The Truth Behind an Achilles Injury

We've had a recent influx of Achilles injuries come into the clinic, so we felt it only right to make it our point of focus for this month's newsletter. We could go into great detail on this, and our physiotherapist Jacqui Perry recently wrote a lovely detailed blog on Achilles Tendinopathy for those who wish to indulge further but for now, we would like to flag the main things you need to know. Here goes...

•  What is Achilles Tendinopathy?

Put simply, a tendinopathy is an inability of the tendon to deal with the load placed upon it. If we place too much load on a tendon, and continue to repeat this process without allowing recovery, then it is likely an injury will occur down the line. It's all about balancing load & rest!

• What is the Achilles tendon?

The Achilles tendon is a continuation of the three calf muscles at the back of the leg that work to move the ankle. It is continually loaded with running and walking.

• Symptoms

The tendon may be painful to squeeze and sufferers often experience pain during or after a run or walk, and may be worse with stair, hill climbing or first thing in the morning.

• What you need to do to treat this problem

Don’t ignore it! Tendinopathies rarely go away on their own. Rest and seek advice! A physiotherapist can see you for an assessment and write up a treatment programme that will be tailored to you. At the White Hart Clinic Jacqui Perry is our specialist running physio.

Adjunct treatment modalities may also be recommended, including shockwave therapy which is now offered at the White Hart Clinic. Jacqui will assess and discuss a possible course of treatment if this the chosen route.

If the above sounds familiar and you wish to seek advice, please do not hesitate to give the clinic a call and book in for an assessment.

Best wishes,

The White Hart Clinic Team