Duration until the entire disease is cured
In the case of acute Achilles tendonitis, the overall healing process can be expected to take about one month. After that, the inflammation has healed and the tendon is usually strengthened again by slow build-up training so that it can be loaded without any problems. A chronic Achilles tendonitis, on the other hand, takes a particularly long time. Depending on how well different therapies work, one should expect the course of the disease to last from several months to a year. Especially if an operation on the Achilles tendon is necessary, the healing time will be longer.
How long does the entire healing process take?
How long the entire healing of an Achilles tendon inflammation takes depends on whether it is an acute or chronic inflammation. The acute Achilles tendonitis is usually completely healed after a few weeks to a maximum of 2 months. The chronic Achilles tendonitis, on the other hand, is characterised by a protracted course. This usually extends over several months and can still cause problems afterwards, so that some even have to reckon with a duration of several months to years.
Duration of thickening of the Achilles tendon
The thickening of the Achilles tendon is typically caused by chronic Achilles tendonitis. Thus the tendon thickens when it is irritated over a longer period of time. The thickening itself can last for a long time and can often only be treated by persistent therapy.
Therefore, if thickening of the Achilles tendon has already occurred, a healing process of several months should be assumed. Above all, it is important to reduce the strain consistently. Only in this way can the body receive the necessary stimulus to reduce the thickening of the tendon.
At what point is Achilles tendonitis chronic?
The term “chronic” refers to a long-lasting course of a disease. As a distinction to acute Achilles tendon inflammation, the limit to chronic inflammation is set at about 4 weeks. If the symptoms do not clearly improve within this first month, so that a good ability to bear weight can be achieved, chronic Achilles tendonitis can be assumed. A chronic inflammation of the Achilles tendon can also always include acute phases. For example, over the course of years, a person may tend to develop an inflammation of the Achilles tendon that lasts for about a month after physical exertion.
Duration until the initial pain is gone
The initial pain after an Achilles tendon inflammation is caused by the fact that the tendon is still somewhat weakened. In contrast to a healthy Achilles tendon, it therefore requires a longer warm-up phase. When the inflammation is overcome to such an extent that the sport can be practiced without pain, the Achilles tendon must first be trained again. Only when the muscles and the tendon have become sufficiently accustomed to the load again, the starting pain disappears completely. After a healed acute Achilles tendon inflammation, it can take an additional 2 to 3 weeks until the initial pain is gone.
