Understanding Achilles tendinitis

Did you overdo it on the walking trail last week or on the driveway, bouncing a basketball with the kids? The Achilles tendon, the large swath of tissue connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone, may be protesting.

• Every time you step, you may feel a dull ache or tenderness, or notice a swelling at the back of your calf and stiffness after you've been sleeping or sitting.
• The tendon may hurt when you touch it, even responding with a creaking sound when you move.

• Achilles tendinitis (or tendonitis) is the payback for overdoing it, especially if you're athletic. It can also strike the weekend warrior, especially if you decide to get some exercise after months or years of enjoying the couch.
• Your muscles may not be strong or flexible enough to handle so much activity, particularly if it involves sudden stops and starts like tennis or basketball.
• If the arches of your feet have flattened over the years, you'll be even more prone to injury.
• Each of these scenarios stresses your Achilles tendon, which then becomes inflamed from the small tears that come from too much activity too fast.
• If you were born with less flexible calf muscles than most, your chances of contracting this condition are even greater.

Although some cases can be stubborn, rest and simple pain relievers will usually fix your Achilles tendinitis, if you act quickly.

• Your doctor will examine your foot and calf, checking for tenderness and inflammation along your Achilles tendon.
• The doctor may also ask you to stand on your toes to see if it hurts. He will ask what kinds of physical activity you've been doing lately and have an MRI and/or X-ray taken of your foot.
• An MRI creates an image of the soft tissue of your feet, revealing inflammation. An X-ray may reveal arthritis.

When simpler measures like rest and physical therapy don't work, or if the injury worsens, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the injured tissue from around the joint and to repair any tears. Afterward, you may need to wear a cast temporarily and go through physical therapy to strengthen your foot.