Conservative treatment
The successful conservative treatment of an Achilles tendon rupture requires a great deal of patient cooperation and can only be carried out if the torn ends are not too far apart or can be brought together by the splint. The problem is that the foot has to be kept still in a splint or a special shoe that lifts the heel for about 6 weeks to bring the torn ends closer together so that they can grow together again. During this time, movement can already be easily practiced and strength can be trained without load in order to align the fibers for later requirements.
However, strength and mobility of the entire leg quickly diminish over this long period of immobilization. In the beginning, the focus is on protection so that the body can initiate the body’s own healing process through the inflammation phase. Decongestant and pain-relieving measures are taken.
Over time, slowly the movement in the foot is trained again, later against resistance, the gait is practiced again, first with crutches under partial load, which the doctor prescribes and gradually rebuild the strength. These articles may also be of interest to you:
- Physiotherapy for Achilles tendon inflammation
- Gait training
Exercises in physiotherapy after an Achilles tendon rupture are designed to restore all functions to their full extent. These include strength, mobility and depth sensitivity/coordination.
Some exercises are presented below. 1.) To strengthen the calf muscles, stand on a step, looking up the stairs.
The heels are in the overhang. Now lower them and push yourself slowly up to the tip of your toes without any momentum, just by the strength of your calf.This movement is repeated fluently several times. The exercise can be performed on one leg as an increase.
Without holding on to the leg, this also trains the balance and thus the intramuscular interaction of the leg muscles. 2.) To stretch the calf and thus regain greater freedom of movement, stand in a step position.
The back foot is the one to be stretched. The forefoot of this rear leg rests on a small roll or ball. By enlarging the step and pushing the pelvis forward, the stretching is intensified.
Hold stretches for about 30 seconds. 3.) To stretch the entire back of the leg, lie on your back, one leg stretches upwards at right angles and the tips of the toes are pulled down towards the tip of the nose.
More exercises can be found in the articles:
- Physiotherapy for an Achilles tendon rupture
- Stretching exercises Achilles tendon
- Physiotherapy for Achilles tendon inflammation
To prevent an Achilles tendon rupture, warm up before exercise, stretch the calf after exercise (described above), correct movement sequences with the help of a physiotherapist and train in a balanced rhythm that prevents overloading and provides enough time for regeneration. Pain should also never be ignored. They are a warning signal of the body that something is not right.
Proper footwear is also important for runners and athletes. You can determine this by means of a treadmill analysis. Exercises for prevention can be found in the article Achilles tendon pain – exercises that helpOther measures to support the healing of an Achilles tendon rupture are for example the use of decongestant lymph drainage, electrotherapy, ultrasound, massages and fascial loosening. Tapes can be applied later, especially to support the return to sports.
