Almost always the footwear with achilles problems.
My big issue is having to wear dress shoes/boots at work… I’ve had to try dozens of different types of footwear to make a difference.
It may be, particularly if you can swim and cycle okay, that your running footwear causes the problem rather than your running action. Try doing some short runs in light shoes with the softest or most minimal heel counter you can find. I always find shoes like Brooks Adrenaline GTS’ to be an issue because the heel counter jabs sharply into the back of my leg…
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.
This is a terrific response! I had this issue and my doctor told me to take tylenol. I went to a very skilled PT who is a triathlete on my own. She immediately focused on why was it happening to only my left achillies. My hips were so missaligned that it took her a couple of visits to get me better aligned so that she could determine if there was an underlying physical issue. Bingo! My left leg is 1/2" shorter than my right. She had my do stability drills and it turns out my lower leg stability sucked. Each week she gave me more exercises. I do calf lowers and raises, lunges, sideways walking with an elastic band and a lot of exercises on one leg on a Bosu ball. I also got a thin insert for my left shoe.
It took a while but I am past the achillies issues. I am not working out a minor IT band issue on my left side.
Going on 1 1/2 years of dealing with my stupid achilles. Have been to 2 different PTs. The second one did some ART & rehab that helped. What has allowed me to actually get some mileage back in while I am still trying doing the rehab is using kinesiology tape. Gives me just enough added support that I can get outside again. I still have a ways to go but being able to get some mileage in after this long out is a great feeling.
for me (just getting back to running after battling PF in non-dominant foot, and achillies issues in both) running on the treadmill makes a world of difference. it seems to actually feel better than doing nothing if i run on a treadmill whereas running outside–regardless of the surface–makes me feel pain/stiffness in the morning. this is even with the 2% incline on the treadmill. i suspect i push off less and run more from the butt / hip flexors / thighs… or something.
how does one do eccentric drops without raising back up to start the next drop? or is that ok? drops alone (even with 50 lbs) don’t seem to tax the calf muscles very much for me…
Are most of you guys having pain in the large part of the tendon itself? My pain is lower, on the back of my heel bone right where the heel goes vertical and slightly on the inside. I guess that is the spot where the Achilles is attached to the heel bone. The larger part of my actual Achilles tendon, up higher, is totally pain free.
ahhh. ok. i was doing them both at the same time. are you supposed to feel fatigue in the calf muscle? it still seems like just lowering it would require a crazy amount of reps to feel it… no?
that is where i feel it as well, right at the top of the heel bone where the tendon and bone meet. from talking to people though, i suspect we might be in the minority. most ive talked to seem to experience it more in the mid-range area between the bottome of the calf muscle and top of the heel bone…
from what i’ve been able to tell from basic internet searches, its all still considered achillies tendonitis (or osis)
You are correct. There are 2 types of achilles tendonitis. Ironically, I have problems with non-insertional and one of my good training buddies has problems with insertional. FWIW, I’ve found the eccentric calf exercises to be very helpful.
I had the same by the left heel to the inside. My doc prescribed it as insertional achilles tendonitis
Everyone here seem to swear by the eccentric leg drops. I haven’t done much of them so I decided to do it last weekend after 90 min bike ride and TRX and ended up killing my right calf
If you are having Achilles problems on both sides, after you lower down on one leg, use the other to step up on the step above you. Then place your working leg back on the step below you, heel up and lower again.
If you have issues on just one side, use your good leg to rise back up on the same stair.
Check your bike fit, saddle height, and your cycling shoes. Your Achilles issues may have nothing to do with your running form or choice of running shoes.
From my personal experience, once I got away from the lower profile running shoes and went back to my normal training shoes, my Achilles problems went away almost immediately. I’m naturally a heel striker and the lower heeled shoes put too much stress on my calf and Achilles.
I had never had achilles issues until a run in Apr 2011. I travel to Yuma AZ and went for a 10 mile run. My achilles felt tight but again, I’d never had issues so I pressed on. I finished and then noticed my achilles was really sore. I laid off for a few days but it still bothered me while running and sore afterwards. I started all of the above remedies for months. I could run but it was annoying and I started getting concerned that I might tear it. A bike wreck in Aug put me down for 8 wks and I thought for sure the time would heal it up. It didn’t. I went to my local running store and discussed my issue with the owner. He ran in college and is a competitive triathlete. He recommended Graston. I was desperate and talked with my PT at Little Rock AFB. He knew about it but was sceptiable. We started it and it hurt like heck. However, it slowly go better and i was healed in about 6 wks w/2-3 treatments/wk. You can view the technique on youtube and to honest, I think any of us can do it with a butter knife.
ahhh. ok. i was doing them both at the same time. are you supposed to feel fatigue in the calf muscle? it still seems like just lowering it would require a crazy amount of reps to feel it… no?
That is why you should do them with a weighted backpack.
