You're welcome! Alison also shares some tips for walking with Achilles pain in this video - perhaps it helps: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d5iaYMmcnr6Vd2Q.html

Glad it was helpful!

You're welcome!

My pleasure!

Anything that helps with pain is useful - as long as you also do the rehab that is needed.

I always thought that heat aggravated inflammation..and that swelling was a sure sign of inflammation….

@@elizabethpeterson455 that's true. inflammation is the natural healing process of the body. without inflammation, damage would not be repaired. that's why a body part gets red, hot and swollen when it's injured. your body opens the blood vessels more, to get more nutrients in there, dispose damaged cells, and recovery quicker.

You're welcome.

Welcome!

Really???

It won’t harm it, but also not make it heal more quickly. But if it makes you feel good and more relaxed, then use it.

That sounds as if you may have Achilles tendinopathy/tendonitis. You can find out more about the treatment for that here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Zq6SZqmExN6rXXU.html

First if it hurts don't walk on it, let it rest and ice it for twenty minutes (make sure you put the ice exactly on the area of the bursa, because touching the tendon with ice makes it start hurting which is yet another type of pain to deal with. When you'll start feeling that the bursa is starting to heal up, you can start walking for a tiny bit, but never on flat shoes or slides not even at home, also make sure you don't wear shoes that feel tight on the heel bone area because as you're wearing them you're worsening your bursa again, in fact you can upgrade your shoe size for this one. After that you should start doing your strengthening exercices gradually for 14+ weeks, every research agrees that strengthening exercices are key. Even when you finally fully go back to activity you should keep backing it up with the strengthening exercices. Also before going back to activity make sure that you are able to do as many single leg jumps as you want without any pain. During the process make sure you're treating that heel like you're stepping on an egg that you're not trying to break, it's that sensitive. Wish you a speedy recovery!

@@ahmedabouayyad2110 Thanks for the advice. Definitely am going back to square one and focusing on calming it down again. I was at the point where it felt like 90% healed - The first 2 weeks of the injury I was resting it entirely and not walking on it at all. It calmed down. I began to do my calf raises from the floor. I could always do single leg raises (3 sets of 15) without any pain whatsoever. For whatever reason, last week, it flared up on me and has been a struggle ever since. So here I am, 6 weeks into calf raises and starting over. I had been doing slow treadmill walks 3 times a week to keep active while strengthening and it wasn't an issue. I'm going back to physical therapy with a new doctor to start over and get this figured out. I have excessive overpronation issues - So I had already been in stability shoes with a high heel drop (13MM). I also have heel wedges in which helps keep my heel away from the back of the shoe ever so slightly - so it doesn't agitate the bursa as far as I can tell. I've also been working with a podiatrist and have custom orthotics coming in a couple weeks to help with the overpronation issues. I've really been following the protocol by the book and its just frustrating.. I am starting to fear I may end up in the group of people that need surgery. I haven't run now for 50 days. I do not plan to ever go back to running again due to how painful getting over this injury is. I am just done with it. My motivation has been zapped. Really, really hoping the orthotics help me heal up and my new PT can help me out.

@@xbadandy182x don't give up! I took 4 months off completely from running end of last year. Main reason was because I had the worst plantar pain on my other foot, but during the time I worked with a local physio on my Achilles tendonitis (regular, not insertional) which had been there for almost a year. Started with isometric holds, worked to single leg raises holding a kettlebell 25% my bodyweight. Last week we tested I can do 23 single leg calf raises which equals 50-59-year-old's standards. At 41 yo that's not the best result but it's work in progress. And I've been jogging since late December.

@@ahmedabouayyad2110 FYI - Took your advice and paid close attention to only ice the heel, at the insertion area and avoided higher up on the tendon where it attaches to the calf. Very very good advice. Works great. As I am typing this, my heel feels great. Thank you so much. Such an easy fix to address my fear of icing it, causing more pain. You are a life saver.

