The Achilles tendon connects the two major calf muscles to the back of the heel. Under too much stress, the tendon tightens and becomes irritated (tendonitis). It makes up 11% of all running injuries.
Who’s at risk?
Runners who dramatically increase training (especially hills and speedwork) and have tight, weak calves are vulnerable.
Can you run through it?
If you have any pain during or after running, stop. This is not an injury to run through. If you catch a minor strain early, a few days off might be sufficient healing time. If you keep running as usual, you could develop a serious case that may take six months to go away.
Rehab it
Five times a day, apply ice.
Strengthen the calves with eccentric heel drops:
- Stand with the balls of your feet on a step.
- Rise up on both feet.
- Once up, take your stronger foot off the step.
- Lower down on your injured foot, dropping your heel below the step.
- Rise back up, return your other foot to the step.
- Do 20 reps.
Pool-run, use an elliptical machine, and swim, but avoid cycling unless it’s not painful.
Prevent a relapse
Strong calves protect your Achilles from flare-ups, so do heel drops daily. Avoid aggressive calf stretching and wearing flip-flops and high heels, all of which can irritate the Achilles.
Elite Treatment
Wear compression socks for hard workouts to relieve Achilles tightness. It makes a huge difference.
Back to “Body Breakdowns”
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i had this injury and the swedish (heel drop) exercises did not make much difference. I stopped running completely and just waited for the pain to go completely, which took six months. Have now been running again for 3 months, and, fingers crossed, no recurrence so far.