subject: Treatment For Your Achilles Heel Pain-achilles Tendonitis [print this page] Achilles Tendinitis (Tendinopathy)
What is Achilles Tendonitis?
The Achilles tendon is the large tendon at the back of the ankle. It connects the large calf muscles to the heel bone (calcaneus) and provides the power for walking and running.
Achilles tendonitis is a common running injury that involves the tendon at the back of the ankle. The tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel and is important in the flexion and push-off phase in running.
Achilles tendonitis is often now being referred to as achilles tendinopathy. This is because it is no longer thought to be an inflammatory condition. It is usually degenerated tissue with a loss of normal fibre structure.
Achilles tendonitis can be either acute or chronic which occurs over a longer period of time. In addition to being either chronic or acute, the condition can also be either at the attachment point to the heel or in the mid-portion of the tendon. Healing of the achilles tendon is often slow, due to its poor blood supply.
It is estimated that achilles tendonitis accounts for around 11% of all running injuries. Chronic achilles tendonitis may follow on from acute tendonitis if it goes untreated or is not allowed sufficient rest. Chronic achilles tendonitis is a difficult condition to treat, particularly in older athletes who appear to suffer more often.
Causes of Achilles Tendonitis
-Increase in activity
-Not enough rest between activities
-Weak calf muscles
-The shoes we wear( high heels)
-Running up mountains or hills causes more strain on the tendon.
