Heel Pain Or Tendon Pain With Running

Do you ever experience pain in the back of your heel or up the big ropey tendon above your heel, when you run? It could be when playing a sport like soccer or lacrosse, when running up a hill, or when trying to run distances. This is commonly known as Achilles tendonitis.

Your Achilles tendon attaches at the back of the heel and runs up the back of your leg, eventually becoming your calf muscle.

The tendon in the back of your heel can become strained or irritated with overuse (doing the same activity for a long period of time), or with an aggressive burst of movement (sprinting, running quickly up a hill, etc).   You can have pain right at the base of the heel only, or up the tendon as well. If you pinch the tendon at the back of your heel and it causes pain, there is a good chance that you have Achilles tendonitis.

What can we do about it?

Avoid activities that bother the heel or tendon, until it settles. At home you can try ice three times a day for ten minutes in the initial three days of the injury. A stair stretch can be helpful as well. Stand with your toes on the stair, and drop your heels down below the stair. Hold for 15 – 30 seconds and repeat twice. If doing both at the same time is too sore, try keeping one full foot on the stair, and just dropping the other heel. Remember it should never be painful. Nice and gentle. After symptoms are feeling much better, doing heel raises for strengthening might help (10-15 at a time), and gradually easing back into your activity.

Of course physiotherapy is also helpful if you run into trouble. Some of our machines help with quick healing and pain management, especially our Bioflex laser and Class 4 Lite Cure laser treatment. This, along with a gradual exercise program may help you return to your activity quickest. Hope these tips help.