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How Can I Prevent Achilles Tendon Pain?
To prevent pain, prevent strain. Ever see football players before a game, all curled up on the ground and pulling on their legs? Yes, little grasshopper, they are into sports injury prevention, so they stretch before all the pummeling, fun and other injuries begin.
To do: Sit with one leg bent and the other straight, head up, spine straight. Lean forward sloooowly, feel and enjoy the stretch under your thigh, and hold for fifteen seconds. Do that about seven or eight times (and switch!).
Also include a calf stretch: lean against a wall with both hands and stretch one leg back, lowering the heel, while bending the other leg as your go forward. Hold the count and repeat as above. Fun.
Just as important is to stretch after activity .
And just any time, as you’re watching TV or whatever, play around with a dish towel with your bare feet (try to pick up the towel, rotate the ankle, toes, etc. Good for shin splints too.
What? You already have pain in the Achilles tendon?
OK, you ignored me. Now, you really, really need to stop running or playing tennis or shopping so hard. Seriously, this will take at least a week if not two weeks to resolve.
Ice the area right away , ten minutes every couple of hours for several days. Take NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) orally (like ibuprofen). Elevate the leg as much as possible. Some people swear by arnica gel (an anti-inflammatory) rubbed on the area a few times a day.
When it feels better,
1. Stretch.
2. Resume activities gradually, and not until you can jump up and down, and do heel raises without pain.
You may want to recheck your shoes too. The heel shouldn’t have too much air and the sole shouldn’t be too stiff.
This is simple stuff, no? The Achilles tendon is a big one, and it connects your two big calf muscles to the heel bone. So when it’s not happy you will know it!
Podiatrist-recommended:
Advanced Cold Therapy Roll on
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