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In this short video, Breanne Kelley, DC discusses the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for Achilles tendonitis. She also discusses Airrosti’s approach to Achilles tendonitis and how we allow our patients to stay active during treatment.
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. It is a band of tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone and is used when you walk, run, and jump. It is also prone to tendonitis when overused.
Achilles tendonitis is an injury that occurs when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed and irritated after extensive use. This inflammation inhibits the tendon’s ability to move and can cause sharp, intense pain near the back of the lower leg. Achilles Tendonitis is commonly known as Achilles Tendonosis or Achilles Tendonopathy.
There are two different types of Achilles tendonitis, insertional and non-insertional:
Insertional Achilles tendonitis occurs when the pain is located at the insertion point of the tendon where it attaches to the heel bone. Inflammation occurs in this area and is the cause of this unpleasant pain.
With insertional Achilles tendonitis, pain is often worst first thing in the morning or a day after activity.
In this case, pain is located in the middle of the tendon. Inflammation occurs in the middle of the tendon causes swelling and pain. This is common in active, younger people. Pain is often worst before or shortly after activity.
Achilles tendonitis typically develops when we push our bodies to do too much, too quickly. Achilles tendonitis most commonly occurs in runners and other athletes who have suddenly increased the intensity or duration of their training.
Below are a few of the risk factors associated with Achilles tendonitis.
The pain associated with Achilles tendonitis typically begins as mild heel pain. Sometimes pain and swelling are present in the back of the leg or above the heel. Any action that requires flexing the calf muscle may be painful.
Episodes of more severe pain may occur after prolonged running, stair climbing, or sprinting. You might also experience tenderness and stiffness, especially in the morning. These symptoms usually improve throughout the day as your body warms up.
When treating Achilles tendonitis, your doctor may perform a physical exam, a range of motion test, and order imaging tests to help rule out other conditions. Your doctor will recommend you take some time off to rest and heal, limit your physical activity, and modify your exercises as needed. Over-the-counter pain medications such as Ibuprofen are often recommended to curb any pain. Icing the affected area for 15 – 20 minutes at a time may also help reduce swelling and inflammation.
Depending on the severity of your injury, it may take several months to resolve the condition and return to your regular training schedule. With traditional healthcare solutions, the expected recovery times for Achilles tendonitis are 3-6 months for Insertional and four months for Non-insertional.
Other treatment options include orthotic inserts and physical therapy to strengthen the Achilles tendon and promote faster healing. With the help of professional rehabilitation experts, faster healing is a possibility.
Pain from Achilles tendonitis can be subdued with a few exercises that target the affected area. Just remember these are at-home exercises that should be a supplement to regular physical therapy. A few helpful Achilles tendonitis exercises are:
This stretch is great for mobility and helping regain movement in the ankle.
This band stretch can help you build up stability in the injured area.
Airrosti helps patients relieve pain quickly, without the use of pain medication, injections, or surgery. Our effective Achilles tendonitis treatment can resolve your injury in as few as three visits, based on patient-reported outcomes. In most cases, you can continue your normal level of activity for the duration of your treatment. You’ll also receive individualized at-home exercises you can use to further speed recovery and help prevent injuries.
If pain or an injury is keeping you sidelined, schedule an appointment with Airrosti, and get back to living life pain-free.
Reviewed by Casey Crisp, Doctor of Chiropractic
Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. If you experience any numbness, tingling or reproduction of your symptoms, please contact your doctor.
Dr. Friendt was the first chiropractor I ever visited, and he accurately diagnosed and treated a very bad case of acute Achilles Tendonitis. His calm and soothing demeanor helped me relax as he treated my injury. He also tells great stories! I remember being fascinated after I learned about his background. I had never met a former mortician before! Overall, Dr. Friendt was patient, kind, incredibly professional, and a joy to work with. His assistant was also amazing!
by Steven Scales
I have had Achilles problems for over a year. Thanks to Dr. Pavlich I am able to walk/jog again will little or no pain. The exercises are easy to follow online and the kit they sent me helped so much in my recovery. Dr. Pavlich was very friendly knowledgeable and encouraging through our visits. The program worked so well that we are done with virtual visits with just three sessions unless I need more help in the future. I highly recommend Airrosti and their Airrosti Remote Recovery program. I won’t lie I was skeptical, but am now a believer. Thank you Airrosti!
by Bernard Rosenberg
Dr. Rios gave me back a big part of my life. I’d been a regular runner for a long time, until my Achilles tendons started giving me trouble. It came on gradually over several years, until it got to the point that if I ran a single painful mile I’d be limping around in pain for several days afterward. During this time I went to several doctors, physical therapists, and specialists, with no improvement. The next step was going to be surgery, which I wanted to avoid. I pretty much gave up on ever running again. Decided to try Airrosti, and on my first visit I described the problem and Alex said, yeah, we can fix that. With everything I’d been through over about 20 years – yes, this was a chronic, long-term problem - I was skeptical,...+ show more but after one session I felt improvement. A couple more and I was back on the running trail. Dr. Rios really knows what she is doing. From your symptoms and her training and experience she is able to figure out what the underlying problem is. In my case she got it right the first time – surprise, it wasn’t actually the Achilles tendons. The myofascial release helps enormously - yeah, it hurts, but it’s bearable, and the more it hurts short-term, the more improvement you’ll feel later; totally worth it. But the exercises Alex and Matt will give you as homework are just as important to correct the underlying issues. Again, they were spot on. Bottom line, I’m running again, and it’s really, really great to have that back. Thanks, Alex! Since the first round of treatment a relatively small nagging problem with one ankle persisted; I held off on going back because I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to fix it. Silly me; after a few more sessions that was resolved. And then there was a shoulder injury that I was also unsure whether Airrosti could help, and she and Matt cleared that up, too. For comparison, I had a similar problem a few years ago with the other shoulder, and that took a solid two years to heal up on its own. For those keeping score, that makes her three-for-three. Dr. Rios is definitely my first choice for treatment of any kind of soft-tissue pain.
