Overview
Achilles tendinitis is an inflammation of your Achilles tendon. It?s quite common in people who have psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. It can also occur as an over-use injury in people who take part in excessive exercise or exercise that they?re not used to.
Causes
Tendons are the tough fibres that connect muscle to bone. Most tendon injuries occur near joints, such as the shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle. A tendon injury may seem to happen suddenly, but usually it is the result of many tiny tears to the tendon that have happened over time. Health professionals may use different terms to describe a tendon injury. You may hear, Tendonitis (or Tendinitis): This actually means “inflammation of the tendon,” but inflammation is rarely the cause of your tendon pain.
Symptoms
Patients with an Achilles tendon rupture frequently present with complaints of a sudden snap in the lower calf associated with acute, severe pain. The patient reports feeling like he or she has been shot, kicked, or cut in the back of the leg, which may result in an inability to ambulate further. A patient with Achilles tendon rupture will be unable to stand on his or her toes on the affected side. Tendinosis is often pain free. Typically, the only sign of the condition may be a palpable intratendinous nodule that accompanies the tendon as the ankle is placed through its range of motion (ROM). Patients with paratenonitis typically present with warmth, swelling, and diffuse tenderness localized 2-6 cm proximal to the tendon’s insertion. Paratenonitis with tendinosis. This is diagnosed in patients with activity-related pain, as well as swelling of the tendon sheath and tendon nodularity.
Diagnosis
On examination, an inflamed or partially torn Achilles tendon is tender when squeezed between the fingers. Complete tears are differentiated by sudden, severe pain and inability to walk on the extremity. A palpable defect along the course of the tendon. A positive Thompson test (while the patient lies prone on the examination table, the examiner squeezes the calf muscle; this maneuver by the examiner does not cause the normally expected plantar flexion of the foot).
Nonsurgical Treatment
If you have ongoing pain around your Achilles tendon, or the pain is severe, book an appointment with your family physician and ask for a referral to a Canadian Certified Pedorthist. Your Pedorthist will conduct a full assessment of your feet and lower limbs and will evaluate how you run and walk. Based on this assessment, your Pedorthist may recommend a foot orthotic to ease the pressure on your Achilles tendon. As Achilles tendinitis can also be caused by wearing old or inappropriate athletic shoes for your sport, your Pedorthist will also look at your shoes and advise you on whether they have appropriate support and cushioning. New shoes that don?t fit properly or provide adequate support can be as damaging as worn out shoes.
Surgical Treatment
As with any surgery there are risks to every procedure depending on a lot of factors, including your age, the severity of your injury and your level of health going into the procedure. It is always best to discuss all possible risks and complications with your doctor, orthopaedic specialist and/or surgeon before the procedure. It’s important to be aware of the risks you may face with any procedure intended to fix or relieve pain from your Achilles tendon injury.
Prevention
There are several things you can do to reduce the risk of Achilles tendinitis, warm up every time before you exercise or play a sport. Switch up your exercises. Slowly increase the length and intensity of your workouts. Keep your muscles active and stay in shape all year-round. When you see symptoms of Achilles tendinitis, stop whatever activity you are doing and rest.
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