Achilles Tendon Pain Causes

Tendons are tissue bands connecting muscle to bones. One such tendon is the Achilles tendon (largest tendon in the body) which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. This tendon also known as the 'heel cord' that supports the entire body weight and helps raise the heel off the ground, thus facilitating walking. When the Achilles tendon gets inflamed, the condition is called Achillis tendonitis. The person experiences heel pain with every step he or she takes. This condition is commonly observed in runners. When scarring and fibrosis restricts the movement of the Achilles tendon sheath, then the condition is called Achilles tenosynovitis.

When the connection between the Achilles tendon and the calf muscle is ruptured, then the condition is called tennis leg. The tendon can even be partially or completely severed by various sharp objects. Athletes and laborers, involved in heavy physical activities, put too much pressure on the tendon. This is why they are more prone to be affected by this condition. The rupture and inflammation of the Achilles tendon, results in pain, stiffness, tenderness and soreness within the tendon. The pain and other symptoms occur anywhere along the tendon's path, right from directly above the heel, to the region below the calf muscle. The sufferers usually experience pain after periods of rest, which improves when in motion but worsens with increased activity.

Causes of Achilles Tendon Pain

Sudden increase in the frequency of repetitive activity involving the Achilles tendon, burdens the tendon with too much pressure in a short time. This results in a micro-injury of the tendon fibers. Since the stress is continuously applied, even after the micro-injury, the body is unable to repair the damage. The tendon structure gets altered and leads to intense, continuous pain.

Excess rolling of the foot, or hyperpronation results in the extra application of strain on the tendon. This is because people who hyperpronate have their arches drop from the non-weight bearing position or sitting position, to the weight bearing or standing position. When the arches drop, the ankles roll in and the heels lean in. Leaning in of the heels results in increased tension on the inner attachment of the tendon. This results in pain.

Achilles pain is also caused by rubbing of of the shoe heel counter against the tendon attachment area. Inappropriate shoes featuring extremely stiff soles, limit the forefoot movement, and result in tendon pain. The tendon in women wearing high-heeled shoes, get shortened. Further, when they wear flat shoes and run, the tendon is put under increased pressure and pain.

According to certain studies, another contributing factor of heel cushioning, is excessive heel cushioning. In the shoes designed to give better shock absorption, the heel makes contact with the ground and sinks lower as the shoe absorbs the shock. This results in the stretching of the tendon. Some of the other Achilles tendon pain causes are sudden increase in training, hill running, accidents, weak calf muscles or tendons, side effects from certain medications, etc.

Depending on the degree of damage and duration of injury onset, the condition is treated. During the early stages of the injury, immobilization of the foot by using a cast, can reduce the tension on the tendon. Ice can also be applied to the inflamed area, so as to reduce the swelling. Oral medications and physical therapy are also used to treat Achilles tendon. When such non-surgical treatment methods fail to carry out tendon healing, surgery is required. To prevent the recurrence of pain and injury after the surgery, the foot and ankle surgeon recommends stretching and strengthening of the calf muscles via Achilles tendonitis exercises. The patient should wear proper shoes to prevent further damage.