Chronic Achilles Tendon Problems

Wheresmeticket

Anyone any experience with this. Had it for 2 years and just seems to get worse. It's making going for walks with the dog a chore instead of a pleasure and as a 62 year old getting really worried about my ongoing mobility. Physio hasn't made any difference. Any experience of recovery would be welcome!

(PS no I'm not starting against Lincoln today.)

Cloudworm

Had similar when I was in my 30's. Took about 2 years and a lot of physio/podiatry. Didn't help. Healed over time. I'd say that orthotics will be the go-to remedy for 99% of medical professionals. However, once it's better, in the interest of prevention in future, think switching to more minimalist footwear.

Wheresmeticket

Cloudworm said:

Had similar when I was in my 30's. Took about 2 years and a lot of physio/podiatry. Didn't help. Healed over time. I'd say that orthotics will be the go-to remedy for 99% of medical professionals. However, once it's better, in the interest of prevention in future, think switching to more minimalist footwear.

Thanks for that. Did you notice steady improvement over the 2 years?

_MrDick

Had a similar problem about 25 years ago. If I went for a run I’d get an excruciating shooting pain up the back of my calf from the tendon followed by swelling. The physio said I had a shortened tendon and I was to stretch it out before exercise. I also had a cortisone injection into the tendon and that seemed to do the trick. Haven’t had any problems recently but then again I don’t run anymore. I’m 63 

Wheresmeticket

_MrDick said:

Had a similar problem about 25 years ago. If I went for a run I’d get an excruciating shooting pain up the back of my calf from the tendon followed by swelling. The physio said I had a shortened tendon and I was to stretch it out before exercise. I also had a cortisone injection into the tendon and that seemed to do the trick. Haven’t had any problems recently but then again I don’t run anymore. I’m 63 

I wasn't running but playing a bit of tennis and going for strenuous walks...now hobbling like an invalid. 

Ashers

I had very similar issues and was hobbling around. Thought my running days were over. Tried traditional physio etc with little joy but then had acupuncture suggested to me. I was somewhat sceptical at first but it really worked well and quickly and within 4 weeks was running again albeit gently. May or may not work for you but my experience was really positive. 

lolwray

Have suffered a lot though not currently. I am sure you have tried traditional stretches and orthotics. 
Plantar fascitis is an associated problem..try rolling a golf ball as hard as you can along the sole of your foot for 2 mins each morning when you get up ..try yoga ( that has really helped me) if the pain starts at the top of your calf rather than achilles it could be sciatica .
For the time being cut out load bearing exercise out and use a cycle or cross trainer..but moreover try yoga ..I promise it will help you 

JohnBoyUK

I was diagnosed with chronic achillies tendinopathy in 2019, having suffered badly between late 2017-2019.

Need to give some history/ context.  I was running between 30-40 miles a week through 2012-2016, my last run being the London Marathon in 2016.  After a MRI scan, the surgeon told me my achilles would have been full of micro tears from the running and in the 12m after I stopped running, they all healed but with significant scar tissue.

I had two high volume cortizone injections in each achilles and it didnt touch the sides.  I was struggling to commute into London and my GP put me on reduced hours, so was doing WFH every other day as he was concerned I may rupture one or both.  My employers tried to have me through HR because of my GPs decision, which was fun!

For me, lockdown couldnt have happened at a better time as that gave me some recovery time at home.  By chance, my wife nagged me to try some diabetic bamboo socks without the elastic around the top and they have been game changers for me, dont have that semi-permanent elastic mark around my ankles which may well have contributed to my problem.

I'm now walking 50-60 miles per week without any pain whatsoever, thankfully.

MrWalker

I'm now walking 50-60 miles per week without any pain whatsoever, thankfully.

Rail strikes really affecting you too?

[Glad you got them sorted]

Wheresmeticket

Ashers said:

I had very similar issues and was hobbling around. Thought my running days were over. Tried traditional physio etc with little joy but then had acupuncture suggested to me. I was somewhat sceptical at first but it really worked well and quickly and within 4 weeks was running again albeit gently. May or may not work for you but my experience was really positive. 

That's amazing - I'll look into it.

Wheresmeticket

lolwray said:

Have suffered a lot though not currently. I am sure you have tried traditional stretches and orthotics. 
Plantar fascitis is an associated problem..try rolling a golf ball as hard as you can along the sole of your foot for 2 mins each morning when you get up ..try yoga ( that has really helped me) if the pain starts at the top of your calf rather than achilles it could be sciatica .
For the time being cut out load bearing exercise out and use a cycle or cross trainer..but moreover try yoga ..I promise it will help you 

Used to do yoga - will look into it.

Rob

I really hurt my achilles whilst running just over 2 years ago. Rested it for about 6 weeks which wasn't really enough but started jogging again slowly. But from then on until about six months ago I would run but as soon as I felt any pain from the achilles I'd ease up and sometimes stop and stretch as I was paranoid about not being able to run again for a while. So basically I nursed it but it was frustrating as I wasn't running as I should.

