Acute Achilles Tendinitis (Tendonitis)

The suffix "itis" refers to something that is inflamed, therefore, the term tendinitis (also spelled tendonitis) is used when a tendon is inflamed. The term acute tendinitis refers to inflammation that comes on suddenly or within a few days, usually due to a tendon strain or overloading the tendon during exercise.

In the case of acute Achilles tendonitis, most individuals can identify an injury or specific event that caused a strain or tearing of the Achilles tendon. When the fibers of a tendon are torn, they become inflamed and swollen causing pain and tenderness in the area which can also result in difficulty flexing the foot during regular movements, such as walking and jumping.

Most commonly, this condition is seen in the "weekend warrior" athlete who sits at a desk all week and then plays softball or tennis on the weekend. The resultant muscle strain (mild tears) creates inflammation and pain and can lead to tendinitis. This condition could also be created if the tendon is strained from a sudden trauma such as a fall or misstep.

Achilles tendinitis can occur at the insertion point of the tendon (referred to as insertional tendinitis) at the calcaneus (heel bone) or mid way up the Achilles tendon (referred to as non-insertional tendinitis). The most common area to be affected by acute tendinitis is approximately 1/3 of the way up the tendon, 2.5 inches from where it attaches to the heel bone. This part of the Achilles tendon is at most risk of tendinitis and other tendon injuries because it receives less blood flow than other parts of the tendon.

Symptoms

If you are suffering from acute Achilles tendinitis you will most likely be experiencing:

• Pain that occurs abruptly following a tendon strain, usually part way up the Achilles tendon.
• Sharp pain at the beginning of activity that decreases in intensity as exercise progresses.
• Pain that returns after exercise or after long periods of inactivity.
• Pain may subside when the Achilles tendon is allowed to rest.
• Pain becomes most significant when pushing off or jumping.
• Stiffness in your Achilles tendon when you wake up in the morning.
• Tender and warm to the touch.
• The Achilles tendon is irritated by heat but feels good when treated with cold compression and rest.

If you feel a sharp pain, as though you've been hit in the back of the ankle, and hear a "pop" sound, your Achilles tendon has likely ruptured. A ruptured (completely torn) Achilles tendon can occur when the Achilles tendon is overstressed to the point of tearing. It will be very difficult for you to walk or move your ankle if this is the case.

Causes

Acute Achilles tendonitis may be caused by:

• Improper stretching before and after running and jumping exercises.
• Changes in foot wear (i.e. high heels, poor running shoes).
• An inflexible Achilles tendon (i.e. tendon with scar tissue from previous injury or wear and tear).
• An increase in training, training on uneven terrain or a change in terrain (i.e. hills) .
• Weak or inflexible calf muscles (gastrocnemius or soleus muscles).

Achilles Treatments - What You Can Do!

Allowing your Achilles tendon to rest is always recommended if you suffer from acute Achilles tendonitis. Avoid all activities that may have caused the injury or irritation and begin cold compression treatments as soon as possible. The Achilles tendon is a difficult tendon to rest completely as it is an essential tendon for walking and daily activities. During your recovery, you will probably have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort in your Achilles tendon until your pain and inflammation settle.

The trick with healing acute Achilles tendinitis is getting the tendon to heal with minimal scar tissue formation and with as much realignment of the tendon fibres as possible - something ultrasound therapy is great at! Even with optimum healing, there is always less elasticity in a previously injured Achilles tendon. This will cause the tendon to hurt during daily activities and exercise. However, if you heal your injury efficiently and quickly, your chance of re-injury later on is much lower than average.

Fortunately, there are healing tools that can help treat your tendon and speed up the healing process so you can get back to a life without pain and risk of further injury. Therapeutic ultrasound will treat scar tissue and reduce inflammation while Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy (BFST^®) promotes blood flow to heal your tendon faster and more completely than any other methods available.

Although steroid injections may provide temporary relief of the pain of Achilles tendonitis, they should generally be avoided as they weaken the Achilles tendon and may lead to a rupture of the tendon. If you do opt for an injection, doctors usually recommend that you do not participate in strenuous activities for several weeks to reduce the risk of an Achilles tendon rupture.

Cold Compression Therapy

Doctors recommend using cold compression as soon as possible following an acute Achilles injury and re-injury to reduce pain and swelling and minimize tissue damage that occurs with soft tissue injuries like Achilles tendon tears and tendinitis.

The Ankle/Achilles Freezie Wrap^® allows you to treat your acute Achilles tendonitis in an effective and convenient way.

