Achilles Tendonitis – Achilles Tendinopathy
What is Achilles Tendinopathy?
Achilles tendinopathy refers to chronic Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon connects the heel bone to the calf muscles. When the foot rolls, the Achilles tendon allows the heel to lift off the ground. Patients with acute Achilles tendinopathy complain of severe pain that can lead to the inability to walk.
What is the Cause of Achilles Tendonitis?
The cause of Achilles tendonitis can be chronic overload. Achilles tendinopathy often occurs after unusual athletic stress. Insufficient warm-up or a generally poor state of training are factors that can promote inflammation of the Achilles tendon. These pains occur particularly often in runners.
How is Achilles Tendonitis Diagnosed?
In many cases, the tendon thickening caused by the inflammation can be determined on the heel by external palpation. Nevertheless, I usually perform an ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. This allows the damage to be viewed precisely. Other causes of the pain can be excluded with the help of the images.
What Does the Therapy for Achilles Tendinopathy Look like?
Conservative therapies
The therapy is primarily conservative. The irritated state can be resolved by drug treatment with anti-inflammatory tablets and creams, as well as physiotherapy and the right footwear. In addition, heel wedges are recommended by the bandage specialist to relieve the Achilles tendon.
Injections with corticosteroids should be avoided and only performed in exceptional cases.
Surgical therapy
Endoscopic surgery for Achilles tendonitis is performed for persistent symptoms. With this minimally invasive technique, only a small skin incision is necessary. Here, the outer tendon sheath (peritendineum) is split to relieve the tendon, allowing the inflammation to heal.
After the operation, the foot is relieved with a special shoe for approximately 2 to 4 weeks. Then I will create a gradually designed aftercare program for you. The goal is to restore the function of the Achilles heel as well as possible. You can do sports again after 3 months at the earliest.
