Achilles Tendonitis Is NOT A Tendon Problem
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- čas přidán 4. 10. 2017
- www.TendonitisExpert.com/achi...
Your doctors will focus on the tendon if you have achilles tendon pain. They'll blame the tendon like it's the cause of the pain.
If the achilles tendon hurts you must have an achilles tendon problem, right?
Wrong.
Pain shows up for certain reasons, and the achilles tendon pain is a symptom of those reasons, those causes.
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Really good video that makes good sense. Best one on Achilles Tendonitis I have seen. Now I understand the underlying cause, I know what to do in response. Thank you.
Thank you for this excellent video, @TendontisExpert. Question - is it safe to play soccer or run if you are experiencing manageable tendon pain? Can you heal while continuing to be active?
I suffered from this for years. I went to the gym significantly overweight with a very sedentary lifestyle. The shoes I was using were not helping either. I did some stretches and changed my shoes and it went away in less than a year.
R u completely Ok now???
Please reply🥺🥺
Yes please reply
Chronic tendinitis is typically caused by a mechanical problem in the leg that is causing there to be more strain on the achiles tendon , over time. For instance...if the ankle is tight in dorsiflexion, that with put additional strain on the tendon during gait. Also , if the muscles in the posterior chain ie , foot / hamstring / glutes are weak then the next muscle in that chain tries to naturally compensate. This eventually leads to excess loading, microtears and inflammation.
Fix the mechanical issue , then the achiles will fix itself...
Duane, I think you are right. It is a mechanical problem along the leg. When sitting on a chair with knee bent, I dorsiflex, no pain. But when sitting on a chair with straight knee, I dorsiflex, this creates pain, close to the heel area. Do you think tightness on the hamstring or which muscle is causing it?
Chronic tendinopathy is not caused by a "mechanical problem in the leg" if it is persistent problem or if it happens "over time". Tendons generally like tension and tension generally causes tendons to become stronger to withstand the load, if the increased load happens slowly enough over time. Tendons do not "understand" where the load comes from, any load in the same direction is as good asy any load whether it comes from the fact you are standing on your leg or from the fact your posterior chain is tight and tugs on it.
Tests on mice show that if you artificially put a constant strain on a tendon, that tendon becomes stronger.
Chronic tendinopathy is caused by the person occasionally putting too high load on the tendon which may be a result of sudden change in mechanical pattern even at the same level of exercise intensity. For example, this might be a person that is not exercising consistently or *sometimes* does something very different from his/her usual exercise pattern.
For example, a person might be regularly having problem with the tendon, then try to significantly reduce exercise load, then when tendon seems to be ok (pain stopped) he is again increasing the load too fast leading to reoccurrence of the problem.
And the occurrence itself might look pretty inoccuous, for example, a pain in one leg might cause the runner to shift more of his weight to the other leg, subconsciously.
Another example, the runner increased the length of his Sunday run but his muscles are not strong enough and as he is progressing further than in the past his form has degraded and is now using different mechanics putting significantly more strain on some tendons that were not normally loaded when he had good running form.
In general tendinopathy is always caused by too much load on the tendon but there are multiple reasons for why the tendon got loaded too much.
You're putting stretch on two different calf muscles. With bent knee, the soleus is the primary calf muscle working (sounds like this is not tight for you). With straight leg, your gastroc is the primary calf muscle (this sounds like it is the culprit).
@tonytieu1
Thank you Doctor! You literally laid out a recovery roadmap to get me back on the basketball court!
Not a doctor, but thanks, yes I did!
This was actually very helpful. I have had a hurting tight painful to the touch achillies for about a year now from basketball but I just recently realized that this all might be because of a very short and tight calf. I cant even point my toes because my foot cramps at the arch.
Yeah...that's problematic. It's all about tightness, ultimately.
This is a brilliant insight. Thanks for sharing
This makes so much sense. Thank you.
I have Achilles Tendinitis. Thank you for this advice! Rest didn’t solve it. Calf stretches help and now I know why. I recently stopped taking magnesium as I ran out and forgot to order more.
The best video on Achilles tendonitis!!
i had an ingrown toenail, that made me position my foot in supination (while, playing badminton, ...) in order to avoid pain in my big toe. Even though the ingrown nail got fixed, it seems that I have adapted this muscle "pattern" and this caused a tendonitis mostly on the outside of the calcaneus where the tendon meets the bone. What really helped: activating the pronating muscles (which takes the stress from the tendon) + what you said = the muscles and surrounding tissue is basically stuck in a shortened and tight position and can't relax anymore.
Yep. The body adapts as best it can. But unfortunately, it's not great at re-adapting back towards a good direction when the 'cause' of 'bad' adaptations are corrected.
Well said regarding issues further away from the epic centre of where the pain seems to be occurring. Another example of this is when I had runners knee last year. It was not the knee that was the issue but a weakness of the IT band muscles pulling tendons away from the knee. It's all relative.
Awesome video. Most I've learned about the topic. Is this related to foot cramping in my arch when I arch my foot?
Yes. Muscles are already too tight and presumably the ones in feet are overloaded (already contracted) and then told to contract even more (because more 'strength' is needed), so it contracts too much (cramp).
Great info my dr says I have 2 micro tears after MRI, now I’m wearing a boot, however the day I got the boot I was fine spin cycle and walking but not running I use to run 4 miles a day
You may want to get to work on improving the 'bad' ecology of the lower leg that has caused those two micro tears, and keep them micro (and prevent them from becoming actual tear tears). Running isn't the problem. The problem is that your muscles aren't working correctly, so not absorbing force like they should be, and that force is going somewhere not designed to take all that force.....the spots where the microtears are happening.
@@TendonitisExpert, thanks for answering... so in general terms that means lengthening the calf muscles to start with if there were a step number one.
In general terms, I wouldn't limit it to just the calf muscles, but that would be an ok step one.
Thank you for your explanation, doctor 🇨🇭🇨🇭🇨🇭
I'm definitely not a doctor, but you're welcome!
