Achilles Tendonitis Treatment near St Peters
At the SA Running Injury Clinic, located near St Peters, Achilles Tendon Injuries are in our top three most prevalent injuries we see.
Achilles Tendon Injuries
Athletes we see with Achilles injuries say they experience:
- Stiffness and pain in the Achilles upon rising in the morning particularly after a day of exercise
- A sensation of pain and discomfort after participating in sports such as dance and football
The Achilles Tendon is usually subjected to three common injuries:
- Achilles Tendinitis (Achilles Tendon inflammation)
- Achilles Tendinosis/Tendonopathy (Achilles Tendon degeneration)
- Retrocalneal Bursitis
Achilles Tendinitis Treatment (Achilles Tendonitis Treatment)
Achilles Tendinitis (Achilles Tendonitis)
At SA Running Injury Clinic, Achilles Tendinitis is the most common presenting Achilles Injury. It is characterised by acute inflammation. This is combined with the tendon thickening and swelling. It's a chronic issue that develops over an extended period and can be very difficult to settle the longer it is left unattended.
Symptoms usually include stiffness behind the heel or ankle when rising in the morning. With Achilles Tendinitis, it usually warms up with exercise only to become stiff and painful once it cools down. When seen under the microscope, inflammatory conditions have specific cells that the body brings to that area of the body to help control the inflammation and heal the injured tendon. At this stage, this injury is substantially easier to resolve and recovery time is short. If left for over 6 months, it may develop into Achilles Tendinosis (see below) which may take 6-12 months to recover.
Achilles Tendinosis/Tendonopathy
At SA Running Injury Clinic, we see athletes presenting with an Achilles Tendon injury which has dogged them for over half a year. At this progressed stage of pathology, the tendon make up has changed significantly, and the condition will be more difficult to treat.
Achilles Tendinopathy or Achilles Tendinosis is an evolved 
stage of chronic Achilles Tendinitis that is not characterized by inflammation. These athletes have scarring, thickening and/or micro tear breakdown of the tendon itself. There is usually no redness or warmth of the surrounding tissue, although the area can be painful to touch. We treat Achilles injuries regularly at SA Running Injury Clinic and our patients come from all surrounding suburbs including St Peters.
Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
At SA Running Injury Clinic we occasionally see a more difficult injury called Retrocalcaneal Bursitis. It refers to an inflammation within the lubricating fluid like the sac that lies between the heel bone and the Achilles tendon. It is highly likely that there is the presence of a protruding bony bump on the outside-top border of the back of the heel. This bony prominence is known as a Haglund's deformity.
At SA Running Injury Clinic we have a 7 Part Program to reduce your Achilles Pain :
- Advise of sneaker models appropriate to your specific foot profile
- Address poor foot biomechanics/walking/running pattern with custom orthotics
- Ice/Stretching/Massage/Dry Needling Regimes
- Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
- Achilles Injury Specific Strapping
- Gait Retraining and Improvement of Running Technique
- Modify Your Running/Training Program
Manage your Achilles Tendon Injury
You can book an appointment near St Peters at SA Running Injury Clinic Online or over the phone. Please note we have two clinics.
Call SA Running Injury Clinic, North Adelaide : 8239 1022
Call SA Running Injury Clinic, Eastwood : 8357 0700