You may additionally experience tenderness or stiffness in the area, which is most commonly felt first thing in the morning. This will prevent pain when you remove the tape. Waltham, MA: UpToDate Inc. To treat Achilles tendonitis, use RICE. Wrap your entire ankle in an Ace bandage and use claw clips to secure it. It is important to make sure that the wrap is not too tight, however, as this can cause more pain. You can care for most cases of Achilles tendinitis at home, but you should still see a doctor regarding the exact steps that are right for your injury. Wrap a piece of tape horizontally around the Achilles tendon to add a final ring of support. If you've injured your Achilles, it's important to avoid strenuous exercise for at least the first four weeks of healing. Looking for products to help reduce your Achilles tendonitis pain? You can also use an ankle brace or a pneumatic cam boot. Accessed July 9, 2015. These devices go into a shoe to increase support on a specific area of the foot. Board Certified Podiatrist. 1. You can also wrap the middle of the strips around the ankle, so that the vertical strips sit flush with the leg. These are designed by podiatrists to help reduce the amount of stress on your Achilles tendon when moving around, which can also speed up recovery time considerably. Raise the affected foot above the level of your heart to reduce swelling. Call your doctor if your pain persists despite NSAID use. Maughan KL, Boggess BR. There are several different types of wraps that can be used to treat Achilles tendonitis. . https://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/conditions/ailments-of-the-ankle/Pages/Achilles-Tendinitis.aspx. Continuing the activity can cause more damage to the tendon. This is found to be true because the Ace Bandage does help with the swelling from its pressure but it does not help rest or immobilize the injured area due to its . It has been estimated that it affects up to 18% of runners. The third letter, C, stands for "Compression.". Brian Richards is an attorney whose work has appeared in law and philosophy journals and online in legal blogs and article repositories. ", been almost 2 months now. Step 2: Dorsiflex the ankle at a right angle (90 degrees) Step 3: You should always start at the point where your toes meet the body of your foot (dorsal aspect of foot) . Cut strips of athletic tape and apply them horizontally across your achilles tendon. Before your appointment, you may want to write a list of answers to the following questions: Be prepared to answer the following questions regarding your symptoms and factors that may be contributing to your condition: Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. You may actually have a torn or ruptured Achilles tendon, which is a far more serious diagnosis. The taping technique is similar for both. Therapeutic effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for soft tissue injury: mechanisms and practical application. If you have a chronic injury that is slow to heal, you can add another ace bandage or wrap from your mid-calf upwards in order to provide the most support and compression around this area for even faster recovery time when it comes to healing an Achilles tendon. Did the pain begin suddenly or gradually? Tendon pain to the Achilles usually results from repetitive micro-tears in the tissue that is not allowed time to heal properly before being irritated again with exercise or other activities. Work your way up by wrapping the bandage several times around your foot and ankle in a figure-eight pattern. Achilles tendinopathy and tendon rupture. Greatly appreciated all the information provided! This additional compression will help reduce swelling. Avoid using NSAIDs for longer than ten days. You can find further instructions for this calf stretch exercise at: As you build strength, you can begin holding weights in order to increase strengthening as you perform this exercise. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Step 1: Make sure that the bandage is tightly rolled up. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). However, they can also get stressed due to other injuries. Runners Legs vs. Walkers Legs? Both athletic tape and compression bandages can typically be found at pharmacies, big box stores, and from online retailers. Dr. Cunha received his DPM from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine and completed his residency as the Chief Resident at the Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University where he specialized in lower extremity trauma, diabetic limb salvage, and reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. Wrap under the foot to secure the bandage. unlocking this expert answer. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/61\/Wrap-an-Achilles-Tendon-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Wrap-an-Achilles-Tendon-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/61\/Wrap-an-Achilles-Tendon-Step-1.jpg\/aid10168316-v4-728px-Wrap-an-Achilles-Tendon-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"