I currently have this problem on my two feet. It is at the same level as my ankle joint and at the back.They are quite warm compare to the rest of my foot. I am unable to stand due to the sharp pain cause by it. Even bending backward is very painful but forward is tolerable. Massaging/pressing it is very painful. The weird part is I could feel it beating at the same pace as my heart when I raised my feet higher than the heart. It happened right after I woke up one morning, I did not exercise or did anything strenuous. Before this, I had a fever though it lasted 1 day.
I could barely go to the toilet.
Well....blood clot/DVT isn't likely to happen on both legs at the exact same time, but heat and pain and sudden pain are symptoms of DVT, and feeling the pulse with the heart beat, while not a symptom of DVT, wouldn't be surprising. I don't know your health status/history etc, but pretty much anybody describing your symptoms and scenario, I'd recommend they go to the doctor or ER and get the ultrasound test to rule out blood clot/DVT. Get that life threatening risk uled that out, and then let's talk.
I've had this for ages, I'm think it's to do with correspondence from tightness as you say. Ive spent so much on shoe wedges etc to no avail and it comes back to the same stiffness every morning
Shoe wedges/heel lifts are a terrible idea. Maybe ok to get you through a day on one's feet....but anybody prescribing a heel lift is showing their ignorance of why you have pain in the first place. Well, proving that they have no idea how to fix the problem, anyway.
It makes sense that it comes back to the same stiffness every morning. Nothing is getting better, nothing is being done to make the stiffness go away. Heel lifts certainly don't add anything beneficial to a pain dynamic, and one can easily argue that they make things worse (over time).
How does this not have more views?!?! I have watch dozens of videos and have been going to PT for months. My Achilles pain is almost gone after this video. Here I have been focusing on the Achillies and confused why I have been having such painful muscle contractions. Now to focus on nutrition. Thanks for the video!!
It's all about the muscle! (which of course includes tightness, inflammation process, and lack of nutrition)
Hey! What exactly did you do that your pain is now gone? I have the same problem :(
What are your thoughts on a boot used at night to keep foot in dorsiflexion to decrease Achilles pain? Is that effective?
It's a good thing in the short term, to keep the structure lengthened. Too tight muscles try to contract (shorten) while you sleep, so keeping them lengthened can be good. May or may not be 'effective' per se, depends, but it's good for what it's good for. WHILE you do effective strategies to fix the causes of the problem.
Thank you thank you a lot found my answers and treatment. Much love to you❤❤❤
What about Achilles pain that is higher right below the calf muscle! I have seen tons of info on the lower Achilles but there’s nothing on high Achilles pain. I get extreme pain after I do a normal three mile run and it’s always right beneath the calf between the heal. All pics point to the Achilles but all focus is on the lower attachment. Any help?
THere's no real difference if pain is at the lower or higher part of the achilles tendon, the overall dynamic is the same: too tight muscle and connective tissue, chronic inflammation process, and nutritional lack. There are of course small variances that result in pain showing up in different places, but again, the overall dynamic is the problem, not where you hurt (which is just a symptom of the larger problem).
Wow. Yep, that's an uncommon but very dangers scenario that can mimic some tendonitis/plantar fasciitis symptoms. Definitely worth watching out for. Redness, heat, a different kind of pain you'd only know is different from tendonitis pain if you were familiar with tendonitis-type pain, are symptoms to look out for, always.
As as you experienced, any particular doctor is only as good as that particular doctor is. There's better, and there's worse.
I am a ballet dancer, with Achilles tendinitis. Everyone told me to rest because that would “make it better” so I took 3 months off from dancing every day, and guess what? It’s the same. I appreciate that you pointed out the ineffectiveness of rest. Is stretching the way to go? Is that the best fix to get rid of this?
Rest doesn't fix tendonitis, ever. See: www.TendonitisExpert.com/rest.html But it's very common bad advice. Stretching can be helpful, even preventative, even 'a fix' if done early enough and enough enough. But past a certain point, at best it's helpful. Past that poin, it's ineffective. Maybe still helpful, but ineffective.
So what are you suggesting to do??
In the comment of this comment thread, I'm suggesting that people fix the three primary causes of tendonitis symptoms. Rest doesn't do that. At all.
@@TendonitisExpert Hello, you do mention 3 primary causes but you do not give any solutions how to fix them. Is video just a bite to book that book?
Great video! Thanks!!
So makes sense what you're saying. I have Achilles tendinitis, strange since I don't run. There are several reasons why I get sore in that specific area.
1. I work on concrete floors 12hrs per day.
2. I wear steel capped boots ( extremely heavy) bulky boots.
3. I also have very flat feet. "I was fated for pain"
4. Weak muscles and prone to cramping.
5. Aging and lack of key nutrients.
Why I mentioned concrete floors, heavy work boots and flat feet. I get sore feet & legs standing and walking on concrete it doesn't help that I wear very heavy boots that are flat just like my flat feet. All these factors puts strain on my calves which causes the inflammation in my Achilles. I think age also plays a part too. Oh and it's funny you mention magnesium cause I was thinking about getting me some preferably to bathe in cause that's what my grandfather use to do for aching muscles. Isn't it a quicker way to get the magnesium you need? not sure but I'm going to try it.
Hi Tivo.
Those are all secondary factors, maybe.
1. Working on concrete floors isn't an issue when your muscles/structures are working properly.
2. Boots aren't ideal, but again, not a problem when muscles/structures are working properly.
3. Were you born with flat feet? If not, they're flat because your muscles/strctures werent working properly and your arches flattened.
4. Why weak, and why prone to cramping? Likely answer: because muscles stuck too tight/contracted so have little/reduced potential to produce work. Cramping comes from that, as well as lack of magnesium.
5. Aging to a degree maybe, but not a primary factor. Lack of key nutrients over decades absolutely is a primary factor.
Running isn't a requirement to getting lower leg/foot pain/problem.
very nice,,,,it is explain everything
Ive had AT for 3 years now. I massage my legs and achilles every day just so I can walk. If I don't massage and stretch the calves and surrounding, I cant function.