by Peter Strouthes
My CrossFit coach/owner recommended Airrosti right away when I experienced a scary tear in my Achilles connection to my calf muscles. As soon as I was seen and evaluated, Airrosti's professionals soothed my fears by applying immediate treatment and reassurance about the prognosis. Their focus on movement and manipulation was new and eye-opening to me, but always perfectly rational and logical. They gave me time to answer all of my questions as if I was the only patient they needed to be concerned with and made certain I was able to calm down enough to understand and participate in the beginning of the healing process. The care I received was down to earth and extremely compassionate. I felt comforted and I was able to focus on getting ba...+ show moreck on my feet as soon as possible.
by David Tyler
I had experienced Achilles tendon pain for almost a year. It significantly impacted my ability to run and exercise. After working with Doctor Wheeler, the pain is gone and I am consistently running and biking again. Well worth it !
by Patrick Henderson
A shout out and a BIG THANK YOU to Dr. Jason Bolen for treating my leg pain. I went in with intense leg pain around the Achilles area. I was super frustrated for not being able to run. Dr. Bolen patiently listened, assessed the injury and explained the treatment/rehab processes. After three treatments, I was running again. In fact, I was able to race a 10k and run 14 miles... pain-free!! I will continue to sing his praises, recommend family and friends to Airrosti and Dr. Jason Bolen. Please pass on my sincerely appreciate to Dr. Jason Bolen for being professional, kind and patience!
by Sa Kim
I had called my Orthopedic surgeon in dire need because my foot pain was so bad. I thought I was in need of plantar fasciitis release surgery, or so I thought. Little did I know I had more serious issues going on with my feet, I had tarsal tunnel syndrome, Achilles tendinitis, fallen arches & plantar fasciitis. I went for my 1st treatment and yes I was nervous, I knew it was going to hurt! I walked in limping and walking out not limping and could do all things I couldn't do when he assessed me before treatment 🙌🏼 Two days after I went to Arizona for a week, even hiked 3 miles one day with no pain, I did all given exercises twice a day with still no issues. I went back for my second treatment and to my surprise he discharged me!!!!!...+ show more!!!! I had kept up with my rehab so well I hadn't had any issues for 2 weeks. Dr. Daly and Crystal will never know how much I appreciate them, they have given me my life back! Airrosti Rocks!
by Gretchen Roberts
I can't say enough positive things about Dr. Latiolais. I was very skeptical about Airrosti therapy and went as a last resort for relief from severe Achilles tendonitis. She immediately put me at ease and explained everything to me on the first visit. Amazingly I had immediate relief on the first visit. She was patient and thorough with teaching me exercises. She is always on time with appointments and greets you with a genuine warmness. I have now recommended her to several friends and coworkers. I won't hesitate to call upon her again and feel very fortunate to have found Dr. Latiolais.
by Catherine Ruthven
I have had Achilles Tendinitis for over a year. I have tried exercises for stretching out the fascia from my foot to my hamstrings with some improvement but still suffered sharp pain every morning! One of my patients, Heather Wedding, came into our office wearing an AIRROSTI logo shirt and I asked if she thought AIRROSTI therapy would help me. She explained that my tendinitis is exactly the Soft Tissue Injury ( the 3 last letters in AIRROSTI ) that they've had success with and asked if I was ready to give it a try. That same day I was able to make my first visit with Jenay Zelaya DC. Jenay is very personable, knowledgeable and competent in her AIRROSTI skills. She evaluated me and started Myofascial release. I have to admit that at first...+ show more I wondered what I had signed up for, but the results of our first session were amazing! I then had 2 more sessions and can honestly say that I'm pain-free. I have an occasional twinge, but nothing like before my treatment. I'm very happy that I tried AIRROSTI and will recommend it to my friends, family and patients! If I ever have a soft tissue injury I will definitely go to Dr. Jenay Zelaya right away at AIRROSTI.
by Cyndee Dubinski
Michelle, I wanted to follow up with you and tell you about my fantastic experience with Airrosti! I went to the location in Las Colinas. Miranda and Harley were awesome! And sure enough, they fixed my Achilles heel injury – which I had had for over 10 years….that a doctor told me would never really be fixed without surgery that would require severing and reattaching my Achilles tendon – in just 3 visits. I’ve stuck with the exercises and I’m running pain-free now for the first time in a loooooong time. I’ve shared that story with everyone in my office and just yesterday with our executive team when telling them why we’re adding this to our benefits package. Thank you for letting me try it out. I have used the words ‘life...+ show more-changing’ to describe the experience. The treatment was far from pain-free but the results certainly were. Have a great day! Matt
by Matt Sidhorn