Duration until one can do sports and jog again after an Achilles tendon inflammation | Duration of Achilles tendonitis

Duration until one can do sports and jog again after an Achilles tendon inflammation

After an Achilles tendon inflammation, one should return to the sport very slowly and carefully, otherwise there is a high risk of provoking a new inflammation. Ideally, the start of the sport should be made in consultation with the responsible doctors and physiotherapists, as it can be started at very different times for each individual. In the case of acute Achilles tendonitis, sport can usually be resumed after 2 to 3 weeks, but at first a restrained effort should be made. Chronic Achilles tendon disorders often only arise if sport is started again too early. Therefore, a particularly long break from sport (several months) should be observed.

Duration of sick leave in case of Achilles tendonitis

The length of time one is on sick leave with Achilles tendonitis depends strongly on the profession of the person affected. Anyone who exercises a profession that involves physical exertion should take a break of at least 2 to 3 weeks. Within this period, an acute inflammation should have subsided. However, a cautious start to the exercise is necessary. On the other hand, those who spend most of their working day sitting at a desk can go back to work after only a few days.

Therapy

The affected person should refrain from further training sessions and cool the painful extremity regularly. Compression bandages and elevation of the leg can also be used. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and diclofenac are suitable for combating the inflammation and pain.

In more severe cases and disease progressions that cannot be positively influenced by NSAIDs, cortisone can be administered. However, as with many drugs, this is not suitable for long-term use, as side effects are to be expected with prolonged use. This must also be taken into account for NSAIDs with fewer side effects.

Also herbal agents like arnica oil or tea tree oil can be used for external rubbing. Physiotherapeutic exercises, ultrasound therapy and kinesiotaping are also used. In addition, bandages are recommended for Achilles tendon inflammation, which above all ensure stability in the foot. A distinction is made between bandages with different focal points, which should be weighed individually and lead to a relief of the Achilles tendon.

Symptomatology

The affected person feels pain in the area of the Achilles tendon in different situations. Particularly morning pains and pain at the beginning of the running activity and after prolonged periods of sitting should make one think of overloading the Achilles tendon. Pain in the area of the Achilles tendon is known in medicine as Achillodynia.

Since not every Achillodynia is immediately followed by an inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the diagnosis should be clarified by a physician, since taking anti-inflammatory medication would not be useful in the case of a non-inflammatory Achillodynia. If pain in the Achilles tendon is ignored for a long time, the chronically overused structure reacts with an inflammation. Morning stiffness and thickening of the tendon as well as redness and painful swelling of the heel can also occur. Furthermore, calcification of the Achilles tendon at its base may occur. Diagnosis of an Achilles tendon inflammation