Tightness = reduced function. The tighter muscle/connective tissue is, the less well it is able to function.
Sounds like the valuable part here in the video for you, is the nutrition aspect. Without enough of the right nutrition, muscles can't relax and/or stay relaxed. So you have to keep massaging just to tread water.
For instance, see: www.TendonitisExpert.com/magnesium-for-tendonitis.html
I had Achilles tendinitis and limped for 10 months Doc told me to operate on my heel ......the second time I went straight away to a Physio and he massaged my calf muscles to a point that I could almost not stand it ..... after two days the tendinitis was gone ...... a lot of doctors these days are dangerously incompetent
That's why I call it a tendonitis dynamic. Various factors cause symptoms. Removing or decreasing one or more of those factors can decrease symptoms.
Everybody you're going to get information from about anything is going to be from a stranger, so....if the information is good? Yes, you will.
Just be careful with massages. I used a massage gun on both my calves (I have bilateral achilles tendintis) and it made my situation way worse.
Made it worse how?
I developed insertion achilles tendinitis in both heels after I started to use a massage gun on my flat feet and calves.
Very interesting! I have had chronic achilles tendonitis for the last year. I've just come back from my consult with a physiotherapist, the first treatment he gave me was massage and release of my calf muscles (surprisingly very painful, so that bears out what you're saying). I now have an ongoing course of weekly treatments (calf muscle release + stretching + acupuncture needling to get blood supply going into the tendon itself). So far, so good. Also taking a magnesium supplement.
Keep at it. Keep us updated.
It can also be because 1 leg is shorter than the other, a chiropractor or physiotherapist can diagnose this, and wearing the wrong shoes.
Almost nobody has an anatomically shorter leg (shorter bone). It's almost always a rotated pelvic bone pulling a leg up (or down) in relation to the other one. Chiropractors love the 'shorter leg' thing, hopefully physiotherapists are better about calling it a 'shorter leg'.
I don’t have pain anymore in my tendon. I can do calf raises without pain. Whenever i do any sort of agility training it feels as if my tendon has lost it’s quick twitch. Almost as if it is unresponsive. Can you explain this?
Tendons don't have any fast twitch. Or slow twitch. Please describe more what you're talking about. What exactly feels unresponsive? (Tendons aren't responsive)
I can do calf raises on my leg with tendinitis just fine but when I try to do jumps on my leg with tendonitis it feels slow. My left leg as a whole is not as agile as my right but I’m trying to figure out if it is tendonitis.
Probably is slow. If you have tendonitis, your muscles are too tight. LIke a half squeezed sponge, you have less 'squeeze' potential left. So you have less muscle fibers available to contract and help you jump.
that makes perfect sense...too bad my dr. dosnt have a clue
Nor to they take 15 minutes and investigate to improve their tool box (which somehow makes it even more 'too bad'. Millions of people suffer needlessly, while paying to get told to rest, use anti-inflammatories, splints and braces, surgery, etc.
Thanks for the info I got eyestrain from a young age does this concept go for the strain in my eyes also where by I need to stop using my for hours in order for my strain to go
Ultimately yes the concept is the same. Muscle get 'strained', which means they get tighter and tighter (and stay tighter). You 'have' to stop because the muscles can't work enough to do the job, because theyre stuck tight they're constantly fatigued, etc.
I’ve been a toe walker for about 10 years or so and have very tight calves and muscles just all around. Hurt my left Achilles playing soccer trying to plant my foot and just felt a sharp pain and was able to play thru it for ab 2 months then reinjured it about a month ago after falling playing soccer and my foot went into plantar flexión (best I can explain it) I’ve rested since then and did some PT and experienced less pain but now the right Achilles is starting to feel the same pain just in a less degree so I think I’m going to try and address the tighter calves and lower leg muscles to see if that can finally bring me back to full/close to full recovery. About a month into recovery atm I just have no clue about my timetable tho. Does your program include a timetable should I provide adequate info about my situation and timeline of my injury?
Also just a question if you don’t mind answering but why are you against eccentric exercises?
Yes, definitely address tight calves and other lower leg muscles.
But...do you have a torn tendon? Partial or complete?
I'm not against eccentric exercises, it's just that they're only good for what they're good for.
@@TendonitisExpert not sure yet in terms of the status of the tendon I should be going to the doctor soon though
Thank you. Looking forward to more.
Achilles tendinitis plantar fasciitis charley horse I am suffering from all this the pain Crome knee below all the way to my foot I don’t take any medication doing stretch excessive but no result. What do you suggest ?
I suggest the Reversing Achilles Tendonitis program. There are reasons for your symptoms, those reasons must be effectively addressed if you want to recover.
When stretching doesn't help, there's reasons for that. Specifically, the muscles mechanically can't relax/loosen.
I've had it for 10 months now. But it has gotten better like 80% but can't get rid of it 100%. Can I still keep running (just easy runs?) It is really sore for first 5-7 minutes into run and then I feel nothing. And in the morning it is soo stiff and sore again.
You can keep running, but it's (predictably) going to continue to progress. But it's going to continue to progress if you just sit on the couch for a year too, just slower/you won't notice because less active on your feet.
Stiffness, sore till it warms up, etc. All part of the pattern/mechanism. That's just how it works.
How do you fix all three causes?
That requires too long of an answer for here.
Having said that, here is the answer: www.TendonitisExpert.com/reversing-achilles-tendonitis.html
Buy the book to find out lol
Yep.
Homeopathy helps a lot because it brings the nutriments missing .....it is important to understand that the carency In such or such nutriment is
How much, say, vitamin D is provided by a homeopathy remedy?
