What is Achilles tendinopathy?
Achilles Tendinopathy (also known as Achilles tendinitis) is a condition that causes pain in the thick tendon that joins your heel bone to your calf muscles. It is a relatively common soft tissue complaint causing pain, stiffness and swelling of the tendon, and affects people of all ages, both athletes and non-athletes.
What causes Achilles tendinopathy?
Causes of Achilles tendinopathy are not completely understood but we know it occurs when a tendon is unable to adapt to the strain being put through it. Sometimes it starts after an injury or strain to the area and it is commonly caused by overloading the tendon, for example suddenly increasing your activity levels.
You are more at risk of developing Achilles tendinopathy if you have tight and weak calf muscles, stiff ankle joints, diabetes or are overweight,
What can I do about it?
Footwear: Wearing supportive footwear with good shock absorbency is important. Sometimes a temporary heel lift can help offload the tendon and help reduce symptoms.
Pain relief: Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen or anti-inflammatory gels may be helpful to control the pain and allow you to continue exercising. Discuss this with your GP or Pharmacist.
In the initial stages some people find ice effective in reducing their pain. Apply an icepack 2-3 times a day for about 15 minutes but make sure the ice is not in direct contact with the skin.
Exercise: Initially avoiding high impact activities that aggravate the pain such as hill walking or running may be useful but it is important to keep up with less aggravating exercise. Research has shown that doing specific strengthening exercises can improve your symptoms.
What can I do if my none of the above works and my pain persists?
Often, Achilles pain with settle down within 6-12 weeks. However sometimes chronic Achilles tendinopathy develops, which persists beyond this time frame can occur when the normal tendon healing response fails, leading to degeneration of collagen.
Shockwave therapy combined with a progressive strengthening programme is the best non-invasive treatment option for chronic Achilles tendinopathy when other treatment options have failed. It is safe, has minimal side effects and is highly effective, with most people seeing large reductions in pain within 3-6 sessions.
How does shockwave therapy work?
A hand-held device is moved over a conductive gel on the skin to send mechanical pressure pulses, known as shockwaves, to the Achilles. It kickstarts a healing reaction that has otherwise stalled and offers pain relief so that you can get back to your normal physical activities, which will ultimately make your Achilles resilient to future demands.
Outcomes are improved if underlying bio-mechanical/strength issues are also assessed and corrected so this treatment is offered as part of a holistic osteopathy package with Kate.
To book in with Kate please call 01444 410944 or use the online booking at the top of this page. Kate is also happy to discuss with you whether treatment is suitable for your condition. Please contact us for more details.
Pricing:
Introductory offer is £60 for osteopathy plus Shockwave with Kate for an initial consultation
Shockwave therapy comes in packs of 3 or 6 treatments as this is needed to get the complete researched results as per NICE guidelines.
Pack of 3: Special offer is £180 (save £69)
Pack of 6: Special offer is £340 (save £159)
Full pricing when introductory offer finishes
Osteopathy plus Shockwave therapy £90 with Kate for initial consultation
Pack of 3: £249
Pack of 6: £499
Evidence for use of shockwave for Achilles tendinopathy
The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in lower limb tendinopathy: a systematic review.
Mani-Babu S1, Morrissey D2, Waugh C1, Screen H3, Barton C4.
Am J Sports Med. 2015 Mar;43(3):752-61. doi: 10.1177/0363546514531911. Epub 2014 May 9.
High-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy.
Furia JP1.
Am J Sports Med. 2006 May;34(5):733-40.
Effectiveness and Safety of Shockwave Therapy in Tendinopathies
Dedes V, Stergioulas A, Kipreos G, Dede AM, Mitseas A, Panoutsopoulos GI.
Mater Sociomed. 2018 Jun;30(2):131-146. doi: 10.5455/msm.2018.30.141-146.
Effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in three major tendon diseases
Carulli C, Tonelli F, Innocenti M, Gambardella B, Muncibì F, Innocenti M.
J Orthop Traumatol. 2016 Mar;17(1):15-20. doi: 10.1007/s10195-015-0361-z. Epub 2015 Jul 2.
