Do you have pain in the back of your ankle near your Achilles tendon? Not quite sure why it’s happening or how to fix it? You’re not alone, and we can help!
Achilles tendinopathy is one of the most common overuse injuries. It often causes pain and stiffness, especially during your first few steps in the morning or when you start an activity and the tendon isn’t warmed up. This can make sport, exercise and everyday activities extremely challenging.
So what is Achilles tendinopathy?
The Achilles tendon is the thick, strong band of tissue that attaches your calf muscles to the back of your heel bone.
Achilles tendinopathy happens when the tendon is overloaded, meaning it’s being asked to handle more stress than it’s ready for. This causes tiny disruptions to the collagen fibres within the tendon, leading to pain, weakness and reduced function.
Why does it happen?
Achilles tendinopathy is usually triggered by a sudden increase in load or activity. Common examples are:
- A quick increase in running distance or speed
- Starting a new sport or returning after a break
- Not enough recovery time between training sessions
- Changes in footwear or running surface
- Tight calf muscles or underlying biomechanical factors
- Essentially, anything new or different that your tendon isn’t used to can contribute to the problem.
How we can help?
The good news is that with the right plan, Achilles tendinopathy can be well managed and improved! Our team work together to create individual treatment plans for each patient, combining hands on care with exercise and load management.
Hands on treatment:
- Soft tissue massage to reduce calf muscle tightness and improve mobility
- Foot and ankle joint mobilisations to help everything move smoothly
- Shockwave therapy to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes
- Dry needling and sports tape to support recovery when appropriate
Exercise rehabilitation:
Exercise is the gold standard treatment method for Achilles tendinopathy. We’ll create a custom strengthening program to suit your needs and your stage of recovery. This plan is carefully progressed over time to get you back to your activities safely and confidently.
Other strategies:
- Walking and running assessments
- VALD strength assessment to accurately track changes
- Training load adjustments to keep you active while avoiding complete rest
- Footwear review and custom orthotics, if needed, to support foot and ankle mechanics and prevent future flare ups
Once the tendon has recovered, the focus shifts to prevention! This includes:
- Identifying and addressing the root cause of the overload
- Strengthening the muscles above and below the Achilles, including the foot muscles and hip muscles, to improve movement quality and stability
- Creating and following a gradual and structured plan when increasing activity levels
Achilles tendinopathy can be stubborn, but it doesn’t have to hold you back. Our team is here to help you reduce pain, rebuild strength and stay active and happy doing what you love.