Marathon runner here. My Achilles went tight on mile 18. I couldn’t run any further. Had scans as advised it was ruptured. It wasn’t so here I am being told to just rest ! Please help, so I rest or stretch as I’ve New York marathon soon
If you have 100% ruled out a rip/tear, that's a very good thing. If your brain has locked the muscles down (constant contraction), it's because there's a tear or the brain was afraid a tear was about to happen.
Rest isn't going to help you finish a marthon (specific to this scenario). Stretching may or may not help, depending.
Marathons are serious business. So is keeping your body/machine in working shape. Currently, yours isn't and needs, minimally hopefully, a tune up.
I suggest you get my Reversing Achilles Tendonitis program, and get to serious work with it. Short term benefit is getting back on the road, long term benefit is staying on the road.
You don't have achilles tendonitis per se, but the program is the entire lower leg (and foot) (and system too, to some degree).
www.TendonitisExpert.com/reversing-achilles-tendonitis.html
How long before it will heal? Its already 2yrs now and mine is still painful
Do you have a rip/tear? If not, there's nothing to heal. Plantar Fasciitis symptoms are from decreased function of the ecology of the lower leg.
If you did have a rip or tear two years ago, then the actual injury has healed as much as it's going to, and the problem is, again, primarily a decrease of the lower leg's ability to function properly/optimally.
I have had IAT for 2 years with no avail. (Diagnosed with IAT with nothing shown in x-ray, but to give context, pain is in both heels at the bottom edge of inner calcaneus bone). Rest and ice has not done me much good (I wear foot pillows and ice boots).
Just started PT 3 months ago and am doing isometric exercises and working on strengthening calves, glutes, and hips. According to PT, I have 5°/20 dorsiflection.
Wondering if you or anyone watching this has advice, experience, or had results with
1) dexamethasone / iontophoresis (ions)
2) shockwave therapy
3) cold laser treatment
4) or others like taping, massage therapy, yada yada
Does it ever heal? What types of nutritional deficiencies contribute to this issue, if any?
Thanks for the video!
Hi Katie.
Xray isn't really going to show aything tendon related.
Does it ever heal? ONLY if you remove the causes of the pain/problem. The pain there at the achilles insertion is just a symptom, it is not the point of problem.
Iontophoresis isn't going to help fix anything.
Cold laser (which they will do at the site of pain) isn't going to help fix anything.
Shockwave isn't something I'm a big fan of, as it's mostly done 'to heal the tendon'.
Taping, not even maybe.
Massage therapy and the calves/glues/hips/etc that's happening at the PT is on the good end of effective options (if done right, if done enough, etc).
Nutrition is generally a big factor. Massage, stretching, etc cant work if the body doesn't have enough magnesium, for instance.
Thanks for the quick reply!
Ok, yes I realized X-ray didn’t show anything and that’s one of the reasons I never knew I had IAT. Read that ultrasound/mris show more.
Anyways, hmm. What should individuals with IAT do? I will keep doing PT and isometrics until I get to the next stage of PT exercises and just wait and see I suppose. I think that having it for 2 years makes me more impatient and wanting a quick fix, which is often never reality.
Aside from nutritional deficiencies (I am plant based so…), which I’ll be better at monitoring, is there anything else I should be doing other than PT? I see that some of those treatments might not be solutions but only temporary pain relievers. But is there anything other than PT? What else is on the good side of the spectrum of effectiveness?
Thanks again! Very helpful
Admittedly I'm biased, but I think you should get and start working with the Reversing Achilles Tendonitis program.
IAT, 'regular' achilles tendonitis, etc, all caused by the same factors. To fix the problem (which is not the achilles nor the insertion), one must get rid of the causes of the problem. In my experience, PT just isn't going to achieve that. Doesn't sound like PT has done that (though there's no reason not to keep working on the glutes and hips...although 'strengthening' the calves is kind of wasted effort).
I sprained my ankle a month ago and have been trying to heal but my Achilles is always hurting when I try to stretch it or stand on my toes
Inflammation process = pain and tightness. Then muscle isn't as functional as it/they should be. Then tendon takes load it shouldn't be. Then more inflammation. Repeat.
So what you're saying is that large numbers of specialized doctors and research studies focused on sports medicine at prestigious institutions don't know what they're talking about and the answers are in your book? I'll pass.
What I actually say is that If you work with them and get results, great! If you don't for weeks months years decades, like the people I work with, then I'll be here for you.
You are a gennius! This probably will help me with my patients!
I have this problem. So what is a first step to end this???
I don't know what to do, i have spend for tons of money and no results :(((
That's the problem with doctors and PT's and lots of products out there....no money back guarantee.
The Reversing Achilles Tendonitis Program comes with a no questions asked money back guarantee. www.TendonitisExpert.com/reversing-achilles-tendonitis.html
I developed tendonitis because of lifting heavy weights for my legs and doing incline treadmill too often, like 6 days a week, causing wear on my tendon. I cut out both these things but after a month nothing has gotten better. What should I do?
Or, your muscles got too tight to be functional as they should be, inflammation process kicked in and made things hurt and tight, and nutritional lack (pre-existing) got worse as tightness and inflammation ate up needed nutrition.
I'd get the Reversing Achilles Tendonitis program (and get to work with it) and reverse those three factors so function returns and pain goes away.
Hello I have a lump on my tendon and it's burning is that normal? I have been doing a lot of walking in the pool for exercise surprise since my hypothesis quit working a year and a 1/2 ago from a hiking accident so I so I went into atrophy quite badly badly. Well to exercise again I feel as though it is an old injury also from breaking my ankle. Is any advice would be greatly appreciated
I’ve got that as well they said it was bursitis and I’m constantly ice packing it an it helps. You possibly have the same as me. Try getting rid of the inflammation in the area.
Is a sharp pain in the heel when bending over 1) achilles tendonitis, or 2) plantar fasciitis? Or both? Or neither?
