Achilles tendonitis

[Trey]

Figured I'd post in here as I haven't been able to find any other forums active enough on the subject of achilles pain. Here's my story:

I am in the military and although I was able to pass a PT test according to my services standards I could not achieve a score that my unit deemed was satisfactory. As a result I was forced to enter a 5 week PT boot camp.

The schedule was the same for everday for the entire 5 weeks. 30 to 45 minutes of calisthenics working all the major muscles followed by atleast a 4 mile run. 5 days a week for 5 weeks. By the 3rd week almost 90% of the people at the camp had some sort of injury. I sucked up my pain and continued the run until the last week when i just couldnt take the pain anymore.

The first 5 months after my injury consisted of the military doctors telling me to take Motrin, rest and heel lifts. Kind of hard to rest when you are at work on your feet walking in military boots for 10+ hours a day and come home to two kids 4 and 2 years old. But I did as I was told and my symptoms did not improve.

Finally a few months back I had had enough and demanded that I received an X-ray and an MRI to see if there was anything structural wrong. X-ray came back negative and the MRI showed no inflammation or swelling and only mild scarring according to the tech who read the results. I went back to my doctor and was told "motrin and rest".

I have recently started physical therapy which consists of stretching and range of motion exercises, all of which I had already been doing since the injury, and twice weekly IONTO treatments for 3 weeks. So far no change in my condition.

My pain is about at the same level as it was 7 months ago although now the pain has spread to just below the ankle on both sides of my foot as well as being on the back side of my heel and in my achilles. Right now walking, climbing stairs, hell even sitting is painful.

Have you guys ever known someone whose symptoms persisted this long and do you have any advice to give on how to improve my condition. The military doctors either dont know or dont care. Thank in advance.

[deecee]

as with most injuries like this -- rest is really the only way to get better -- your joint NEEDS rest to heal -- if you are always using it then it will never heal.

[MadCityRef]

It's also called plantar fascia, inflammation of where the tendon attaches to the tarsus bone.
I switched to New Balance shoes and my problems have subsided, but they do linger.
I wear socks to bed to keep the tendons extra warm, and sleep on my side. Sleeping on your back or stomach causes the tendons to be tensed, but they are relaxed when on your side.
Stretch a lot with range of motion exercises. I also take chondroitin and glucosemine tablets every day.
Warm up early before games. Good luck.

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by MadCityRef

It's also called plantar fascia, inflammation of where the tendon attaches to the tarsus bone.
I switched to New Balance shoes and my problems have subsided, but they do linger.
I wear socks to bed to keep the tendons extra warm, and sleep on my side. Sleeping on your back or stomach causes the tendons to be tensed, but they are relaxed when on your side.
Stretch a lot with range of motion exercises. I also take chondroitin and glucosemine tablets every day.
Warm up early before games. Good luck.

Actually, plantar fascitis is an inflamation of the tendon connecting the heel and the toes. The achilles tendon connects the calcaneus (heel) and the gastrox and soleus muscles in the calves. While both cause pain in the heel, they are completely different injuries.

[fonzzy07]

I suffer from plater facitus I am one of the youngest my doctor has seen. One thing that helps after a game when I get home is in the morning fill a water bottle and freeze it, then when I get home I roll the ice bottle underneeth my feet. I did the whole PT thing even had medicine magnetically forced through my foot some how and that did not help. Aqua therapy did help a little but the best thing is just to put them up, let them rest and change your shoes often. I can tell when my shoes are getting bad because my feet start to hurt. One last thing do not spend 100's of dollars on custome orthodics, I did then went to the shoe store and they recommenede an inser that cost me 20 dollars it was called super feet, they have 2 types, the green works best for me.

[zebraman]

I had achilles tendonitis so bad that I would just about go through the roof when my achilles got bumped at all. Even the sheets rubbing against it in bed were hurting. It started about 8 years ago and just kept getting progessively worse.

After resting my leg an entire off-season (which was very tough because I am an avid weighlifter and a golfer and biker in the summers), it settled down a little bit. Then when I stared reffing again in the fall, it immediately flared up and I was back to square one.

Two off-seasons ago, I had achilles debridement surgery. It has made a world of difference. The only time I even noticed my achilles so far this year was when I had 6 boys games in a week (snow make-ups). Other than that, the pain is completely gone.

Surgery is a last resort, but it sure worked for me.

[Terrapins Fan]

I thought I had a problem with my Achilles tendon, but after seeing 3 or 4 doctors, and having tons of tests done, it looks like a pinched nerve in my lower back. I start PT Monday....I'm 51....I expect pain, we are on a 1st name basis.