Achilles Tendonitis? PT can help!

Achilles Tendonitis 

Do you have pain in the back of your foot after running for a long period of time? Is your heel stiff in the morning? Has your pain progressively worsened over time? Achilles tendonitis occurs when there is inflammation in the tendon that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. It is often an overuse injury to which runners are susceptible. It can also affect anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet. Regardless of what caused your heel pain, physical therapy can help!

How can PT help?

When you arrive at Imagine PT, one of our skilled physical therapist will give you an extensive evaluation to identify the underlying cause of your heel pain. After identifying the source of the problem, we will customize a personalized treatment plan to address your heel pain. At Imagine, our therapists are trained in numerous techniques such as dry needling, cupping, taping, and manual therapy/massage designed to help decrease pain and improve your ankle mobility. Additionally, our physical therapists will give you targeted stretches and exercises to address any impairments found during your initial visit. 

What about just resting until the tendonitis goes away?

A common misconception about tendonitis is that all activity equals bad activity. However, research shows people who choose to go to physical therapy for Achilles tendonitis have very successful outcomes versus those who decide to “wait the injury out.” Physical therapy ensures that the body is working properly, the way it was designed to, which allows our patients to get back to their normal activities faster!

Come see us!

We use these strategies at Imagine Physical Therapy and want to be a part of your journey to recovery! Contact Imagine Physical Therapy for all your PT needs!

1. Leon-Hernandez J, Martin-Pintado-Zugasti A, Frutos L, Alguacil-Diego I, Llave-Rincon A, Fernandez-Carnero J. Immediate and short-term effects of the combination of dry needling and percutaneous TENS on post-needling soreness in patients with chronic myofascial neck pain. Braz J Phys Ther. 2016 Jul 11;20(5):422-431. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0176.

2. Martin R, Chimenti R, Cuddeford T, Houk J, Matheson J.W., McDonough C, Paulseth S, Wukich D, Carcia C. Achilles Pain, Stiffness, and Muscle Power Deficits: Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy Revision 2018. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2018;48(5):A1-A38.  doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.030.

3. Dunning J, Butts R, Mourad F, Young I, Flannagan S, Perreault T. Dry needling: a literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines. Phys Ther Rev. 2014 Aug;19(4):252-265. doi: 10.1179/108331913X13844245102034.

4. Beyer R, Kongsgaard M, Kjaer B, Ohlenschlaeger T, Kjaer M, Magnusson SP. Heavy Slow Resistance Versus Eccentric Training as Treatment for Achilles Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2015 Jul;43(7):1704-11. doi: 10.1177/0363546515584760. Epub 2015 May 27.