Well, I wouldn't call is specifically either of those, though it would lean towards the 'achilles' side of things. Said another way, I wouldn't call it achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis (even though you feel it at the heel where the achilles connects). But, tendonitis is a dynamic of multiple factors, one of those factors is 'too tight muscle and connective tissue'. It's a safe bet that some amount of one or more sheets of connective tissue (we're one big interwoven web of connective tissue from head to toe) is too tight such that when you bend over to touch the floor, the connective tissue structure(s) doesn't lengthen like it's supposed to and it's pulling too hard at that spot where you feel it. Of course, connective tissue wraps muscle fibers, so some amount of muscle is too tight too...which means muscle isn't functioning as well as it should. Ultimately you're noticing an early symptom of the overall tendonitis dynamic...it could take months or years or decades to progress to full blown, diagnosable tendonitis.
I salute you, sir. Last night I went ahead and bought your Reversing Achilles Tendonitis book just to be safe.
Great. As I tend to say.....do the work, get the results.
Did you get good results?
Is it a bad idea to do a calf stretch for 2 minutes when you have Insertional Achilles Tendonitis, the pain is somewhat significant on the tendon at a specific point when stretching but I also have Plantar Fasciitis in the same foot so it seems like I need to stretch it severeal times a day for 2 minutes
Does stretching several times a day for 2 minutes help? Is it improving things? Doesn't sound like it.
Is the stretching making it worse? Probably not, if you're being gentle about it.
But if it's not making it the dynamic better....at best it's just helping to keep you limp along while things slowly get worse.
If you’re doing stretching alone it’s only a temporary fix. I highly suggest seeing a GOOD massage therapist along with these stretches. Make a few appts a few days apart. Some people have their pain fully gone by 1-3 appts esp plantar fasciitis work
Does it matter what type of magnesium?
Not particularly. I generally go with 'not magnesium oxide' as it's less bioavailable (but some argue there is more in it so it comes out to about the same). malate, chelate, glycinate, citrate are the ones I rotate between.
The magnesium in epsom salts (hot epsom salt baths) is absorbed through the skin. It doesn't last long, but it's an effective way of getting it into the body.
I recently got injured and I think it is Achilles tendinitis but my leg feels tight and my Achilles band feels weak what can I do?
Say more about 'my achilles band feels weak'.
I was told that my problem is the 'insertional achilles tendonitis' does this cover also?
Yes it covers that. Where you feel the pain is just where you notice the symptom(s). It's a whole lower leg ecology issue. Make the ecology better and symptoms go away.
Gosh I can a running injury just like this and it kinda destroyed my career. I wish I had known this.
Knowldege is power, they say. Possibly 'knowledge at the right time when it's needed' is more accurate.
Do you have actual rip/tear injury? Or just disabling pain (preventing you from running)?
I have been having issues with Achilles tendinitis. Does the shoe I wore for work has something to do with it?
Shoes may have something to do with it. If you suddenly have new shoes and the status quo of your feet/lower legs can't handle the change.
In general, over time, shoes aren't great for feet, between the padding the the heel raise affecting a variety of factors.
But ultimately achilles issues are a function of the lower leg's inability to function properly (a little or a lot).
If there is an actual lump on the achilles tendon does that mean that its partially torn and would a tear need surgery?
It may mean that, but doesn't have to mean that. Lumps/enlargement can happen without a partial tear (but does generally include micro wear and tear).
@@TendonitisExpert OK, thanks. Can a damaged tendon ever regain 100% of its original strength or does damage permanently weaken the tendon?
Technically no, it nevers heals back 'as good as new'. But there's lots of gradiation to your question...how much damage, what kind of damage, where, etc.
Most people ultimately really only care about a. being pain free and B. being able to perform work/hobby/sports (without pain, of course).
I have a question and hope you can help. I get ankle pain from old injuries however I did tweak my ankle Feb2020. I would get ankle pains on the sides and my Achilles would swell up. Sometimes my Achilles would just swell without pain. I’ve iced, heated, elevated, compressed and massaged it out but still swells up every other week. Any advice helps! Thank You. You
Give me an update and then let's go from there.
Hi Doc,
How do you get rid of the tightness? Would the massage gun help?
Great video though. And thanks in advance.
A massage gun may or may not help. Depends on where your tendonitis dynamic is at (how 'bad' it is). Try it for a week and let us know what happens.
@@TendonitisExpert I feel pain, but rehab is the best way to to go I guess.
I'll keep you guys updated
@Cricket Chronicles, any update?
I used to have pain directly on the Achilles. A few months I started experiencing a great amount of pain where it connects to the heel. Once I was no longer able to walk I Used a slant board to stretch my calves and I had instant relief I was amazed. Currently some days I’m completely fine others I have slight pain. Usually when I don’t keep up with stretching the problem arises. Hopefully it goes away as I strengthen my tibialis also.
Tightness is the enemy. You stretched and got benefit. Good!
If you continue to stretch and you continue to improve, and then you can stop stretching for a good amount of time )or occasional stretching to keep things good, that's great.
If you have to goinglingly regularly frequently stretch to keep improvement, that gives weight to the other two factors (inflamation and nutritional lack) that keeps the muscles from being able to stay long/loose/relaxed.
Keep us updated.
@@TendonitisExpert Thanks for the consideration. I don't think it's nutrition-related unless I have problems absorbing what I need from my diet and vitamins but I do notice a difference of im not eating well/ forgetting my supplements. I've been doing ice baths to combat any inflammation so that seems to help. I think inflammation and tightness are the root causes probably from overdoing it on the jump rope.
Yeah, people pretty much never think nutrition/nutrients are a factor.
Thus I commonly say something like: If you have to goinglingly regularly frequently stretch to keep improvement, that gives weight to the other two factors (inflamation and nutritional lack) that keeps the muscles from being able to stay long/loose/relaxed.
@@TendonitisExpert Gotcha. I've also noticed that at peak dorsiflexion my foot becomes entirely flat if I don't point my toes upwards. I used to run almost entirely using my calves and lower legs so that is probably the cause of the tightness.
Seriously appreciate you taking the time to respond to everyone, its impressive!
