I think The Virtual Sports Injury Clinic  might just be the best injury prevention, information, rehabilitation site on line.

  I  was  online trying to figure out why my achilles tendon hurts all the time and I ran across this amazing site The Virtual Sports Injury Clinic.  The give you the definition of the injury or condition, symptoms, what an athlete can do to prevent it and what a sports medicine proffessional can do to help.

 They also have diagrams and instructions on strapping and taping injuries,  A virtual therapist to help, along with recommendations for sports massage as well as an injury forum board.  This is a must see for inury prevention and treatment. 

this is an example of the information on my injury, it also had links to diagrams for taping the ankle, and a step by step turtorial video on how to rehabilitate the injury.  Exactly what the Physical Therapist I saw last spring had me doing. 

Achilles Tendonitis

What is Achilles Tendonitis? It is estimated that achilles tendonitis accounts for around 11% of all running injuries. The Achilles tendon is the large tendon at the back of the ankle. It connects the large calf muscles (Gastrocnemius and Soleus) to the heal bone (calcaneus) and provides the power in the push off phase of the gait cycle. The achilles tendon can become inflamed through overuse as well as a number of contributory factors. The Achilles tendon has a poor blood supply which is why it is slow to heal. Achilles tendoinitis can be acute or chronic. Acute achilles tendinotis may happen as a result of overuse or training too much, too soon especially on hard surfaces or up hills. Image 1 - achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscles

Symptoms of achilles tendonitis (tendinitis)

Symptoms for acute inflammation of the Achilles tendon are:

• Pain on the tendon during exercise. Achilles pain will gradually come on with prolonged exercise but will go away with rest.
• Swelling over the Achilles tendon.
• Redness over the skin.
• You can sometimes feel a creaking when you press your fingers into the tendon and move the foot.

Chronic achilles tendinitis may often follow on from acute achilles tendinitis if the acute tendon injury is not treated properly or allowed to heal. Chronic Achilles tendonitis is a difficult condition to treat, particularly in older athletes who appear to suffer more often. The pains experienced during the acute phase of the injury tend to disappear after a warm up but return when training has stopped. Eventually the injury gets worse and worse until it is impossible to run.

Symptoms for chronic Achilles tendonitis are similar to those of acute tendonitis as well as:

• Pain and stiffness in the Achilles tendon especially in the morning. This pain may be described as diffuse along the tendon rather than specific.
• There may nodules or lumps in the achilles tendon, particularly 2cm above the heel.
• Pain in the tendon when walking especially up hill or up stairs.
• Chronic tendonotis differs from acute tendinitis in that it is more of a long term persistent problem.

Causes of achilles tendinitis

• Overuse. Too much too soon is the basic cause of overuse injuries, however other factors can make an overuse injury more likely.
• Running up hills will mean the achilles tendon has to stretch more than normal on every stride. This is fine for a while but will mean the tendon will fatigue sooner than normal.
• Overpronation or feet which roll in can place an increased strain on the achilles tendon. As the foot rolls in (flattens) the lower leg rotates inwards also which twists the achilles tendon place twisting stresses as well as stresses along its length.
• Wearing high heels consistantly and then expecting to run 5 miles in flat running shoes puts abnormal strain on the achilles tendon making it stretch further than it is comfortable.

Treatment of achilles tendonitis (tendinitis)

What can the athlete do?

• Rest and apply cold therapy or ice (not directly onto the skin).
• Wear a heel pad to raise the heel and take some of the strain off the achilles tendon. This should be a temporary measure while the achilles tendon is healing.
• See a sports injury professional who can advise on treatment and rehabilitation.

What can a Sports Injury Therapist or Doctor do?

• Prescribe anti-inflammatory medication.
• Identify the causes and prescribe orthotics or a change in training methods.
• Tape the back of the leg to support the tendon.
• Apply a plaster cast if it is really bad.
• Use ultrasound treatment.
• Apply sports massage techniques.
• Prescribe a rehabilitation programme.
• Some might give a steroid injection however an injection directly into the tendon is not recommended. Some specialists believe this can increase the risk of a total rupture.
• Scan with an MRI or Ultrasound - see latest research for more info.

If you look after this injury early enough you should make a good recovery. It is important you rehabilitate the tendon properly after it has recovered or the injury will return. If you ignore the early warning signs and do not look after this injury then it may become chronic which is very difficult to treat.

from The Virtual Sports Injury Clinic