Achilles Tendinitis: Do I have it? (Part 1 of 2)

Feeling Pain at the bottom of your calf? Maybe you’ve got a little bump there too? If so, you just might be suffering from Achilles Tendinitis (Or Tendinosis or Tendinopathy which are all basically the same thing 🤪)

Read on to help you determine if this is the condition you have and check out Part 2 to learn what to do about it!

Why does the Lower Part of my Calf Hurt?

The back of the lower leg is made up of 2 main muscles that come together above your heel to form the Achilles tendon. This tendon is MASSIVE and the strongest in the body! It allows you to push off while walking/running/jumping and also acts as a shock absorber – it can absorb up to 8x our body weight!

If you are experiencing pain and/or stiffness within 6cm of your heel, you might be dealing with Achilles Tendinopathy!

Is it Achilles Tendinitis or Achilles Tendinopathy?

Previously referred to as Achilles Tendinitis, Achilles tendinopathy is the preferred term to refer to persistent pain at the Achilles tendon. Why the change in term? Tendinitis indicates that inflammation is the primary driver of the condition, which we now know is no longer the case. Sudden increases in intensity, volume, or frequency are often the culprits that lead to the onset of Achilles Tendinopathy; the demands that are placed on the tendon exceeds its capacity to recover and adapt – in other words, we did too much too soon.

If you are a runner, for example, this might look like a sudden increase in mileage, running more often than normal, or running at a significantly faster pace. This example can be adapted to all sports/activities: in all cases, if a sudden and prolonged spike in activity exceeds the current capacity of your tendon, you are likely to develop a tendinopathy.

Tell Tale Signs & Symptoms

Aside from pain along the tendon and/or at the heel bone, another hallmark sign/symptom is pain during your first few steps when getting out of bed or after sitting for a prolonged period. When exercising or doing other activities, you may feel pain initially but then it eventually subsides once the body is feeling warmed up. If you are feeling pain throughout the entirety of the activity, your tendinopathy has likely progressed.

Check out Part 2 to learn what you can do for your Achilles Tendinopathy

Or if you’re ready just to skip to feeling better, click the button below to develop a plan with one of our injury specialists