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    Achilles Tendonitis: What is It?

    Published on February 25th, 2019

    If you are an avid runner and you have suddenly increased or decreased the intensity or duration of your runs, you may be suffering from achilles tendonitis. You may also be suffering if you are middle-aged and often participate in sports such as basketball or tennis. In simple terms, achilles tendonitis occurs when the band of tissue connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone is overused.

    Symptoms

    If you consistently wake up with stiffness in your achilles tendon, this is a symptom of Achilles tendonitis. You may also feel a mild ache in the back of your leg or above your heel after participating in physical activity. Please note that if pain is severe, you may have a torn Achilles tendon that needs immediate medical attention.

    Risk Factors

    There are many different factors that impact whether or not you develop Achilles tendonitis, including gender, age, physical problems, training choices, medical conditions and medications. If you are already experiencing Achilles tendonitis, you are at an increased risk of completely tearing your Achilles tendon, which is extremely painful and requires surgery to fix.

    Prevention

    The good news is that you can take the steps to reduce your risk of developing Achilles tendonitis. If you are training, make sure to gradually increase your activity level and know when it is time to rest rather than to push yourself. You should also stretch daily and choose the proper shoes to wear while you are exercising. Finally, cross-training and strengthening your calf muscles is a great way to prevent overuse.

    If you believe that you are suffering from Achilles tendonitis, contact our team at Alpine Foot Specialists today.

    Call for an Appointment (847) 540-9949