Achillodynia is a painful disorder of the Achilles tendon that mostly affects athletes. It does not occur acutely but is caused by years of incorrect and excessive strain. During and especially after exertion, the affected persons then feel sometimes severe pain in the Achilles tendon and lower leg and react sensitively to pressure in the affected area. If the disease is not yet far advanced, the pain usually subsides of its own accord after a few days. You can find more information on this topic here: Achillodynia
Physiotherapy/treatment
The treatment and especially the physiotherapy are particularly important for the rehabilitation of the damaged Achilles tendon. If an Achillodynia is present and is in need of treatment, the affected person must first of all take care of the foot and refrain from sports activities. If the damage is more severe, a special shoe with a wedge heel must be worn for 4-8 weeks to relieve the Achilles tendon in the toe position.
The physiotherapeutic treatment must then be adapted to the stage of the disease, i.e. in the acute phase, rather gentle methods such as heat therapy, stimulation current, the use of kinesiology tape or blood circulation-promoting massages will be used. Physiotherapy, however, has above all the task of treating the triggers of achillodynia, i.e. the incorrect loading. Once the acute symptoms have subsided and the pain is under control, special exercises are used to learn new or improved movement patterns so that a return of the symptoms is ruled out.
The goal of the therapist is to teach the patient exercises which he can then continue to do at home to strengthen the Achilles tendon. It is also important to provide the patient with a good basic knowledge so that he or she can correctly interpret the possible warning signals of his or her body in advance and thus avoid the occurrence of problems. There are many exercises that provide relief in case of achillodynia.
These should be carried out by the patient at home in a sustained and consistent manner, especially if the patient is very active in sports. Stretching Stand in front of a wall. The affected leg stands in front of the wall with the tips of the toes, so that only the heel is on the floor.
The healthy leg stands one step further back. Stretch the front leg and approach your pelvis to the wall until you feel it stretch. Hold this for 20 seconds.
One leg stand Stand on the injured leg. The foot is completely on the floor, the other leg is loosely in the air. Now bend your knee as if you wanted to do a knee bend.
Make sure that your knee does not go beyond the tip of your foot. If you feel a tension in the Achilles tendon at the back, straighten up again. 10 repetitions.
Step on stairs Stand with both feet on a step so that the heels extend beyond the step. Now stand on tiptoe and then slowly lower your foot. 15 repetitions.
3 repetitions. Handrail Stand straight and upright. Now touch the floor with your hands, keeping your legs as straight as possible.
Now slowly run forward with your hands until your body is straight, then slowly run back to the starting position. Arch stretching Make a big lunge and support yourself with your hands on the floor. The front foot is between your hands.
Place this foot only on the heel and pull the toes towards you, keeping the back leg as straight as possible. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds. Stability and strength Stand straight and upright, knees shoulder width apart and slightly bent.
When you have found a secure balance, make a straight jump up. Stretch your legs in the air but be sure to bend them again when you land. Land on the entire foot.
10 repetitions. In addition to the exercises that can be done at home, it is also worthwhile to have special insoles made to counteract incorrect posture.
- Elongation
- One-legged stand
- Stair step
- Handrails
- Bow stretching
- Stability and strength
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