What are Achilles Tendinitis and Factors of Achilles Tendinitis Causes?

Achilles Tendinitis is a pain that occurs at the back of the lower leg to our heal bone. This disease connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. This disease is most commonly seen in runners and in sports persons who play sports like cricket, table tennis, basketballs during the weekends. Middle Aged people are mostly suffering from this disease. Achilles Tendinitis can lead to ruptures that must have a surgical repair. This disease is mostly treated at home under the Best Orthopedic Doctors supervision.

The other name for Achilles tendinitis is Tendinitis of the heel. In India, we can find more than one million cases per year. The largest tendon in the body is Achilles Tendinitis. Achilles tendon is used when we walk, run, jump, stand on our tiptoes. There are two types of Achilles Tendinitis. One is Non-insertional Achilles Tendinitis and the other is Insertional Achilles Tendinitis. Achilles Tendinitis creates a pain in the back of the leg or above the heel.

Non-Insertional Achilles Tendinitis occurs above the insertion. This disease is mostly seen in patients in the age group between 30’s and 40’s. Tendinopathy is the most used term in order to represent the term Tendonitis. Tendon Pathology occurs mostly in the older people. Terms like Tendinopathy, Peritendinitis, Tenosynovitis, Paratenonitis, Achillodynia, Tendinitis and Tendinosis.

Insertional Achilles Tendinitis is the lower portion of the heel bone. At the back of the heel bone, the swelling starts without any specific injury. Initially, the pain may be less but later the pain starts becoming worse. Mostly patients above the age of 40’s will suffer from Insertional Achilles Tendinitis. Insertional Achilles Tendinitis may occur at any time. Achilles tendon is mostly used when we walk, run, jump and put pressure on our toes. As the age grows the Achilles tendinitis becomes weak and the running programs should be reduced.

Achilles Tendinitis is not an injury it causes mainly because of repetitive stress or intensive strain on the tendon. There are many other factors that cause Achilles tendinitis.

•  If you start increasing your exercise activity without giving rest to your body like increasing the running distance
• Extra bone growth of the heel bone can cause pain
• Tight calf muscles can also put the extra miles on Achilles tendinitis.

There are some of the symptoms that cause Achilles Tendinitis:

•      Bone Spur
•     Tendon becomes thickening.
•      Pain when exercising
•      Swelling that is present throughout the day.

There are many risk factors that may increase the risk of Achilles tendinitis:

•  Antibiotics like fluorocarbons may create the risk of Achilles tendinitis.
• Achilles Tendinitis may easily develop in the people who are suffering from high blood pressure, Psoriasis.
• Using the worn-out shoes for running, jumping, walking may increase the risk of Achilles tendinitis.
• As our age increases the risk of Achilles tendinitis also increases.
• Obesity also increases the risk of Achilles tendinitis.

We cannot prevent Achilles tendinitis but we can control the risk of Achilles tendinitis. In order to control the risk of Achilles tendinitis we have to take some measures:

•  If you are doing exercise start the exercise slowly and do not go for the lifting of heavyweights in the beginning and gradually increase the timing.
• If any of the activity is going to stress on the tendons it’s better to avoid the activity like running, jumping, climbing. If you want to participate in any of the activity that causes stress it’s better to warm up first by exercising.
• When going for any sports-related activities do not wear worn-out shoes and use the shoes that cause cautioning to the Achilles tendinitis.
• To avoid Achilles tendinitis before exercise and after exercise, we have to stretch the Achilles tendinitis.