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The Achilles tendon is tough and fibrous and attaches the muscles in your calf to your heel bone. It can be overstretched and can partially rupture or completely rupture which is when it becomes detached from the heel. This injury can be managed conservatively with physio and exercise rehabilitation. If you are a keen sports person you may require an operation to re attach the Achilles to allow you to get back to playing sport at the same level again.
Ruptures are often caused by a sudden increase of strain on the tendon, such as in a sport that involves jumping or landing from a height. Suddenly sprinting when not properly warmed up could cause a rupture. It can be age related with more people aged 30-40 having this injury.
If you have ruptured your tendon you may have felt a kicking sensation in your calf at the time of injury, you will have pain in your calf and be unable to go up on your toes. The pain will be severe and you may have swelling. You will be unable to bend your foot downwards or push off when walking.
Rupture usually occurs about 6cm away from where the tendon attaches to the bone and may be because the blood supply is poor here. A physical examination of the lower leg may identify a gap in this area. The doctor or therapist will squeeze your calf and if your foot does not flex downwards this is a sign that the tendon has come away from the heel bone. Further investigation with MRI or Ultrasound will confirm the extent of the damage.
If you suspect you have ruptured your Achilles Tendon then we suggest you book in with one of our Sport & Exercise Medicine Doctors for examination and ultrasound diagnosis. If necessary they can send you for an MRI or refer you to physiotherapy or to a surgeon for a surgical opinion.
If you have surgery or conservative treatment to treat your tendon rupture you will need a graduated rehabilitation exercise programme from a physiotherapist to return you to full fitness. Most people return to their former level of activity within 4 to 6 months but it can take up to a year to be fully recovered.
Treatment can be non-surgical or surgical. Non-surgical treatment will involve wearing a boot to keep the tendon in one position, using crutches, applying ice packs and taking pain killers. Surgical treatment involves an operation to stitch the tendon back onto the heel bone. Both treatments will require physio afterwards.
Just wanted to say please pass my thanks to my osteopath, I came yesterday with terrible back and shoulder pain and today I am pain free, am well delighted as had a day planned with friends was worried I wouldn’t enjoy, please pass my thanks onto her.
After a course of Prolotherapy my back pain has gone and I live a normal life. I can’t thank Dr Petrides enough for giving me back my quality of life
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Lorena has changed my life. Four months ago, having been diagnosed as having “severe, acute and chronic” disc degeneration I genuinely thought I was facing a life of disability (I am 49).
Lorena has re-taught me how to move my body and how to think about what muscles I engage to a point that I am now running, swimming and doing pilates again and have almost full flexibility in my spine. It almost feels like Lorena can see through your skin to your muscles, so profound is her understanding of how the body moves.
Following treatment at Blackberry Clinic, Milton Keynes my back pain improved and I could play for my country again
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