first run was very painful and it only got slightly better as I got warmer.
Since the, I have learned what works for me:
- Never put pressure on the rear part of my feet. Roomy shoes, loose laces, crocs if possible.
- Always keep the ankles warm (socks with cut off toes doubled up around the ankle over the normal sock is a simple solution). I have even had success with a hair dryer as a “pre-warmup warmup”.
- Avoid running in the morning.
What didn’t help:
- Heel drops. After a few sessions I was up to a 40 pound backpack and did 3x15 on each calf. Calf strength wasn’t an issue with me and further strengthening didn’t help.
- Anti-inflammatory pills.
…After the run my ankle kind of aches/stiff …
Firstly - achilles isn’t in the ankle. Are you sure that the pain is in your achilles tendon?
I’ve battled achilles issues all my life. In most cases, it’s not tendonitis (inflammation), but rather tendonosis (degradation). Unless my pain is really bad, I don’t ice or use anti-inflammatories, as they just reduce blood flow to an area that already gets very little. My theory is that running damages the tendon and it’s just not very good at healing itself. Keeping it moving and getting blood flow to the area generally aides the healing process.
Here’s what hasn’t worked for me: Massage. NMT. More supportive shoes. More minimal shoes. (doesn’t seem to be shoe related at all for me). Ice. Complete rest.
What may help a little, not sure: Calf Stretching. Eccentric calf stretches (those aforementioned toe drops)- but only when it feels pretty good.
What seems to help. Keeping it moving as much as possible. Roller stretching on calves and achilles. Hot tub. Listening to my body and learning when it’s ok to run with a little pain, and when it doesn’t really feel right. I rate the pain on a scale of 0-10 and have defined limits as to when I need to cross train instead of run. Running consistently (5 days a week or more) seems to be better for it than 3 days a week. Less intense- more miles is better for it than shorter, high intensity running. Upping my cadence to 180 and taking small steps is less damaging to them. Building slowly over time and limiting the speed work. If I stopped running every time I had achilles pain- I’d hardly ever run.
the problem comes and goes- but I still managed to build up to 60-75mpw and score a BQ last month, so I call that near complete success.
I’m just throwing this in here because I saw only one other person mentioned this and it really helped my achilles problem and that is core stability exercises (the full 360 degrees). I found I got some help from night splints but had to tear them off every night after about and hour. Even so, they still helped with the morning stiffness. As well I got some custom orthotics although I’m not convinced I wouldn’t have done just as well with a stock orthotic. I did the eccentrics, massage, physio, ice, Traumeel, and although all these were somewhat helpful I still had to avoid running hills, couldn’t run two days in a row and really had to be careful with my training drills.
After starting to do much more consistent core strengthening, I can honestly say it is…gone!