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Media Alert
15 March 2010
Achilles Tendon injury advice
from The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
Following David Beckham’s achilles tendon
injury last night, Trevor Prior, consultant
podiatric surgeon from the Society of Chiropodists
and Podiatrists has the following advice for people
with similar injuries…
What is it?
The achilles tendon is a large thick tendon which connects your calf muscle to the back of the heel. If you place your hand at the back of your ankle, it is the springy tissue that you can feel above the heel.
Who gets it?
Injury to the achilles tendon is common and it is difficult to heal as the tendon doesn’t have a good blood supply. Sports people, whether professional or amateur, are particularly prone to injuries and inflammation or degeneration of the achilles tendon, although it can also affect women who wear high heels regularly, especially when they transfer to flatter shoes.
What are the symptoms?
Often people with achilles tendon injuries will wake up in the morning to find pain and tenderness in their lower leg and back of the heel. If you run your fingers either side of the tendon at the back of the heel, you can sometimes feel a pulling sensation.
Symptoms can include:
- Mild pain, particularly after exercise
- Stiffness in the lower leg and calf muscle
- Localised pain along the tendon – sufferers may experience this either during or just after exercise
- Tenderness of the tendon, particularly first thing in the morning
What can I do to prevent it?
Ensure you wear the correct shoe for your foot and for the type of activity that you are doing – many injuries of this kind are due to wearing incorrect footwear. Go to a good sports shop and have your feet fitted for the correct shoe for the type of sport or activity you will be doing.
If you wear high heels regularly, ensure you stretch your calf muscles and the back of the feet. Alternate your
footwear so you are not wearing high heels all day, every day.
What should I do if I have an achilles tendon injury or inflammation?
If you experience any of the symptoms, see your podiatrist as soon as possible. They will be able to diagnose how severe the problem is and recommend a course of treatment. If caught early you can avoid any long term problems and damage, but if ignored you risk incurring long-term achilles heel problems.
If you think you’ve injured your achilles tendon you should:
Get help – see your podiatrist in the first instance, who will diagnose how severe the problem is and recommend the best course of treatment
Rest - rest the foot as much as possible and avoid high impact activity
Apply a cold press - put a cold press, ice or a bag of peas on the tendon to reduce swelling. You can also use topical anti-inflammatory creams from your pharmacy
Stretch – depending on the severity of your injury, stretch your calf muscle and the back of the foot to help alleviate the problem.
To find a podiatrist in your area visit Find a Podiatrists search page.
Note to Editors
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists is the leading professional body for registered chiropodists and podiatrists in the UK.
In short, they’re the UK’s experts for everything and anything to do with feet.
Podiatry (also known as chiropody) is the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and other disorders of the feet.
For more information contact:
Edie Barton-Harvey/Anna Speight
3 Monkeys Communications
Tel: 020 7009 3100
SCP@3-Monkeys.co.uk
London District 16th March 2010
Categories: Sports
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