Achilles Tendonitis

I was hoping for some advice, i am due to do the my first Marathon (London) in a few weeks but after a 20 mile run a couple of weeks ago i had a pain in my left ankle, after a visit to the docs where he diagnosed it as Achilles Tendonitis, after a course of Anti-inflammotries and the standard icing and elovating it the pain was still their, i have rested it for another week rubbing in ibuprofen gel and have bought some soberthane heel lifts for my trainers which have been fitted to me , i went for a very small jog yesterday and and it was very uncomfortable after about a mile, please Help.

Comments

  • Very tough injury. I reckon you have to continue what you are doing plus some self massage and see what happens. However, a visit to the physio would certainly be worth a shot.
  • Nick LNick L ✭✭✭
    Ice massage(using frozen cup/bottle of water), eccentric stretching (lower yourself on injured leg off a step)...with care.
  • I think I may be suffering from this or similar.

    I have been training for Edinburgh and was due for a 15 mile run last weekend ! As I ws running round I had some minor pain in my left achillies but it was no real problem so I ran on. At mile 12 it was bad almost a burning sensation and I had to stop and stretch it off it was ok for another half mile then I had to quit !

    Really frustrating as this is the time the real training kicks in for the May marathon. I have torn calf muscles in the past and they have felt like I was shot or hit with a golf ball but this was more of a build up of pain and I would almost describe it as a burning pain. 

  • Ean - I really feel for you because I know you think this could be the end of your marathon. Achilles tendonitis is often an overuse injury and responds best to a prolonged period of rest. This is clearly time you don't have!

    I had it in both ankles last year so I do know how you feel because I was also deep in marathon training. I rested it but it wasn't getting much better so I went for deep tissue massage at the physio.

    It was HELL. I wanted someone to shoot me between the eyeballs and the bruising afterwards was an impressive sight to behold!

    But it worked, and with icing, (I bought snap ice packs from Home Bargains!) and the stretches Nick is describing it healed and I was able to complete the course.

    I had more time than you though (mine was in August and the marathon was end Oct) so I don't know if time is on your side.

    But I wish you the very best with it.

  • I started with this a few years ago and didn't do anyhting about it other trying to stetch.  Needless to say it got worse and more persistent.  I eventually went to a physio who performed deep tissue massage on them and also some acupuncture (neither of which was particulary pleasant).  After a few sessions of that I really felt the benefit and was able to run the marathon I was training for at the time.  Go and see a physio. 

    Good luck with the Marathon

  • Yes , it needs long term rehab. All the stuff mentioned and lots of stretching and strenghtening of the surrounding areas. Tendons have poor blood supply so the ice and massage is a constant need for runners.
  • Ean your best chance will be to start some eccentric soleus loading (3 x 15 reps twice a day every day) as soon as possible, I had similar problem though not as severe and pretty much dissappeared after a couple of weeks, but it depends how long this has been lurking in the background.

    Also do some deep tissue massage every day for a few minutes, with your thumb and index finger either side of the achilles, in circular motions directly over the painful area

    You will need to cross train for a few days to just give this chance

    and get yourself to reputable physio asap!

  • Thank you all for the advice, have started withe the stretches already and fingers crossed thanks again!
  • You must get physio help and see a podiatrist.  Stretch, Stretch, Stretch Good luck hope you make it to London,.

  • think i have this too, training for 10k run a week on sunday. it happened on monday then i left it til the sunday before i felt i could run again, but pulled up after about 3 miles. i feel it walking around a little but the worst is putting the clutch down while driving! strangely i found a hot bath made it feel much better and i now am almost pain free. i was going to run tonight but tried a few eccentric load excercises and it came back! just had another hot bath and again it feels better. must be the blood flow getting at the tendon.  will see how i feel in an hour and might still go out
  • eccentric loading will aggravate it temporarily as youre heavily loading the tendon, if you have to go out on a run do, and do the eccentric loading after

  • went for the run, did 6 miles, ran for 5 then had to stop as was hurting, had to walk most of the last mile. was hoping to get round without any pain, ah well- hope it will clear up by next sunday

    good luck ean with yours and anyone else suffering

  • sorry to say that i to have had trouble with my achilles and i know you dont want to hear this but you must REST REST REST  i have been out 5 weeks now i think another 2 weeks and i will running but london will have to wait sorry to sound neg but it is the only way
  • Thanks everyone for your advice, sad to say but i have deffered the marathon until next year, felt fine last week so went for a small jog, after about 2 miles it was back, not going to ruin myself so put it off for a year, gutted but know its the right decision, good luck to everyone else that has experienced similar problems.
  • That's probably the sensible decision. I'm not so sensible.

    I've got similar achilles problems but with all the money I've raised for charity refuse to give place up so have just changed my goal from running my best to walk/jog just get round.

    Will have to do again next year and get my goal time. Hopefully this means I'll be able to stop and chat to supporters and enjoys the experience rather than checking I'm on pace for the whole time!

  • I don't understand this achilles tendonitis thing - how come some can keep running considerable distances with it and others (like myself) who obviously have a much more severe case but still labelled the same thing are off for months??????
  • Nor me I can play football run short distances but approaching any runs where I approach double figures it kicks in and I can't run ! 
  • I feel like I have had this injury since August last year, but it never stops me running completely.  Definitely overuse as I stepped up my training massively in August last year in preparation for the GNR, whilst on holiday was doing a lot of miles early morning and the pain came on after 3 or 4 days.  Since then I have iced, had massage, but never rested completely and although I would say it sometimes feels better it never feels gone.  Do the drop step stretch a lot, have to in the morning as I sometimes cannot walk, but when I stretch it the pain eases significantly.  Not painful enough to stop me running but I know I know I could be doing more damage, how do you sake this off full stop??

  • Yes can this injury go away i have had it since just before Christmas.It has not stopped me from running but it very sore at times.One day you have no pain and you think great but it just comes back been to physio and try to do stretches but not that good at them.I have stop running for a couple of times for a week but it makes no change to the injury so i start running again.I just want it to go away image
  • I was diagnosed with achillis tendonitis at the beginning of September after too much hill reps and intense running. I have not run for 7 weeks and am under a sports physio. lots of heel reps, icing twice a day and wobble board exercises. Hoping to be running again in 2 weeks although I've been told my first run will be slow and 20 minutes with 2days rest in between! Hopefully will be fit enough to do Barcelona marathon next year along with few more races booked too! But have been told that the injury might not ever go away but will be something I have to learn to cope with. Have been doing lots of cross training instead but it's driving me mad!!
  • I had this for 3 years and no matter what I did I could not get rid of it, I did heel drops, physio, icing and nothing worked fully....I then spent the best ??20 I ever have and bought some Scholl Orthaheel insoles, within 3 weeks of running with these in place of my normal insoles my Achilles problem of 3 years had gone completely!!...



    Hope this helps you the same way it did me as I had just learned to accept the pain.
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