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Thread: Achilles Tendon Rehab

  1. #1
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    Dec 2015
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    Default Achilles Tendon Rehab

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    I have some sort of Achilles tendinopathy, not related to lifting, but figured people here might have some clue about how to rehab it. About a month ago, we had a false start to Spring, and I made the ill advised decision to go trail riding on my bicycle about 100 miles over the course of 3 days.

    By the third day, I could barely pedal, with the achilles in my left leg acting up something terrible. It wasn't an acute injury, I just did way too much, too fast. I bike to work, with a round trip of 14 miles almost year round, taking winters off between December to the end of March. Since it was the end of February, it had only been about 3 months since I'd ridden, so I still had the ability to make some long rides, but obviously my Achilles didn't.

    I've been lifting ever since, and squatting, pressing, deadlifting, etc, haven't bothered it all, and I don't feel it walking up or down stairs, so figured it was healed. Yesterday though, I got on my bike and just biked around the block inbetween squat sets, and immediately, the pain was there.

    Does this sound like something that would benefit from a high repetition, low intensity movement? Perhaps same motion, i.e. pedaling, but backwards so as to not engage the gears and turn the tire. Any ideas?

  2. #2
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    Jul 2015
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    I've had this. It was called tendinitis back then.

    The test for it is to squeeze the achilles tendon. If there's a point that makes you go "Ouch", that's what you've got.

    The standard rehab protocol is heel raises and lowers to a stretch. I did that for quite a while, but got bored with it.

    I was told that it was oaky to do regular activities with the condition, but to avoid running up hills.

    Basically, it just went away without much intervention. I get the feeling that the 'rehab' is another of the placebo things that physiotherapists hand out.

    I'd suggest not doing the stuff that hurts it. Check that it isn't something like the back of your shoe touching and causing an irritation.

    Stretching the calf muscle could help a bit and it probably won't hurt to do a step raise and lower with a stretch at the bottom. three sets of ten is as good as any combination, as far as I know.

  3. #3
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    I recommend you see a podiatrist, fitted orthotics are amazing. I have a contusion in my left achilles, it happened 33 years ago, warmup running before a rugby game, stepped in a hole. I iced and stretched on my own, continued to play, to run,..ice and take aleeve, advil,... I was ready to quit running a few years later due to the pain and fear that it will only get worse and I'll need a cane for the rest of my life. A friend who was playing a lot of basketball told me he has achilles tendonitis and recommended a doctor that helped him. I saw the doctor, it was the right move. She fitted me for othotics and gave me stretching exercises to do 3-4 / day. A year later i ran a marathon. Now I stretch a little in the morning and then before playing tennis. I have had a couple of setbacks, from not stretching properly and overdoing it. Today, as long I look at it as an injury waiting to happen i minimize the risk of a 2 month setback.
    BTW, I'm 100% today and like to do the one-leg calf/toe raises in the stairs 2-4 days a week. Don't do those if you feel any achilles pain.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisd View Post
    I'd suggest not doing the stuff that hurts it.
    Agreed - the only thing that aggravates it is biking, and I hadn't been on a bike in 3-4 weeks, and the pain was nonexistent, up until the point I started to pedal, and bam - instant pain.

    Quote Originally Posted by jww8 View Post
    I recommend you see a podiatrist, fitted orthotics are amazing.
    I might check that out.

    Quote Originally Posted by jww8 View Post
    BTW, I'm 100% today and like to do the one-leg calf/toe raises in the stairs 2-4 days a week. Don't do those if you feel any achilles pain.
    My programming had included calf raises during this period of time. I wonder if that has aggravated it, even though it didn't lead directly to pain. Thanks for the insight. I have a few things to check out.

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