[Closed] Achilles tendon problem

Tape the thing up so that you pretty much immobilise it for a couple of days then gradually reduce the taping as it improves.

Few weeks and it'll be fine.

A few weeks! Please mean a few weeks including careful riding; not until riding again?

You may find that going out on the bike helps take the pain away.

Stretch plenty. If you've ramped up your mileage recently that could be the source (it was for me) there's two muscles in your calves apparently and two stretches to go with them. The best one for the Achilles is the bent knee one, rather than with a straight leg - if you know it?

Dasilva - that is incorrect.

In what respect? - it worked pretty damn well for mine

The bit about the bent knee stretch being better. Makes no difference.

My physio would disagree with you there.

Many thanks. I definately don't stretch enough pre exercise. I also admit to ramping up the mileage significantly...and going for a burn up some big hills.

Dasilva - I would suggest that your physio goes and looks at an anatomy book and reminds themselves of the origins and insertions of gastrocnemius and soleus.

I'll be sure to let him know, meanwhile though my longstanding tendonitis issues have cleared up and I've done 8, 12 and 24hr solos in the past few months so maybe I'm just explaining it wrong.

Painizgood, I'd recommend some sports massage, certainly helped me a lot and worth every penny.

Many thanks, dasilva and Obi_Twa. I've had a look at some taping on youtube but will try to find a sports clinic; bit rural where I live but should find someone who can help.

Get a large bowel of ice water and put your foot in it for at least 10 minutes with the whole area covered. Repeat at least daily.

Don't walk bare foot until its better. Heel lift reduces the load on the Tendon

Do both stretches gently (thats knee bent and knee straight)

I suffer from problems with my Achilles. Depending on whether or not you have an "acute" injury, stretching may not be a good idea until it has had time to recover.

I would recommend two things:

1. ice them when you come in from cycling; and
2. massage them in the morning - put them in hand hot water for about ten minutes, then massage between fore finger and thumb.

Probably best to get a physio to show you how to do the massage.

I agree with Ampthill about not walking bare foot. I first picked up my injury whilst training on holiday - wearing flip flops and sandals all day, which I wasn't used to, and then going for runs in the evening.

Not sure that filling your large bowel with ice water is going to help.

If we werent meant to walk bare foot we woulda been born with shoes on .....

The one thing that helps me when ever i get tendonitus is walking bare foot or in flip flops - having nothing touching the tendon.

Stretch stretch and stretch again - also do some work on your hamstrings.

[center][u][i][b]GO SEE A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL!!![/b][/u]
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I didn't; left mine, tried ibruprofen and MTFU, and kept climbing on it. 3 years on it's still sore.

Go get it checked out and don't anger it until someone who knows what they are doing has seen it!

You say that but i saw some right clowns in my quest for achillies freedom 2 physios who just seemed to be reading a script and making no progress charging me 25 quid a time ...and infact it was advice from someone on this threads physio wife that got me over it in the end

Go cautiously especially with the stretching, as it is possible to do more damage. I would definately seek good medical advice.
Lets consider what the tendon is..... its the point where the muscle in the back of the leg goes under the heel and anchors to the bone. It is sort of fiberous and takes time to repair when damaged.
I know this because I snapped one of mine. That takes about 7 weeks in a cast from my toes to my thigh, then a few months of physio lots of "gentle" excersise and eventually back to good health and plenty of cycling. You really dont want to make it worse, as the more damage you do the longer it will take to recover.
Seek medical advice, listen to what they say if if it means taking it easy!

I was given heel wedges when recovering from my rupture...something like [url= ]these[/url]

You can peel layers away to have them as deep or shallow as you need, then progressively peel more off until you're done.

May help take the strain off with the walking at work thing etc.

http://www.sportspodiatry.co.uk/lower_leg_calf.htm