ACHILLES TENDON INJURIES

Although the Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the human body, capable of supporting up to 10 times a person’s body weight, injuries to the Achilles tendon are not uncommon in athletes and active individuals. Our orthopedic surgeons and physician assistants can provide treatment for your Achilles tendon injury.

The two most common injuries to the Achilles tendon are tendinopathy and tearing or rupturing of the tendon, with less common injuries including peritendinitis and retrocalcaneal bursitis. There are many different things that can cause an Achilles tendon injury:

• A decrease in recovery time between physical activities
  
• A sudden increase in the intensity, frequency, or duration of physical activity
  
• Change of surfaces on which physical activity is performed
  
• Decreased joint range of motion
  
• Excessive pronation
  
• Inadequate warm up, stretching, and cool down
  
• Poor muscle flexibility, especially in the calves and Achilles tendons
  
• Running on hard or uneven surfaces
  
• Wearing inadequate or incorrect footwear
  

Treatment for an Achilles tendon injury will be dependent on its severity, and can range anywhere from rest and pain management while the injury heals, to surgery to repair a torn or severely damaged tendon. It is important to have the injury examined by an orthopedic surgeon in order to determine the extent of injury and make a plan for treatment.

Putting off treatment of an Achilles tendon injury can lead to it worsening and requiring more extensive treatment, so it is important to see a sports medicine specialist right away if you are experiencing symptoms. These may include:

• Pain that gets worse with physical activity
  
• Sharp pain that starts the day after a lot of physical activity
  
• Stiffness in the morning or after a prolonged period of sitting still
  
• Swelling that doesn’t go away and gets worse as the day goes on
  

For treatment of your Achilles tendon injury in Mount Pleasant and Charleston, come see the experienced and knowledgeable orthopedic team at Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Call us today at (843) 936-0715 to schedule an appointment.