A common injury that often brings people to see us here at Clear Physio are Achilles tendon ruptures. This is where the tendon that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone is torn somehow, usually because of exercise or playing sport.
Interestingly, the Achilles tendon is the strongest of all the tendons in the body, helping you to lift your heel, which is what then allows you to walk, run and jump.
Ruptures or tears generally happen when you push yourself off the ground with force (such as when you’re jumping), or when the foot itself is forced upwards suddenly. This is why these injuries are often seen in people who play sports like basketball and tennis, or in those who run a lot.
It’s usually pretty clear when you’ve injured this part of your body, as you’ll struggle to walk and run, climb stairs or even stand on tiptoe… so if this sounds familiar, you may want to seek medical advice as soon as you can.
Aside from finding it hard to be as mobile as you usually would be, other symptoms of a rupture include swelling in the calf, bruising on the lower leg, and sudden and severe pain in the back of the leg. Once this pain goes, it’s usually replaced by a dull ache.
Surgery is an option for these kinds of injuries, but non-invasive treatments can also be very effective. Your physiotherapist will recommend a range of different exercises tailored to suit you, potentially including the likes of heel raises while sitting on a chair, calf raises, star excursion balance exercises and sit-down chair squats.
If you are in pain and are concerned about your Achilles, or any other part of your body, get in touch with the team here at Clear Physio today to see how we can help.