@@xbadandy182x Hi Andrew, I see that you've already received some very good advice. The only thing that I would add is that if heat makes your feel better, then use it. If you're doing warm baths, it means that the water will be comfortably warm and you won't be doing it for too long. The rule with ice and heat is - if you feel better after doing it AND there's no significant uptick in your symptoms later on due to it, then it may be OK. You may also find some advice here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o72FrdaCrrLeh3U.html

It could have been that you overstretched the area if you sit with your feet in under your chair or it may actually be referred pain from your back. Have it checked by a physio - they will be able to assess and diagnose it for you.

@@TreatMyAchilles i usually sit cross legged on chair like we sit on the ground that pose while studying.. it's not continues pain just when i get up from studying or take a long nap..

If yours started without any activity then you should get it checked for inflammatory condition like gout or similar.

We can’t really tell what is right for you as every case is different and your physio should be providing you with this guidance. But in our experience it’s best to wait until you’ve built a good level of strength (able to do your exercises with weights that equal about 20% of your bodyweight) and completed a full plyometric programme without it causing an increase in your pain. We set different goals for our patients depending on their specific circumstances. This is also something that our team of physios can help you with via video call. You can read more about how the online consultations work here: www.treatmyachilles.com/

Use kneesovertoes programs most physios are terrible

@@princec_5670 he specializes in knees though? Does he have information on Achilles injuries as well?

@@abualzuaree it’s for the entire body so there is no weak links . I ruptured my Achilles and I learned what ever my knees couldn’t handle the force went to my Achilles’ tendon . Having strong knees is crucial for healthy Achilles’ tendon .

@@abualzuaree Kneesovertoes coached professional athletes who thought their careers were over after an Achilles’ tendon rupture back into elite fitness .

The exercises themselves usually works well to reduce pain if they are pitched at the correct level. Isometrics have been shown to reduce pain in patellar tendonitis/tendinopathy but the results for Achilles is a bit mixed - it works for some people and not for others. They should definitely not be making your pain worse - if they are, then you should feed back to your physio as your exercises may have to be changed for a different type. We don't usually advise people to take pain medication. Foam rolling won't do any harm as long as you don't do it forcefully over the injured area, so you can try it and see.

This will depend on your level of fitness. If you’re relatively fit, then yes doing the bike or elliptical can be used as an easy day. If you’re very unfit, then a complete rest day may be better. But neither of those machines should place too much strain on your Achilles and therefore should be OK.

It can often drag on - the key is to get the right combination of activity + strength training going so that you can restore the capacity of the tendon. This is something that our team of physios can help you with via video call. You can read more about how the online consultations work here: www.treatmyachilles.com/

@@TreatMyAchilles thank you for getting back, I will do my best to reach out to the consultation team.

What you are describing sounds more like you gave one of the little nerves in the back of your ankle a stretch injury, rather than an Achilles injury (but I may be wrong as I've not assessed you). Usually when you have this type of injury, it heals well over time if you just avoid activities that aggravate it (stretch position in your case). If you can walk as normal, and feel no discomfort as walking or after the walk, then it may be OK to continue but again, you should rather ask the person who is in charge of your care as I don't have your full picture and my advice may be inappropriate. This is also something that our team of physios can help you with via video call. You can read more about how the online consultations work here: www.treatmyachilles.com/

@@TreatMyAchilles thank you so much. I went to the doctor and got X-rays and I have tendinitis which I suspected. Much better than a tear or broken. Thanks for your quick answer. Now I am anxious to know when I can run again. I am a bit lost with the exercises and how to build up as you say. My doctor only told me not to run yet and so the stretches. I am a little bit down because I love running but I guess I have to wait. I am going to be honest though, I have been suffering with sciatic pain for many years and this Achilles pain feels like needles when I stretch. Could this be a sciatic nerve “extension” pain? I still think I am going to do my sciatic stretches to see if that helps.