There are always use factors, but in general, it's not the activity, it's the muscle structures ability to function (poorly, adequately, well, optimally) that is the critical factor that must get dealt with.
I have had achillies tendonitis for 18 months now and I am not getting any better. Had an offer of surgery but really don't want to go down that path. I've seen doctors, podiatrists, physio's and masseurs, nothing seems to work.
"...nothing seems to work." Good news/bad news....that's often when people find me. They try the usual things, and eventually realize it's not getting them the results they want.
There's reasons why all the usual stuff doesnt work when it doesn't work. As described in the video, it's because they don't address all the necessary factors, maybe one of the factors at best and usually not even very well.
www.tendonitisexpert.com/Quiz-Your-Doctor.html has some good questions to ask your doctor(s) about any potential surgery.
Describe the symptoms. Only the last 18 months? Did it start out sudden or slow?
@@TendonitisExpert Well I would say it started out suddenly and at the same time I had actually developed a cyst at the base of my second toe. This hampered my physio and limited my ability to do a few of the prescribed exercises. I eventually had the cyst removed but declined the achillies surgery. I have been nursing it all this time with recurring physio treatments and am starting to give up on fixing this without surgery. I also have a visible lump on my achillies that seems to flare up at times.
Bone cyst?
Lump on the achilles isn't necessarily a terrible thing (by which i mean, if you do something to fix the overall dynamic). The lump isn't the problem, the ecology/dynamic causing the lump is.
Curious how you’re doing now?
I dont think that there is a simple remedy. I had this pain in the achilles tendon on both for about 3yrs. I did stretching and massaging from the calf muscles all the way down the tendons and surroundin tissues to increase circulation, then the pain slowly lessened until it disappeared for about 2 yrs. Then lately the left tendon has acted up again and I started doing the same routine. This time the pain lessened in a shorter period of time.
You got two years out of stretching and massage. That's pretty good for something so simple...
But you didn't get rid of the dynamic, and it eventually came back such that you have symptoms again. Same dynamic, affected by the same things you're doing. And faster this time. That's pretty good. And unsurprising.
Now you just need to fine tune, and add in the component that's missing to help make it go away for good/for longer.
Still simple.
Tight Hamstring are often the source of the Achilles tendon pain, in the heel area.
Try Yoga Flexibility Stretch Band to work the Hamstring and the leg muscle tissues, I’ve found it lessens the pain and after waking for a few minutes the pain almost disappears.
Hope it helps.
What do you do about lateral foot pain (perineal tendonitis)?
Same thing you do for every other kind of tendonitis: reduce the too tight muscle and connective tissue, the inflammation process, and the nutritional lack.
What if the tightness isn’t being remedied with all of that?!😊
With all of what, specifically? (Please be specific, as in, what exactly did you do that didn't work/help/improve things?)
Ive had issues with both my achilles for over 5 years with no permanent solution. Have tried stretching, Chiropracters, prolotherapy, tens, acupuncture, cupping... You name it, ive tried it... So tired of this constant pain. Im going to read your ebook and see what light this may shed on my issue.
There's good info that will shed light on the how's and why's. But doing what it says to do....that's where the magic's at.
If there is scared tissue or damaged ligaments try dry fasting
Why, in those scenarios, should someone try dry fasting?
@@TendonitisExpert when you dry fast your body rids itself of damage and goes into repair mode your hgh goes way up while you're body pumps out lots of new stem cells. There are lots of people who by dry fasting have healed completely from deep scar tissue, bone, joint, ligaments and cartilage damage. When you dry fast your body will loose the fluid that causes inflammation. Your cardio vascular system gets cleared out and fired up metabolism increase which bring better blood circulation your organs clear out excess amount of toxic build up. People who eat 3 times or more a day loose slot of bodily energy to digestion and the primary focus is on protecting the body organs from toxicity by removing and storing them in fat cells. Fasting has been used as a reset button for the body for ages. Dry fasting has the fastest results.
Hmmm. I'm generally a fan of the benefits of fasting and would agree on various points, but....
1. fluid isn't the cause of inflammation, it's a result of inflammation.
2. Why would the body selectively target scar tissue? It's the same fiber as all the other connective tissue.
3. A stretched ligament isn't going to shrink back to normal structural integrity. If you disagree, how exactly would that damage get repaired by dry fasting?
4. If there's a torn tendon or ligament, why would it heal faster/how can it heal faster when the body is eating up scar tissue (which is what heals torn connective tissue structures)?
I have 5 spinal fusion 2 lumbar 1 thoracic and 2 cervical. I didn’t hurt it just starting swelling and have a hard lump . Very sore my the end of the day it’s been two months . Help
Do you mean the achilles started swelling and has a hard lump? Presuming so, where exactly is the lump. And describe the swelling (amount, size, location in relation to the lump, etc).
@@TendonitisExpert lump is size of a 1/2 dollar aight we’re it attaches to the heal bone by end of the day it’s swollen 3” up from the bimp
Sounds like insertional tendonitis to me. Which means too much tightness, constant torque on the attachment, more torque with every step, inflammation, constant irritation, more tightness, etc.
That all includes lack of nutrition. So muscles and muscles everywhere, are too tight, can't do their job which is to absorb force, and all that force has to go somewere...(achilles insertion, vertebrae, etc).
Looking at the clues, first place to start work is to get your body replete with necessary nutrition (so your too tight muscles have a chance at relaxing/being able to work more properly). Nothing gets better without that.
