Repetitive movements and overuse of muscles can entail considerable impediments to one’s mobility. Nowhere are the cataclysmic consequences of this more evident than on the Achilles tendon. Christened after the illustrious Greek warrior, the Achilles tendon constitutes the tendon connecting the heels to the calf muscles located at the back of your legs. In the same vein, Achilles Tendinitis is an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon. Observed most often in those who abruptly spurt the intensity of their running sessions, this injury usually manifests in the form of mild/feeble pain above the heels or at the back of the legs preceded by bouts of vigorous sporting endeavors. Unrelenting sprinting or climbing exacerbates the pain even further, which complicates circumstances by an inordinate degree.
What causes Achilles Tendinitis?
-One’s susceptibility to overuse of the Achilles tendon burgeons with the lapse of time since its integrity and structure dampen as one age. Sporadic bouts of vigorous sporting activity interspersed by elongated periods of lassitude play truant and ratchet up the propensity of the Achilles tendon to be vulnerable to overuse.
-Any degree of immoderate stress on the Achilles tendon owing to intense bouts of sporadic activity can portend disastrous consequences. Since the Achilles tendon is primarily responsible for motor movements such as running, walking, jumping, and pushing on one’s toes, any degree of stress that leads to injury can significantly scupper one’s mobility, owing to which getting oneself diagnosed should be promptly undertaken to prevent the exacerbation of the condition.
-Apart from that, factors such as sex, pre-existing conditions, consumption of certain medications, the oblong physique of the feet, and training proclivities play an influential role in determining one’s susceptibility to Achilles Tendinitis. For instance, males are far more likely to be afflicted with this injury than are females.
-The consumption of a specific variant of antibiotics referred to as fluoroquinolones has been noted to spurt the risk of developing Achilles Tendinitis. Those with pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure and psoriasis have been observed to have developed a greater vulnerability to Achilles Tendinitis, as have those individuals who have bodily peculiarities such as an immutable flat arch in their feet.
Treatment
While the aforementioned peculiarities and conundrums can render anyone tizzy, Achilles Tendinitis can be treated in a fairly straightforward manner. Treatments range from the venial to those warranting surgical intervention in extreme circumstances: most individuals develop a mild form of Achilles Tendinitis that can be treated through relatively milquetoast measures. The morass of exercises that strengthen the sinews of the calf muscles, pain relief through non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and rest can temper the effects of the injury to a significant degree. However, none of these measures should be undertaken unilaterally, lest they complicate circumstances.
Dr Anuj is a leading orthopaedician who has conducted over 2000 successful ankle and foot surgeries.
With over sixteen years of experience, Dr Anuj Chawla has pioneered revolutionary foot treatment mechanisms and is considered an authoritative luminary on the subject of foot and ankle disorders.
