After a strenuous activity like mountain climbing, one experiences pain in the calf muscles around the leg and the heels. The pain may ease after some time, but it may also persist. In such a case, seeking medical attention is necessary as the Achilles tendon may have ruptured. The Achilles tendon causes severe pain followed by swelling around the heel. The tendon tear may be partial and can heal on its own, but incomplete tear, the doctor’s consultation, is needed. Some people use an insert in the heel to make the Achilles tendon short to relieve the pain. However, an Achilles Tendon Westfield specialist will be helpful in diagnosing and treating all tendon-related problems.
What causes the Achilles tendon?
Achilles’s tendons result from repeating the same activity for a long time, thus putting too much stress on the tendons leading to their rapture. Most of the raptures occur during recreational sports as one increases the game’s intensity. Raptures also come from falling from a distant height or stepping into a hole.
Symptoms of Achilles tendon
· The popping sound comes out during the injury
· Pain and swelling around the heel
· Pain in the calf area
· The injured leg cannot stand on toes
· Inability to move or bend the injured feet
What can be led by an untreated Achilles tendon?
If not untreated for a long time, the tendons tear, leading to tendon rupture, which is very painful and is only treatable through surgery.
Factors increasing Achilles tendon rupture.
· Obesity-people with excess weights are at a higher risk of getting tendon rupture because they exert a lot of pressure on their tendons, thus straining them.
· Recreational sports-sports like football, tennis, and basketball involve a lot of jumping, running, bending, and stretching activities, leading to rupture of the tendons.
· Use of certain medications- some medicines, especially antibiotics, increase the risk of tendon rupture.
· Age- the older a person gets, the higher the risk of tendon rupture.
· To reduce pain and inflammation from ankle joints, the doctor may give steroid injections. The steroid medicines may cause tendon rupture.
· Sex- men are at a high risk of getting tendon rapture compared to women
How to prevent Achilles tendon problems
· Gradually increasing training intensity-the training should gradually increase in terms of frequency of the training, increasing the distance to be covered, and increasing the duration of exercise. Overdoing an activity for too long may strain the tendon leading to their rapture.
· Doing a variety of exercises-activities should be inclusive of less vigorous to more vigorous ones. By varying the exercises, the tendons will not be too strained.
· Stretching of the calf muscles should regularly exercise the calf muscles to absorb more force and endure elasticity, thus preventing injuries.
· Avoid training on complex, slippery grounds- the hard ground will hurt the heel, causing pain.
Good choice of activities is critical, especially for people at high risk of tendon rupture. Wearing the correct type of shoes also helps to reduce the strain on the heel and the ankle. One can consult a doctor to ascertain any pain coming from the heels and around the calf that becomes severe. Doctor consultation is necessary to ascertain its cause. At Genesis orthopedic and spine, they offer a personalized service to their clients for all the tendon-related problems. Give them a call and place your booking.