You’ve been getting back to walking, running or sport after a hiatus (or trying to get a bit fitter), or upped your training for an event coming up and you’ve noticed that you’re getting some pain in your Achilles tendon. Usually starting with soreness that goes as you ‘warm up’ into your walk or run. Or is the worst first thing in the morning for your first few steps, that can develop into a constant ache in the tendon. You may even notice a tender or painful lump/bump or thickened tendon start to develop. You probably have Achilles tendinopathy!
At Back In Motion Balnarring, on the Mornington Peninsula we have several solutions for this issue.
It is important to look at your whole lower limb biomechanics from the hips to the toes. Working on and addressing any deficits or issues with strength or mobility. We can prescribe orthotics, complete taping, use massage and joint mobilisations to optimise your mechanics.
Load management is also an important component of treating an Achilles tendinopathy, as it develops when the demands on what may be a weak, unconditioned or simply overworked tendon, exceed its capacity or ability to cope.
We will prescribe an individual exercise programme (usually only consisting of 2-3 different exercises depending on your sporting/activity levels) to improve your tendons capacity & strength to reduce pain.
Shockwave therapy is often useful with Achilles tendon pain. It works by putting a physical (not electric) shock through the tendon tissue. It can enhance blood supply, increase metabolic activity and promotes remodeling of affected collagen to artificially stimulate the natural healing process of the tendon.
Shockwave is not the first line of treatment for injured patients. Physiotherapy and graded exercise are more likely in the first instance. But for more stubborn conditions, Shockwave has shown excellent results, the evidence at the moment suggests between three to five treatments are required, but most people should see an improvement within three sessions. It has up to a 90% success rate.
The Shockwave therapy is administered for a three-minute period to the affected area during consecutive weekly appointments. It is a bit of an uncomfortable sensation, like most physio hands-on treatments with a little discomfort during the treatment.
After each session, most people get a significant reduction of pain and symptoms. Long term it stimulates healing, short term it reduces pain. The best thing is, the effects are long lasting. It stops a lot of people having more invasive things like surgery or injections. The treatment is considered safe, but can produce skin reddening or bruising, short term pain, and cannot be used on people taking blood thinning medications, with bleeding disorders, on acute injuries (developed within the last 6 weeks) or if you have had a corticosteroid injection in the last 6 weeks.
If you think Shockwave therapy would work for you, or if you have any issues with Achilles tendon pain, call 5983 1012 or book online now.