I have Achilles tendinopathy and have read a lot of peer-reviewed research and reports. I would not go so far as to say it's NOT the tendon but I would say it is not JUST the tendon. To accuse other practitioners from ignoring the role of the brain, nutrition, musculature and dynamics is unfair and misguided. Mine are certainly treating the bigger picture and are not as ignorant as you seem to claim. They are treating all the areas you mention above in addition to the tendon itself. My point is that you cannot ignore the actual tendon and the damage to it. There is plenty of research to indicate that disorganised and poor collagen repair is a major part of tendinopathy. I am concerned to see you (in the comments below) write tendinitis/tendinopathy as if they were synonymous. They are not and this is the crux of my comment. There is plenty of research that shows that the latter is non-inflammatory whereas the former is. My condition was caused by taking a fluoroquinolone antibiotic while on a walking holiday. Certainly, microtears that my body was unable repair adequately because of the antibiotic restricts collagen production were the cause. The tendon repair has replaced healthy tissue with less organised and less structured tissue. I have a lot of pain but no inflammation and no effusion- which agrees with the current research. What I do have is angioplastic degeneration of the tendon very clearly shown on the scans and imaging I have had. You make no mention of this painful condition. I have a thickened area of tendon that is gradually improving as my body gradually repairs and replaces the disorganised tissue with new healthy tissue. It is not usually necessary to take dietary supplements for magnesium - but my practitioners did check my levels. I eat plenty of green leafy veg and nuts etc. I have exercises to work on the tendon but others to improve the whole dynamic of how I move and the tightness of my calf. They don't use anti-inflammatories as there is no inflammation, they don't dive in with surgical options and they certainly don't propose rest.
Ironically, you say your doctors aren't ignoring the role of brain/nutrition/musculature etc, but you also said your tendon issue is caused by fluroroquinolones. And your doctors are telling you that you have a tendon issue, and that your nutrition is fine. There's a lot of ignoring going on, including doctors as a whole being overwhelmingly clueless about the drug they prescribe (it's very common for a doctor to say that FQ's can't cause tendon damage).
If you have tendon damage from FQ's, you don't have a tendon problem, you have a fluroquinolone toxicity side effect problem. Yes the tendon is affected, but the tendon is generally the least of one's worries when suffering side effects from a fluoroquinolone.
For instance, it's likely that you didn't have microtears, you had tendon degeneration from mitochondrial damage, because that's how FQ's affect tendon structures.
@@TendonitisExpert different doctors.
First was a gastroenterologist.
The ortho and physio were as I described.
And fluoroquinolones disrupt collagen formation.
And yes, I probably had micro tears. I was on a hiking holiday.
@@TendonitisExpert so you are saying that mitochondrial damage can't be reversed at all right ? thank you.
@derkoniq "so you are saying that mitochondrial damage can't be reversed at all right ? thank you."
Uhhh, no...I'm not saying that at all.
BLESS UR FUCKING SOUL
Well, I was just diagnosed with this problem. Was recently driving because without a car for several years. Hope I can treat it without getting rid of my car! Physical therapist recommended this. Help!
Hi Corinne.
How would getting rid of the car help, or stop you from treating it?
Your PT recommended you get rid of your car? Whatever for/why does he or she think the car caused your symptoms? (and how exactly to they explain that it's the car's fault??)
TendonitisExpert Thank you for answering. I suggested that the repetitive right leg movements on brake to accelerator may have caused it. It sure hurtson back of heel, inner foot, and back of thigh. Also kneee. She wants me on exercise bicycle but hard to remive right leg from bike and out of car. Pain kerps me up at night sometimes. Spasms too. Magmesium helps. Very uncomfortable. Very overeeight too.
Well, the good news is that the driving isn't the cause. The bad news is that the cause is the tendonitis dynamic (too tight muscle and connective tissue, inflammation process, lack of nutrition) resulting in lack of ability to function (and thus, going from gas to brake caused pain because the leg couldn't function well enough to happily do the job.
Magnesium definitely helps! (one of the symptoms of lack of magnesium is twitch/spasm/cramps).
You are wrong, sir. I'm a physical therapist assistant with years of experience along with a degree in physical therapy and another in sports medicine (aside from my master's degree and ph.d. work). You are wrong. You don't understand kinesiology or physiology well. You should stop spreading misinformation.
That was incredibly, masterfully argued. Impressively so. I will definitely change my ways forevermore.
Didn't Kobe Bryant have Achilles tendonitis? I'm pretty sure he recovered after some time.
His achilles tendonitis dynamic resulted in a ruptured achilles tendon. Achilles rupture surgery the next day performed by a world class doctor. Open checkbook on rehab treatment and presumably nutrition and presumably various pharmaceuticals to help speed recovery. With a motivation to heal and return to the game fueled by a world class competitive spirit and promises of million dollar pachecks. None of that is a complaint, I'm just pointing out the level of resources that went into that recovery.
@@TendonitisExpert This is what I call the "fast track recovery". Normal people : alot of time and pray. Pro athletes: 2 weeks or less and bang on for more goals. ;)
Why I cant tiptoe?
That's an incredibly vague question without context or details, so I'm going to have to go with 'I don't know'.
CZcams is smart.
How did you become an expert?
16 months of high quality education on the topic (initial schooling including time in cadaver lab, 642ish hours of supervised hands on practice, non-woo woo training on how the body works anatomy, function, etc), 20 years of specializing in tendonitis and related issues, working with thousands of people. Some trial and error and learning and figuring things out along the way.
it's a VISCOUS cycle
It has been my experience that most of that nutrition crap Chiropractors and other New Age types come up with is useless.
One's results are only as good as the advice/guidance/direction that one gets. There's a reason that most things/methods don't work or don't work very well.....they're not right/accurate or not as right/accurate as they could or should be.
True. (but, $29.97)
Tendonitis/tendonopathy is because of basic tendon strength... It is WELL established with good, high level, peer reviewed evidence that tendon issues are due to its capacity relative to your load (activity) that you put through it. you may have a reactive episode thats inflamed or long standing chronic presentation where there is tendon changes occurring that makes the tendon weaker and unable to tolerate load. This is fact.
Facts are kinda funny sometimes.
Typists get tendonitis/tendonopathy. Their tendons are so weak they can't handle the load?
People doing the same jobs/activities/etc for years and decades suddenly get tendonitis symptoms. Were their tendons weak for years/decades and finally for no reason fell into having symptoms?
