May 12
5
At Nose Creek Sport Physical Therapy we have worked with lots of athletes with sport injuries, who have come in to have their ankle pain treated in Calgary. This is not surprising as there is a lot of accelerating, decelerating, stopping, cutting and pivoting in sports, often leading to ankle sprains and strains. One injury we commonly see is lingering, recurrent pain at the back of the ankle. Often this is “Achilles tendonosis”.
The Achilles tendon is at the back of your lower leg and attaches your heel to your calf muscles.
It is the largest tendon in the body. Inflammation and micro-tearing of the tendon leads to a weakened tendon, causing recurrent pain that never seem to go away. Often there will be complaints of tenderness to touch, redness, swelling and stiffness, pain with repeated toe pointing, standing up on the toes, stretching the calf muscles, or functionally jumping, accelerating and stopping abruptly when running.
How is this condition caused? Causes can include a one time injury of a sudden push off or stop from the ankle, or landing from a jump and a feeling of sharp pain, and sometimes hearing a “pop or snap.” It can also be caused by repetitive overstretching and over training in running and jumping activities. Previous ankle sprains can cause ankle joint laxity and biomechanical problems in the ankle, leading to excessive strain on the tendon and subsequent tendonosis.
How can it be treated? Inflammation should be initially treated with icing, rest, and modification of activities. Taping and proper footwear can also help prevent the injury from getting worse. The tendon then needs to be progressively stretched and strengthened so that it can be strong enough to withstand the forces put on it. If it is not fully strengthened, it will re-tear and be inflamed, causing a recurrent problem. Full recovery can take anywhere from 6-16 weeks, depending how early treated starts and the severity of the injury.
If you have this problem definitely give us a call , so we can help you get back to playing faster!
Choose to be healthier today!
Your Nose Creek Sport Physical Therapy Team.
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Nose Creek Sport Physical Therapy is located in Calgary, Alberta since 2001, providing Physiotherapy and Therapeutic and Relaxation Massage Therapy services. Our services include Manual Therapy, exercise prescription, modalities, acupuncture, IMS Dry Needling, Massage Therapy, Custom SOLE footbeds, patient education, and injury prevention.