How To Treat Achilles Tendonitis At Home

If you’re dealing with new or chronic foot pain, we’re more than happy to provide you with a diagnosis and set you up with a treatment plan, but we know that most people prefer to avoid going to the doctor if at all possible. When it comes to Achilles tendonitis, oftentimes it’s very possible to treat the condition on your own from home because it tends to respond well to conservative care. Left ignored, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually need to set up an appointment with a foot specialist to treat the tendonitis or develop a more severe issue like a tendon tear. In today’s blog, we share some tips for resolving your Achilles tendonitis from the comfort of your home.

How To Tell If You Have Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is a condition that leads to pain and discomfort in the back of your lower calf area, where the Achilles tendon connects to the back of a person’s heel. The condition typically develops in people who experience a sudden increase in activity, either in intensity or duration. For example, runners who attempt to increase their mileage too quickly may experience Achilles tendonitis, as may high school athletes who undergo significant activity increases when a new sports season begins and practices and games start to stack up.

Achilles tendonitis typically begins with mild soreness in the back of the leg above the heel, and discomfort may become more noticeable after walking, running or other athletic activities. Other symptoms tend to include:

• Tenderness
• Soreness
• Warmth in the heel
• Difficulty standing up on one toe

If you’re dealing with any of these symptoms, especially if you’ve recently experienced a significant uptick in activity, there’s a decent chance that you’re experiencing Achilles tendonitis. You can always come into our clinic for an official diagnosis, but if all signs are pointing to Achilles tendonitis, you can attempt to treat it at home using some of the following techniques.

Treating Achilles Tendonitis At Home

If you’re experiencing the above symptoms and believe you’re dealing with Achilles tendonitis, you’ll want to be proactive about treatment, because trying to push through the discomfort will continue to put strain on an irritated tendon, which can lead to worsening symptoms or even a rupture of the Achilles tendon. Similarly, Achilles tendonitis tends to respond well to simple conservative care, so you can experience great results with only a few tweaks to your daily schedule. Here’s a look at some treatment techniques you can pursue at home to help calm your Achilles tendonitis:

• Rest - Taking a break from strenuous physical activity can help to relieve tendonitis. You can still walk and move, but give yourself a few days off from intense physical activities like running or jumping. Short-term rest will help protect your Achilles from continued strain.
• Physical Therapy - Physical therapy is a great way to help develop muscles and other soft tissues in the leg to help take strain off the Achilles tendon. PT exercises can also help to strengthen the Achilles tendon and promote healing in the area.
• Orthotic Inserts - An orthotic insert can also be helpful because they can help to elevate your heel slightly when your foot is inside a shoe. Elevating the heel will lessen the strain on your Achilles tendon, providing it with a better environment for healing.
• Ice - Icing the area 2-3 times a day for 20 minutes at a time can work to limit swelling and inflammation in the area. This can be especially helpful after activity or a prolonged time on your feet.

In many instances, pursuing a combination of these techniques and being more mindful of your activity levels going forward can help to relieve your discomfort and keep Achilles tendonitis from coming back in the future. If these methods fail to provide relief or there are other foot or ankle issues at play, it’s a good idea to connect with a specialist.