Achilles tendonitis injury

Achilles tendonitis is one of the most common sports injuries. About 24% of athletes will have an Achilles tendon injury at some point in their lives.

Whatever the cause of your Achilles tendon pain, we can help. Our Achilles tendonitis treatment options include medications, special footwear, physical therapy, and surgery.

What is Achilles tendonitis?

Risk factors for Achilles tendonitis

Men are more likely to have Achilles tendonitis than women. Other risk factors are:

• Psoriasis
• High blood pressure
• Fluoroquinolones (a type of antibiotic)

What’s the cause of Achilles tendonitis?

Sports or exercises that involve a lot of fast stops and starts can cause Achilles tendinitis, as can jobs that require you to be on your feet for long periods of time. These activities involve repetitive movements that put stress on the Achilles tendons.

Other things likely to contribute to Achilles injuries are:

• High-impact sports or exercises
• Running on hills or inclined equipment
• Running in cold weather
• Wearing worn-out shoes
• Exercising infrequently, like only on the weekend

Any time you put more stress on your Achilles tendons than you’re used to, it can cause pain, inflammation, and swelling. For runners, this could mean running more often or for longer distances.

Although Achilles tendinitis is usually related to overuse, it can happen at any activity level. And tendonitis can affect any tendon in your body.

What’s the fastest way to heal Achilles tendonitis?

The fastest way to heal Achilles tendonitis is to seek care as soon as you notice pain in the area. If you’ve caught it early, your doctor may start by recommending self-care methods. The longer you wait to seek treatment, the more likely you are to need more treatments or have complications such as an Achilles tendon rupture.

Achilles tendonitis doesn’t heal on its own. It often heals with help from resting the injury, applying ice to it, and other nonsurgical Achilles tendonitis treatments.

Achilles tendonitis symptoms

Achilles tendinitis symptoms occur along the back of your lower leg or heel and may include:

• Stiffness in the morning or after sitting still for a long time
• Pain that gets worse with physical activity
• Sharp pain that starts the day after a lot of physical activity
• Swelling that doesn’t go away and gets worse as the day goes on
• Pain on the back of the heel when you wear shoes

Having Achilles tendinitis is often a sign that too much stress has been placed on your body. This condition occurs when the tendon becomes inflamed or injured from too much activity and not enough rest.

Achilles tendonitis tests & imaging

Our sports medicine experts get to the source of the heel pain so you can get on the road to recovery. During diagnosis, we’ll perform a complete exam before developing an Achilles tendonitis treatment plan to address your unique needs.

Your exam may include:

• Discussion with your doctor so you can describe the potential Achilles tendonitis symptoms you’re experiencing.
• A physical exam, where your doctor looks for common Achilles tendinitis symptoms and signs. These signs may include a thickening of the tendon or difficulty pulling your toes up toward your body (flexing your foot).
• Imaging tests like X-rays. These tests can help your doctor spot complications, like a hardening of the tendon in the area that’s painful.

Find out more about orthopedic diagnosis.

Achilles tendonitis treatments

Our large team of experts has deep experience in helping athletes and active people overcome Achilles tendonitis.

Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or offer prescription Achilles tendonitis medications.

Wearing a foot orthotic or heel lift in your shoe during the day may reduce irritation along the Achilles tendon. If standard orthotics don’t do the trick, a custom foot orthotic can help by correcting common problems like inward-turning heels.

Using a brace or splint to keep your foot flexed during the night often relieves Achilles heel pain in the morning. Bracing maintains flexibility of the calf muscles and reduces tension on the Achilles tendon.

Our orthopedic physical therapists can help relieve Achilles discomfort and ease you back into activities with special exercises.

In rare cases – like with a torn or severely damaged Achilles tendon – surgery may be necessary. Our surgeons use sophisticated tools and the smallest necessary incisions so you can recover quickly. Learn more about minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery.

We also offer treatments like acupuncture, which may help speed your recovery. Our trained acupuncturists insert hair-thin needles near the Achilles tendon to restore your body’s natural flow of energy (Qi) and promote healing.

When your doctor approves restarting your exercise or sports routine, they’ll likely recommend that you take it easy at first. Cross-training, where you engage in different exercises, may be recommended to help avoid a repeat injury. Low-impact exercises like swimming can also be helpful.

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If you're suffering from Achilles tendonitis, we get to the source of the pain and offer personalized care recommendations.

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