Proper Socks for Achilles Tendon

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, enabling you to rise up on your toes and push off when you walk or run. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Achilles can withstand forces of 1,000 pounds or more. Still, overuse and stressful impact can cause tiny tears in the tissue in and around the tendon, and the tendon can become inflamed. This is particularly common among athletes. In severe cases, tendons can rupture with over-exertion. Wearing support socks is one common way to prevent or treat an injured Achilles.

Symptoms

• Pain can be mild or severe, depending on the injury, and it will affect the range of movement in the ankle, especially during walking or rising on your toes. The pain may be accompanied by swelling and tenderness over the Achilles tendon. Injury to the Achilles tendon is often referred to as Achilles tendonitis. In the event of a rupture, you will experience sudden, sharp pain and you may not be able to point weight on your foot or stand on your toes.

Orthotics Support

• Treatment for Achilles tendon depends on the severity of the condition, best determined by a visit to the orthopedic specialist. Options range from non-surgical choices like using proper shoes to using orthotics to support the Achilles tendon. Sometimes, surgery may be necessary to repair a tear.

  One of the common orthotics is support socks. According to shoebuy.com, support socks can be classified as a type of hosiery, specially designed to ease the Achilles tendon. They provide graduated pressure and extra support to affected areas to facilitate healing. Often strong elastics--such as lycra, rubber or spandex--are used to offer protection to sensitive areas around the foot and to create necessary pressure to increase blood flow to inflamed areas to alleviate pain and reduce swelling.

Types of Support Socks

• Most are referred to as ankle support or Achilles tendon support. Common features include breathable knit fabric and soft viscoelastic inserts that compress and massage the soft tissue of the ankle to enhance circulation and promote lymph drainage to reduce swelling. You can find support socks at sports shops or online specialty stores. Most look like regular socks, except that they are built to cushion the stress placed on Achilles tendon during physical activity.

  Choosing the right type of support socks depends on the severity of your condition. In many cases, support socks are used to prevent injury to the Achilles tendon during physical activities. Ankle support socks usually come up to slightly above the ankle, some with open toes. They are form-fitting and can be worn under shoes. Some socks act more like braces for your calf muscle and ankle. These are worn at night to reduce tension on the tendon. The Strassburg Sock is one such example.

Achilles Tendonitis Braces

• However, foot-care.org, suggests that such compression socks may exert more pressure than is necessary, creating discomfort. A better alternative is an Achilles tendonitis brace. In addition to using compression support, these braces come with wide straps that fit under the heel of the foot. This strap exerts an upward pressure, lifting the heel and reducing impact on the Achilles tendon. It also comes with padding to provide compression to appropriate places of the ankle. In cases where severe injuries or tears to the Achilles tendon are sustained, a rigid Achilles tendonitis brace may be used to immobilize the injured Achilles tendon to allow it to heal properly.

A Word of Caution

• Even though Achilles tendon orthotics can provide support and help healing, they are not meant to sustain the pressure of rigorous activity. It is best to rest your foot as recommended by the orthopedic specialist, so as to prevent further injury to the Achilles tendon.