6 months ago I went to the physio and after examining me he showed me a few stretching exercises, that I still do, which really helped. But the important thing was he spoke to me about levels of pain and what was acceptable. He put the pain level on a one to ten scale of Green, Amber and Red. He said Green pain is acceptable. Run through it. This was about 2 or 3 on the scale. He said Amber pain is acceptable for a short time (2 or 3 secs maybe) but then stop if the pain doesn't go away. This was about 4, 5 or 6 on the scale. And he said any Red level pain should be stopped immediately.

Interestingly, using this approach, the only pain I felt after seeing him was the Green level pain which went away more or less straightaway. And now I very rarely feel pain but if I do it's definitely on the Green level of the spectrum and goes away straight away so doesn't bother me. I think after examining me he could tell that maybe it was a mind over matter thing, hence the treatment that he suggested. The stretching exercises really helped and I still do them before and after I run. So, not knowing your situation, I don't know if this relates to you, but for me, in hindsight, it was definitely a mind over matter thing. Once I realised this I didn't have a problem any more and I'm a lot more comfortable now with my achilles.

Good luck in sorting this out as I know how frustrating it can be.     

Wheresmeticket

Rob said:

I really hurt my achilles whilst running just over 2 years ago. Rested it for about 6 weeks which wasn't really enough but started jogging again slowly. But from then on until about six months ago I would run but as soon as I felt any pain from the achilles I'd ease up and sometimes stop and stretch as I was paranoid about not being able to run again for a while. So basically I nursed it but it was frustrating as I wasn't running as I should.

6 months ago I went to the physio and after examining me he showed me a few stretching exercises, that I still do, which really helped. But the important thing was he spoke to me about levels of pain and what was acceptable. He put the pain level on a one to ten scale of Green, Amber and Red. He said Green pain is acceptable. Run through it. This was about 2 or 3 on the scale. He said Amber pain is acceptable for a short time (2 or 3 secs maybe) but then stop if the pain doesn't go away. This was about 4, 5 or 6 on the scale. And he said any Red level pain should be stopped immediately.

Interestingly, using this approach, the only pain I felt after seeing him was the Green level pain which went away more or less straightaway. And now I very rarely feel pain but if I do it's definitely on the Green level of the spectrum and goes away straight away so doesn't bother me. I think after examining me he could tell that maybe it was a mind over matter thing, hence the treatment that he suggested. The stretching exercises really helped and I still do them before and after I run. So, not knowing your situation, I don't know if this relates to you, but for me, in hindsight, it was definitely a mind over matter thing. Once I realised this I didn't have a problem any more and I'm a lot more comfortable now with my achilles.

Good luck in sorting this out as I know how frustrating it can be.     

Sounds good.  Went to physio over maybe 3 months and did the stretching exercises but towards the end it got worse and now if I try the exercises I can barely walk the next day.  There is no question of running, jogging or even walking fast.  Faced with a steep incline (ie a 30 degree slope over 10 yards) I have to consider finding another way round or walking up backwards.  I have nightmares that this is my mobility f***ed for good and get very down about it on a bad day.  

I've done a bit more research and suspect that what I have now is a bursitis, probably a reaction to an initial tendonopathy.

I had an x ray yesterday but doubt it will show anything.  I am going to pester my GP for acupuncture, but doubt I'll get much joy.

I've turned into a proper moaning git.

Wheresmeticket

BTW I really appreciate everyone's input.

gilbertfilbert

I had this (achilles tendinopathy) for years, hobbling around with ever-increasing pain and ever-decreasing range. When it was finally diagnosed, an MRI scan showed I had very little healthy tendon left, so I had to have an op to replace the tendon. I was apprehensive but it cured the problem.

Hobbling about for years seems to have unbalanced the whole locomotor system, though, so I now have knee, hip and back pain! Sod it! 

Rob

Wheresmeticket? said:

Rob said:

I really hurt my achilles whilst running just over 2 years ago. Rested it for about 6 weeks which wasn't really enough but started jogging again slowly. But from then on until about six months ago I would run but as soon as I felt any pain from the achilles I'd ease up and sometimes stop and stretch as I was paranoid about not being able to run again for a while. So basically I nursed it but it was frustrating as I wasn't running as I should.

6 months ago I went to the physio and after examining me he showed me a few stretching exercises, that I still do, which really helped. But the important thing was he spoke to me about levels of pain and what was acceptable. He put the pain level on a one to ten scale of Green, Amber and Red. He said Green pain is acceptable. Run through it. This was about 2 or 3 on the scale. He said Amber pain is acceptable for a short time (2 or 3 secs maybe) but then stop if the pain doesn't go away. This was about 4, 5 or 6 on the scale. And he said any Red level pain should be stopped immediately.

