Non-Surgical Treatment of the Achilles Tendon

From the Greek Trojan War hero, Achilles, who died from an arrow that pieced his heel, an Achilles heel has come to mean a vulnerability or area of weakness. The Achilles tendon can be an area of weakness because of its location and the fact that there is a limited blood supply to the tendon. As a result, Achilles tendinitis can be a chronic and difficult to treat condition.

Here are five non-surgical methods to ease inflammation and increase circulation to promote healing in a sore, inflamed Achilles tendon.

Exercise

• Light spinning for 30 to 40 minutes on a bike will increase circulation without impact or stress to the tendon. Stick to a stationary bike to avoid hills and repetitive stop-start motions, both of which can stress the tendon.

Icing

• Twice a day, ideally in the morning and evening, ice the area by applying ice 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. You can also freeze water in a paper cup, peel back a portion of the cup to expose some ice while keeping enough of the cup so that you can hold onto it, then massage the sore tendon with the ice.

Wrapping

• To take some pressure off the tendon, wrap the area with a double thickness of gauze and surgical tape. As an inexpensive alternative, cut the toe end off a sock and pull the sock up over the area, then fold the sock back down so that it is doubled up over the affected area.

Heel Lifts

• Adding a heel insert to your shoes will take some of the pressure off the tendon. You may also wear shoes with a low, wide heel to achieve this same result.

Massage

• In the evenings, soak your foot in a warm bath to relax the area for about 10 minutes. Then grasp the tendon between your thumb and forefinger and slowly and smoothly pull up on the tendon from your heel into your calf. To help reduce friction, you may want to use a light massage oil. Repeat this upward motion five to six times to help break up any adhesions that may have formed.