Sedentary 70 year old suddenly have shoulder tendonitis: they aren't doing any load, how/why do they suddenly have tendonitis/tendonopathy.
I agree that there is a lot of agreement about certain things in the physiotherapy world. If your therapies get results, great! I work with the people who have been failed by those therapies.
Stretching and strengthening is great and all, until it doesn't work. And when it doesn't work, there's perfectly good (and factual) reasons for why it failed.
@@TendonitisExpert Hmmmm.....ill take the hundreds of peer reviewed studies on strengthening the tendon over your "opinion" on something (whilst as the same time selling something).
You do that. I'll stick with that the tendon isn't the problem, it's a symptom of the larger problem.
Oh and remember, those 'peers' get paid to work in their profession (and get paid to perform the studies). As do you. So enough with the dumb 'he's selling something so what he says can't be any good' logic.
I imagine that you will. In the meantime, please look a little deeper until you discover that it's not the tendon that 'can't handle the load'. You should already know that tendons don't handle loads, muscles do.
I am aware of that, yes, thanks.
Enjoyed the video
“The brain is not smart”
Stupid brain 🧠 lol
I have had Tendonitis on my left foot for about 2 months now. I got this way from going to the fitness center walking on the tredmill a couple miles a night. Last time I was there something grabbed in the back of my leg and it got tight and hurt like hell. Well it worked out of the cramp but the next day back of my foot was hurting so I go to the clinic Dr days you have Achilles Tendonitis gives me a steroid shot and predizone which no good. So I go baker he gives me another steroid shot still did no good. I then made a appointment with the foot Dr and he tells me the same thing Achilles Tendonitis and gives me Diclofenac and it did no good so I go back to him again and he sends me to PT which this is my 4th week going there and don't seem like its helping. I went to see my Family Dr and he gives me DIClofenac Gel which you put 2 grams on the heal and told me it needs rest it does not seem to be working either. Anyway to get the tightness out of the calf I been using ice packs and I sick of limping around and now it back my back and hip hurt on the right side.
Hi Steve. The good news is that it wasn't from the treadmill. It was from years (decades?) of a slowly developing tendonitis dyanamic (that's just how the body works, it gets a little tighter etc every day over time, function decreases, then you get pain and problem one day).
How in the world would Diclofenac fix anything? That's a great question for the foot doc.
If/when he says that surgery is your only remaining option, here are some questions to ask: www.tendonitisexpert.com/Quiz-Your-Doctor.html
Do concentric work, use that to get the blood flowing to the achillies tendon and after the exercises (calf raises for example, concentric) do stretching (foot back, move towards the wall, heel on the ground). It has worked for me. Stiffness dissaperas in a few weeks, good function returns in a few months, after that it just needs maintanance work.
That strategy is worth a shot, it's good/it works in certain scenarios. But in most, it doesn't.
I only wrote that because Steve Bakers problem felt like something I went through myself, had the exact same thing for 1.5 years, soleus pain and all around stiffnes eased after 2-3 weeks, dissapeared in a few months. I caused this myself with me trying to run 12 km on running track, with bad form.
What would you recommend differently, for long term? Of course there are a lot of different cases, and I know perfectly well that If it works on me it does not mean it would work on everyone else. But this just proves your theory that achilles tendonitis is NOT a tendon problem! Ater foam rolling and self-massageing the painful trigger point I wated a few days, warmed up my calf with calf raises and after I had to stretch the whole thing, literaly felt the muscle lengthen, and after that it felt great!
If we take the case that what you did is helpful for short term ('short term' being relative), it is helpful because it reduces one of the three factors of the tendonitis dynamic: too tight muscle and connective tissue. Less tightness = more ability to function, less pain/problem signal being produced, etc. That will help as long as that helps...maybe you need to do it for a while once or twice a year and it helps/makes things better....until you have to do it again. That's a valid strategy, nothing wrong with that.
But eventually it will likely become 3x/year, 4x/year, 6x/year, then eventually it becomes a constant thing one needs to keep stretching it. (This of course varies per person and their specific scenario, and this can take weeks/months/years/decades to get to the 'constant' point. Just all depends.)
The progression is in due part to the other two factors of the tendonitis dynamic: inflammation process and nutritional lack.
So for long term strategy, one must keep things loose, nutritional replete, and inflammation process down (it causes things to tighten up and eventual consciously felt pain).
I had it years ago, tried many things and at the end acupuncture cured it quite quickly
Flat feet, lack of toe muscle, stiff calf, over pronate
Surgery removed a toe muscle?
@@TendonitisExpert big toe and little toes not balance. Big toe does all the foot lifting and landing first = pain
good job!
🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍
So you don't need surgery? A multivitamin and a downward dog yoga pose will heal the heel? Foolish Doctors eh?
I wish a multivitamin and a little stretching was all it took. That would be awesome!
Unfortunately....not so much.
Lol…this is nonsense. What a waste of time. As soon as you said “no doctor is going to know what it REALLY is, they are just going to diagnose ‘tendinitis’,” it was quite apparent you have no idea what you’re talking about. It IS true that pain in the Achilles can be due to other factors, but to suggest that MOST of the time there’s no problem at all with the Achilles, and most of the time it’s caused by a calf problem, is absurd. You didn’t even bother to tell people how YOU think it can be improved. You just took up people’s time for nothing. You also didn’t mention that, many times, if the problem isn’t primarily due to the Achilles tendon, it is frequently more related to retrocalcaneal bursitis….which can have the same symptoms as Achilles tendinitis.
"but to suggest that MOST of the time there’s no problem at all with the Achilles" is entirely accurate. Tendon 'problems' are actually just symptoms. Tendons don't just go bad for no reason. Tendon pain doesn't arrive out of the blue, or by magic.
So the prolem is never primarily due to the achilles tendon...nor is it primarily due to (or related to) bursitis...because bursitis is also a symptom and not 'the problem.
@ PocoPico actually he is correct.