Achilles Tendon Pain Prevention Tips for Runners
Whether you are preparing for a marathon or 5 KM, your body takes on added stress on your muscles, joints, and tendons as your race nears and you increase your training volume. Being mindful of early warning signs of injury can go a long way towards keeping your training on track.
If you do a lot of hill training or incorporate sprint work into your workouts, you may be putting extra strain on your Achilles tendon. Pain behind the ankle or in the heel may be related to the Achilles tendon. Learning why Achilles injuries occur and making small training adjustments can reduce your risk of a lengthy recovery.
Resource: my.clevelandclinic.org
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What Is the Achilles Tendon?
The Achilles tendon is a strong band of tissue that attaches your calf muscle to the heel bone. This tendon is critical for walking, running, jumping, and plantar flexion (pointing the foot down). The repeated load of running puts significant demand on the tendon. This happens when training places more stress on the Achilles tendon than it can tolerate.
Achilles tendinosis involves degeneration or breakdown of tendon collagen due to repetitive stress. Some risk factors include:
- Calf muscle weakness
- Excessive sprinting
- Excessive hill running
- Raising training volume too quickly
- Not allowing enough rest between hard workouts
Your age and gender can influence your Achilles tendon injury risk, but you can’t control them much. You can, however, manage your calf strength and training habits.
How Can I Identify Achilles Tendon Pain?
Achilles tendon pain often develops gradually over multiple runs rather than from a single run.
Typically, pain occurs between the calf and heel. Running, standing on your toes, or pushing off the ground may increase the discomfort.
Other possible Achilles tendon symptoms include:
- Pain or stiffness in the area around the Achilles tendon
- Swelling at the back of the ankle
- Sensitivity to touch on the tendon
- Swelling or tenderness on the tendon itself
- Popping or grinding sounds at the back of the ankle
Ignoring symptoms can make it increasingly difficult to keep up with your training. An evaluation can help identify potential causes and decide which adjustments are appropriate.
How Can Runners Prevent Achilles Tendon Problems?
Assess Your Workouts
Training mistakes are a major contributor to many overuse injuries. Try to keep mileage changes below 30 percent over any two-week period. If you typically run on flat roads, ease into hill running. Sprint workouts require a lot of energy from the calves and Achilles tendon. Allow yourself some time to adjust before adding harder or more frequent speedwork.
Avoid scheduling demanding hill and speed workouts back-to-back. Your recovery days are just as important as your workout days, since your body needs time to respond to the stimuli you give it. Rest isn’t wasted!
Strengthen Your Calves
Calf strength can help your Achilles handle the stresses of running. The single-leg heel drop is a great way to improve your calf strength. Stand on a step with the balls of your feet resting on it and your heels hanging off the edge. Use both legs to move up onto your toes. Move one foot off the step, then slowly lower yourself down using the other leg until your heel drops below the step and you feel a stretch in your calf.
Move slowly through this phase. Work up to three sets of 15 repetitions per leg. Perform the single-leg heel drop with your knee straight and also with your knee bent.
If you have pain, weakness, or aren’t sure you are doing the movement correctly, ask a physical therapist to teach you the movement first.
When Should I See a Physical Therapist for Achilles Pain?
Achilles pain doesn’t necessarily require a long layoff from running, but addressing it as soon as possible can help. A physical therapist can evaluate your ankle range of motion, calf strength, running mechanics, training schedule, and more to determine the possible causes of your Achilles pain.
They can then design a treatment plan based on their evaluation findings and your running goals. This might include strength and mobility exercises, training modifications, and tips to help you return to running as quickly and safely as possible.
Addressing your Achilles pain early could help you avoid an issue that requires a prolonged absence from running.
When to Seek Professional Support for Achilles Pain
Marathon, half marathon, and 5K training places significant stress on your body from week to week. Building your mileage, planning hill and speed workouts, prioritizing recovery, and strengthening your calves will better prepare your Achilles for the demands it faces.
At Peake Physical Therapy, we can evaluate your Achilles pain and symptoms, identify potential causes, and help you return to comfortable running. Contact Peake Physical Therapy to make an appointment.