Cold Compression Therapy works by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the injured area and reducing swelling that can block blood vessels. This is important because once blood vessels are blocked or damaged, they can no longer carry oxygenated blood through the Achilles tendon and tissue cells begin to break-down. Without cold compression therapy cellular break-down and tissue damage continues as the cells do not get the oxygen they need to survive. By limiting the amount of damage done to your Achilles tendon, you also limit the amount of healing that needs to occur. This is a very important step to heal acute Achilles tendonitis faster and with less pain!

The deep cooling effect provided by the Ankle/Achilles Freezie Wrap^® slows cell metabolism thereby reducing cellular break-down and tissue damage. Furthermore, because the cold wraps serve to numb the nerves, the wraps also reduce pain! Only the Freezie Wrap^® gel pack is charged in the fridge. This means the cooling temperature of the gel pack will not cause cold burns, or cryoburn, on your skin like ice or freezie charged gel packs can. You can also treat yourself for longer periods of time so you get lasting pain relief.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound therapy is the most effective and pain-free way to reduce inflammation, soften scar tissue and promote faster healing of your Achilles tendon.

During the healing process, scar tissue builds on your Achilles tendon and can attach the inner layers of the tendon to the surrounding paratenon that it glides through. This limits the flexibility and movement of the Achilles tendon, your foot and the gastrocnemius or soleus muscles in your calf. Fortunately, you can treat your Achilles tendon with therapeutic ultrasound to soften scar tissue and improve the gliding motion and flexibility of your Achilles tendon in the paratenon shealth.

Not only does ultrasound reduce inflammation, soften scar tissue and speed up the healing process, it also helps to prevent long term complications. Pain, lack of mobility, tendinosis, or a complete Achilles tendon rupture are some of the more common long term complications that can occur when Achilles tendinitis goes untreated. By treating your Achilles tendon with ultrasound, scar tissue becomes softer and the tissue becomes stronger reducing the risk of chronic problems in the future.

For those who suffer from long term Achilles injuries, ultrasound can help. Ultrasound therapy can help to break up scar and fibrous tissue that has built up over time on the Achilles tendon and restore elasticity to the tendon and flexibility in your ankle joint.

Ultrasound can also be used to administer therapeutic medicines into the body. This is a process known as phonophoresis. Ultrasound with phonophoresis is rapidly becoming more popular than ultrasound therapy alone.

Using the MendMeShop^® Lavender Infusion Gel during your ultrasound therapy gives you 2 therapies in 1. You get the benefit of the regenerating sound waves from the ultrasound device itself AND the added bonus of the therapeutic ingredients inside the gel being delivered into the tissue where it is most effective.

Lavender Infusion Ultrasound Gel contains the natural essential oils of Bulgarian lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, and menthol and is exclusively available from MendMeShop^®. These ingredients reduce inflammation, relieve pain and improve blood circulation to your Achilles tendon. 1 bottle of MendMeShop^® Lavender Infusion Ultrasound Gel comes FREE with every MendMeShop^® Ultrasound System so you get unbeatable ultrasound therapy for your injured Achilles tendon.

MendMeShop^® ultrasound therapy with phonophoresis is safe, convenient, and easy and generally requires between 5 - 10 minutes per treatment. It is based on a form of deep tissue therapy, which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear). These waves send vibrations deep into your body and slightly increase the temperature of your soft tissue cells. The waves are delivered through a hand held transducer and conductive gel that are used together in a slow, circular motion on your skin over your Achilles tendon.

Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy

Once the inflammation in your Achilles tendon has been reduced, nourishing and strengthening the tissue in the Achilles tendon and surrounding area is recommended.

Using Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy, or BFST^®, will speed your recovery and heal your Achilles tendon more completely preparing it for strengthening exercises.

BFST^® increases the amount of blood that flows naturally to your ankle to nourish your Achilles tendon, ligaments and muscles, improving elasticity and accelerating the healing process.

The Achilles tendon receives a limited blood supply compared to other tendons in the body and this greatly reduces its natural ability to heal itself. By treating your Achilles tendon with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy you can increase your body's blood supply to the ankle and increase your body's natural healing power. In addition, the fresh blood flow whisks away dead cells and toxins that have built up from tendinitis leaving the area clean and able to heal faster. Our Ankle/Achilles Inferno Wrap^® provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief and healing with no side effects.

With these 3 easy therapies you will notice incredible improvement in your tendon. The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results!

Learn More About These SUPERIOR Achilles Treatments

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