Interestingly, using this approach, the only pain I felt after seeing him was the Green level pain which went away more or less straightaway. And now I very rarely feel pain but if I do it's definitely on the Green level of the spectrum and goes away straight away so doesn't bother me. I think after examining me he could tell that maybe it was a mind over matter thing, hence the treatment that he suggested. The stretching exercises really helped and I still do them before and after I run. So, not knowing your situation, I don't know if this relates to you, but for me, in hindsight, it was definitely a mind over matter thing. Once I realised this I didn't have a problem any more and I'm a lot more comfortable now with my achilles.

Good luck in sorting this out as I know how frustrating it can be.     

Sounds good.  Went to physio over maybe 3 months and did the stretching exercises but towards the end it got worse and now if I try the exercises I can barely walk the next day.  There is no question of running, jogging or even walking fast.  Faced with a steep incline (ie a 30 degree slope over 10 yards) I have to consider finding another way round or walking up backwards.  I have nightmares that this is my mobility f***ed for good and get very down about it on a bad day.  

I've done a bit more research and suspect that what I have now is a bursitis, probably a reaction to an initial tendonopathy.

I had an x ray yesterday but doubt it will show anything.  I am going to pester my GP for acupuncture, but doubt I'll get much joy.

I've turned into a proper moaning git.

Yes. Please get it sorted out as I’m sure you don’t have to live like that. It’s all about quality of life. It does sound like you’ve done something quite serious to it. I hope not but if you have I’m sure there’ll be a treatment for it. Don’t let the NHS off the hook. It’s important for you. Lay it on thick. Like I said, good luck. 

Cloudworm

Wheresmeticket? said:

Cloudworm said:

Had similar when I was in my 30's. Took about 2 years and a lot of physio/podiatry. Didn't help. Healed over time. I'd say that orthotics will be the go-to remedy for 99% of medical professionals. However, once it's better, in the interest of prevention in future, think switching to more minimalist footwear.

Thanks for that. Did you notice steady improvement over the 2 years?

After an initial spike, my pain was more of a niggle unless I tried running or doing other sports, then it would flare up. Doesn't sound as bad as yours having read your subsequent posts. Hope you get well soon.

newyorkaddick

Chronic issues most of my adult life (caused by running) - suspect I will never be pain free but have managed to stabilise it whilst continuing to run approx 2x per week through:

- intense periods of anti inflammatories (say 1 month of Ibuprofen 1600mg per day) when particularly sore;
- calf stretching and strengthening (stairs good for both);
- foam roller for calves and upper achilles;
- fancy insoles eg Superfeet;
- change running shoes every 250 miles or so (and get cushioning ones with >10mm heel to toe drop);
- high dose of anti inflammatory 30 mins before a run eg Ibuprofen 600mg;
- ice after running;
- deep achilles massage with anti inflammatory gel;
- avoiding flat shoes (or use a heel raise pad).

Unfortunately doctors are somewhat reluctant to recommend an injection due to the risk of rupture.

MarkyE83

I had this for about a year and a half, it wasn’t getting any better. I had a lot of swelling in the area. Had ultrasound for 3 months on the NHS, didn’t do anything. Was offered cortisone injections but was told it can be permanently disruptive by people that have had them. In the end I saw a proper sports therapist at a well known gym. I started having proper deep tissue massages, not a tickle from a physio. This included some acupuncture of the achilles in the later stages but mainly deep tissue massages on the legs. He used a steel strip to break down calcification in my calves and hamstrings, pretty eye watering. After a few sessions I found that I had some relief from that, without even doing anything to my achilles. I also looked at other factors, some good supporting inner soles also helped whilst walking. In short, make sure you treat everything around it that can have an effect before opting for an op or cortisone. They are good for some but hinder others. Exhaust your possibilities. I run regularly now and if I get any slight twinge in my ankle, I foam roll and stretch my legs fully. I see the sports therapist once a month now, it’s preventative treatment.

Cloudworm

newyorkaddick said:

Chronic issues most of my adult life (caused by running) - suspect I will never be pain free but have managed to stabilise it whilst continuing to run approx 2x per week through:

- intense periods of anti inflammatories (say 1 month of Ibuprofen 1600mg per day) when particularly sore;
- calf stretching and strengthening (stairs good for both);
- foam roller for calves and upper achilles;
- fancy insoles eg Superfeet;
- change running shoes every 250 miles or so (and get cushioning ones with >10mm heel to toe drop);
- high dose of anti inflammatory 30 mins before a run eg Ibuprofen 600mg;
- ice after running;
- deep achilles massage with anti inflammatory gel;
- avoiding flat shoes (or use a heel raise pad).

Unfortunately doctors are somewhat reluctant to recommend an injection due to the risk of rupture.

Given you are managing pain and not getting better, one could argue these measures aren't actually working. I'd think about a different approach, and a change of activity for a couple of years if it was me.