We have loads of experience treating achilles tendonitis, achilles tendinopathy and achilles tendinosis  at our Notting Hill W8 and City of London EC3 Chiropractic and Osteopathy Clinics.

This blog post will explain what this painful condition is and how we fix it using our combination of modern treatment techniques, corrective exercises and also shockwave therapy.

What is Achilles tendonitis?

Achilles tendonitis is an irritation of the tendon that attaches onto the heel of the foot. This band of tendon tissue becomes inflamed and injured after it is overloaded with mechanical stress, such as jumping, playing sports or running.

What’s the difference between Achilles tendonitis/tendinopathy and tendinosis?

Achilles tendonitis describes the early inflammatory stages of the condition only. After the initial inflammatory stage of the condition has finished, the tendon becomes weaker and the internal structure starts to change, once this occurs, it is referred to as tendinosis.

Achilles tendinopathy is the umbrella term that covers both tendonitis and tendinosis.

Where does Achilles tendonitis hurt on the ankle?

The tendon can hurt at the attachment site to the heel bone or higher up in the middle of the tendon. Both are treatable and have very similar treatment protocols.

How does Achilles tendonitis develop?

Achilles tendonitis is an overload injury. It normally occurs in people that do not rest enough between their training sessions or in people who have poor biomechanics. 

A classic example that we see is people training for their first marathon without planning their training schedule properly. They start by running too far, too fast or too often, which means their Achilles tendon fails to repair itself adequately between each run and then the injury occurs.

Will my Achilles tendonitis ever go away?

Yes, most people who seek help get good improvements in their symptoms. The general rule is that the longer you leave it before getting help, the tougher it is to treat it successfully.

The major issue is that most people have a biomechanical problem that needs to be fixed before they can start running or walking normal distances again.

What biomechanical issues cause Achilles tendonitis?

Tight calves – Tight calf muscles will put extra strain on the tendon and predispose people to Achilles tendon problems.

Foot overpronation – Weak muscles within the glutes and foot arch can allow the medial foot arch to flatten, causing excessive strain on the Achilles tendon.

Leg length difference – If you have one leg longer than the other or a twisted pelvis, this can cause more weight to be loaded onto one foot and increase the chances of injury.

Can Achilles tendonitis be cured?

In most people yes! With the correct treatment and rehab program, Achilles tendonitis can be successfully treated in most of our patients.

Are heel lifts in shoes effective?

In our experience, heel lifts don’t solve the problem as the Achilles tendon is merely being offloaded and not strengthened back to full fitness as needed.

Can you get bone spurs from Achilles tendonitis?

Yes, in rare cases, there will sometimes be a bone spur growing from the heel bone upwards due to the mechanical traction of the Achilles tendon on the bone.

What to do when Achilles tendonitis won’t go away?

Shockwave therapy is the gold standard option when Achilles tendonitis won’t resolve using manual treatment and rehab techniques. We have a state-of-the-art Chatanooga Mobile 2 RPW shockwave machine at our Notting Hill W8 Chiropractic and Osteopathy Clinic designed specifically for stubborn cases of tendinopathy.

Why does Achilles tendonitis usually occur in one foot?

We all have a “lead” or preferred leg, so often have imbalances in our pelvis or body to compensate for this. Imbalances cause extra pressure to be placed on one foot.

Will Achilles tendonitis come back?

Yes, if you don’t address the underlying cause of the condition, there is no reason why it would stay pain free.

How is Achilles tendonitis diagnosed?

A clinical exam and case history is sufficient for 99% of people. In rare cases, an ultrasound scan can be useful to fully assess for a tear in the tendon or a bone spur.

Who treats Achilles tendonitis? A chiropractor, osteopath, physio or podiatrist? 

Well that’s quite simple…we all do! However, it is important to look at every aspect of the condition and not just treat the symptoms. Our chiropractors and osteopaths are trained to not only treat the Achilles tendon, they are also exceptional at treating the underlying causes of the pain too.

How do you treat Achilles tendonitis?

At Pro Performance our Notting Hill and City of London Clinics, we treat Achilles tendonitis using our special combination of modern treatments and rehab exercises.

We have our special 3 step process to fixing problems for good.

1. 1. Diagnose

• You will be asked about your Achilles tendonitis, lifestyle, exercise, diet, sleep, stress and injury history.
• We perform a full-body functional movement screen. Assessing for any tight joints, weak muscles and dysfunctional movement patterns.
• Often your pain will be related to an issue elsewhere in your body; tight hips, old injuries, poor posture…you name it, we will assess it all!

1. 2. Treat

• We use advanced treatment techniques to fix your sciatica.
• Active release technique (ART), muscle energy technique (MET), deep tissue massage, dry needling/medical acupuncture, Y-strap3 spinal mobilisation, gentle joint manipulation, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM), dynamic stretching
• Cutting edge technology such as shockwave, laser and TECAR therapy.

1. 3. Cure

• This is what separates us from other clinics.
• We combine our advanced Achilles treatment with tailored corrective exercises to cure your condition permanently.
• Our corrective exercises are unique to you! We build strength from the ground up, using deep core activation exercises and a global strengthening program.
• We don’t just aim to get you pain-free, we want you to feel stronger than ever!

Are you suffering with Achilles tendonitis or tendinosis? We would love to help!

Our lovely team of Achilles tendonitis experts in the City of London EC3 are here to help you get better and stay better!

Book with our team today to get you pain free and active asap.

You can easily book via:

• Online – www.properformanceclinics.janeapp.co.uk
• Email – info@properformanceclinics.com
• Phone – City of London EC3V 9BS 02035760389

If you prefer to have a quick chat to one of our clinicians first, then just email info@properformanceclinics.com and we will call you back to discuss your case and how we can help.