Are You Achilles Aware?

Are you wondering if what you’re experiencing might be some form of tendinitis? When it comes to Achilles tendinitis, the signs and symptoms can be achingly clear to those who develop this problem. Our Achilles tendon is a band of tissue connecting your heel bone to your calf muscles, stretching along the backside of our legs. 

Achilles tendinitis is characterized by three common symptoms:

• Experiencing pain after physical activity, like stair climbing, running, or jumping
• Delayed onset of pain after trying a new activity or increasing the intensity of a previous activity you frequently engaged in
• Feeling an aching pain above the back of your heel and/or up along the back of your leg

These types of symptoms can occur as a result of repetitive injury or overuse of the Achilles tendon. Some folks are more vulnerable to developing Achilles tendinitis than others for various different reasons:

• Frequently running or jogging
• Being obese or out of shape
• Developing fallen arches or flat feet
• Starting an intense exercise regimen too quickly
• Spending most of your week being sedentary, but a day or two being very active
• Aging or being over 30 years of age
• Having a combination of the risk factors previously mentioned

Often, Achilles tendinitis is easily treated at home. In rare cases, Achilles tendinitis becomes severe enough that it might completely rupture, which requires surgical correction. In the event that your Achilles tendinitis bothers you longer than a few weeks or persists even after rest and treatment at home, you’re officially overdue for a visit to the podiatrist. With the help of Dr. Jeffrey S. Kahn, Dr. Craig M. Kaufman, Dr. Ayman M. Latif, or Dr. Raffaella R. Pascarella at Connecticut Foot Care Centers, you can learn about easy ways to treat and prevent Achilles tendinitis. Most importantly, this includes reducing your high impact activities, taking it slow when starting a new exercise regimen, and making sure your shoes are supportive and foot-friendly. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment at one of our 6 locations in Rocky Hill, Bristol, Middletown, Glastonbury, Newington, and Kensington, Connecticut.