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Achilles Tendon Injuries




The Achilles tendon is a thick and powerful band of fibrous tissue. They connect your calf muscles to your heel bone. The tendons help you walk, run and jump. Achilles injuries are common and, if you watch any sports, you've likely heard of these injuries already!


The Achilles tendon is thick and powerful band of fibrous tissue which connects your calf muscles (Gastrocnemius) to your heel bone (calcaneus). The achilles tendon will help you walk, run and jump.


Overuse Injuries : You can injure an Achilles tendon due to overuse. That can happen if you walk or run for exercise. It can occur with basketball players and for other athletes who do ballistic type motions/jump often. A tendon injured from overuse is swollen and painful. This is referred to as, "tendinitis." If neglected, this injury can turn into a chronic problem which is difficult to fix. It can lead to a condition we call "tendinosis." That is a breakdown of the tendon tissue that gets worse over time.


Tendon Rupture: Another common injury is a tendon tear. That happens when you stretch an Achilles tendon too far. A quick, extreme leg movement (like if you suddenly break into a run, or if you trip or stumble) may tear a tendon. Many complain of a "pop" sound. It happens to people of all ages, who play sports that require a lot of running with stops and sharp turns. You may feel like you got hit in the back of the ankle at the time of injury, or it can weaken over time in a less noticeable way. A tear can be very painful, and it can make it hard for you to walk. The achilles tendon is also known to rupture as a side effect of certain medication.


Treatment: If you have injured an Achilles tendon, it's important to get proper care so you don't have ongoing problems. Some injuries can be treated with rest, medications, boot/ orthotics and physical therapy. If you have torn your tendon, you may benefit from a walking boot or a cast. Or, your tendon can be repaired with minimally invasive or more invasive surgery. Be sure to read our post about Tenex to review a quick, minimally invasive option for achilles tendinosis.

You may read more about Tenex here: https://www.tenexhealth.com/faq/


Other In Office Treatment Options for Achilles Tendonitis

If you don’t experience relief with home treatments, I offer treatments after evaluation in my office. These include:

  • Taping or strapping the foot. I can apply kinesio tape, such as Rocktape, to support and reduce painful symptoms

  • Physical therapy is something I can write a prescription for if home stretches are not enough. Physical therapists offer a wide range of modalities to treat this condition including ultrasound therapy. This uses sound waves to generate heat, loosening up tissue to increase response to stretching. Manual techniques such as massage of the calf muscle along the full length of the tendon can also work

  • I may give an anti inflammation injection or prescribe stronger anti-inflammatory medication

  • Custom or semi custom orthotics with a heel lift to reduce tension on the Achilles tendon

  • Night splint for wearing in the evening or during sleep to passively stretch the tendon

  • Additional non-invasive treatment options are available

  • Surgery may even be discussed as a last resort




Call our office today at (626) 517-0022, so we can create a plan that's right for you.






PRP Injections (Platelet-Rich Plasma)

The most advanced regenerative injection treatments for treating foot & ankle conditions. Before you consider ankle surgery, fusion or replacement, consider the world’s leading stem cell and PRP injection treatments.


What is PRP Therapy?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a revolutionary procedure that uses components of the body’s own blood cells to stimulate the natural healing process in certain orthopedic conditions. The body’s first response to any soft tissue injury (ligaments and tendons) is to deliver platelet cells. Filled with healing and growth factors, platelets jump-start the repair process and attract the essential aid of stem cells. PRP therapy’s natural healing process accelerates the body’s efforts by delivering a higher concentration of platelets through a simple injection. It provides effective pain relief and faster healing, and it can eliminate the need for surgery and prolonged recovery. Tendons, ligaments, and cartilage are vascular structures made up of collagen fibers. When damaged, platelets and other healing factors enter these areas through the blood to repair or create new collagen fibers. A number of factors can inhibit natural healing of these tissues, especially scar tissue from previous injuries or underlying blood flow issues. Anti-inflammatories and other pain medications are unable to solve these problems, leaving the damaged tissue unaddressed and allowing for further deterioration. For a PRP injection, your doctor will use a specialized centrifuge to spin your blood for separating and concentrating platelets and growth factors. There is no risk of allergic reaction or rejection because only your own blood components are used. When the PRP is prepared, your doctor will then inject the PRP precisely into the injured area between tightly packed collagen fibers. The PRP can even be injected into small tears that may not appear in an MRI. Once injected into the area of injury, the platelets and growth factors are activated and recruit other healing proteins to heal and regenerate tissue.

PRP therapy is showing promising results with:

  • Ankle sprains

  • Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the knee

  • Chronic plantar fasciitis / Heel Pain which has been unresponsive to corticosteroid injections

  • Ligament sprains

  • Osteoarthritis of the foot, ankle, knee, shoulder, hip, and spine

  • Rotator cuff tears

  • Tendonitis / Tendinitis

  • Tennis elbow

Patients are often encouraged to walk the same day, and most experience little to no down time from the procedure.



Ankle Arthroscopy / Ankle Scope

Also called ankle arthroscopy, this is a less invasive way of doing surgery. Rather than openly cutting into the problem area, the surgeon uses small incisions to navigate the joint and fix the pain or other symptoms with a camera and microscopic instrumentation.





 

What is an Ankle Scope?

The surgeon uses two small incisions and a thin fiber-optic camera to view the problem area in the ankle joint on a screen during surgery as they repair it. This results in less healing time and faster return to activity.

Who should have an Ankle Scope?

An ankle scope is generally recommended if conservative treatments like rest, physical therapy, medications, injections or other treatments do not effectively treat a condition or injury. Ankle scopes are often used to treat the pain caused by sports injuries, scar tissue, inflammation, fractures, loose cartilage and more.

Does an Ankle Scope work?

Ankle scopes work very well when done for the right reasons. The small incisions greatly reduce the risks of pain or infection and allow for recovery and rehabilitation much sooner. According to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, about 70- 90% of patients undergoing ankle arthroscopy for the most common problems achieve good to excellent results.

What can I expect when I have an Ankle Scope?

You will need a pre-surgical physical to make any necessary accommodations based on your health history. When you arrive at the hospital, you’ll speak to your surgeon and anesthesiologist. You are likely to put to sleep (general anesthesia) for this surgery.

Afterward, a physical therapist will help show you how best to get around, likely using crutches. You are very unlikely to be kept in the hospital overnight, and you will need to have someone drive you home. Crutches or a knee scooter may be necessary for most day-to-day tasks for a few weeks. Your physical therapist will help you progress.

Time off from work will be based on your mobility, but for office workers, 1-2 weeks is average.


 

Below is a sample video in animation of the procedure:



 


Foot Massage

Treatment Methods

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