Achilles tendon injury: symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition of Achilles tendon injury

What is an Achilles tendon injury?

Musculoskeletal disorders not only include problems with the skeletal system and the human muscular system, but also include problems affecting the tendons, the connective fibers between bones and muscles.

One tendon problem is an Achilles tendon injury that affects the lower part of your leg. Usually, this condition is experienced by athletes, but it can also be experienced by anyone.

The Achilles tendon is one of the largest tendons in the body. If you use it excessively, this tendon can tear partially or even completely.

Achilles tendon injuries can be very painful and sometimes cause difficulty walking. While experiencing this, you may hear sounds from your feet that indicate damage to the tendons.

This is then followed by pain in the ankles and lower legs, so as already mentioned, you will have difficulty walking.

This condition is usually treated with surgery. However, most can also relieve pain from this tendon injury with various other treatments.

How common is this condition?

Achilles tendon injury is a relatively common condition. These injuries generally affect men aged 40-50 years, especially athletes who participate in athletic activities after long periods of stopping training.

The disease can be overcome by reducing risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Signs & symptoms of Achilles tendon injury

The most common symptoms of achilles tendon injury are:

• Pain in the leg that appears suddenly, it feels like a kick in the back of the calf.
• The pain gets worse when you are active.
• Swelling on the back of the foot, between the calf and the heel.
• Difficulty walking, especially if climbing stairs or walking up inclines.
• Difficulty lifting your toes.
• There is a sound like cracking or breaking in the leg with a tendon injury.
• Achilles tendon that feels stiff when getting up from a lying position.
• Pain in the tendon area after exercise.
• The tendon becomes thicker.
• There is a protruding bone at the heel.

Some of the other symptoms or signs may not be listed above. If you feel anxious about the symptoms of the Achilles tendon injury, consult your doctor immediately.

When to go to the doctor

Contact your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Pain and tingling in the legs.
• Feeling that something is broken or torn in your heel, especially when you have difficulty walking afterward.

Causes of Achilles tendon injury

This tendon injury can occur due to several things, including:

1. Tendonitis

Tendonitis is a tendon problem that occurs as a result of overuse of the tendon or damage to the tendon. This can cause pain in the back of the foot and around the heel.

You may notice that a tendon has become thicker or harder and stiffer as a result of tendonitis. This condition will certainly get worse if it is not addressed immediately.

2. Tendon tears

If the tendon tissue is torn, it can cause more damage to the tendon. The tendon tissue may be partially or even completely torn. When experiencing it, you certainly need medical care.

Falling from a height or having certain accidents, can cause the Achilles tendon to tear. In addition, some medications, such as the antibiotic quinolone, might increase the risk of this condition.

Risk factors for Achilles tendon injury

Here are some of the risk factors for achilles tendon injury that you may have:

1. A certain age

Age is one factor that can increase your risk of developing achilles tendon injury. Usually, this condition is susceptible to be experienced by people aged 30-40 years.

2. Male gender

This condition is more prone to be experienced by men than women. In fact, the potential for men to experience this injury is five times greater.

3. Several types of sports

There are several types of exercise that can increase your risk of developing this condition. Some of them are running, jumping, or sports such as soccer, basketball and tennis.

4. Use of steroid injections

To treat certain conditions, you may have to take medication using steroids. Usually, doctors give this medicine to reduce pain and inflammation in the body.

However, this medication can weaken the tendons around the area that was given the injection. It is also frequently associated with Achilles tendon injuries.

5. Use of certain antibiotics

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin can increase your risk of developing achilles tendon injury.

6. Being overweight or obese

Being overweight or obese can be a risk factor for developing an Achilles tendon injury.

Drugs & treatment of Achilles tendon injuries

The information described is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Often times this condition is mistaken for other conditions, such as sprains. In fact, the two conditions are very different. If the treatment given is wrong or not suitable, your condition may get worse.

Therefore, if you experience symptoms that refer to this condition, it is better to immediately consult a doctor to get a proper diagnosis so that the doctor can provide the appropriate treatment.

Usually, the following will be considered during the diagnosis:

• The patient's overall health, along with his medical history.
• A description of the patient's symptoms.
• Physical exercises to train the Achilles tendon and check for swelling, muscle pain, or protruding bones.
• Test to see if you can still move your ankle well.
• X-ray test to see the condition of the bones and determine if the tendons have become stiff or hard.
• MRI tests to see the severity of the tendon damage you are experiencing, and determine the best treatment for your condition.

What are the treatment options for Achilles tendon injuries?

Treatment for Achilles tendon injuries depends on age, intensity of activity, and the severity of the injury. Here are some treatment options to treat this condition:

Non-surgical treatment

Treatments for this type of Achilles tendon injury are:

• Rest the tendon using crutches.
• Apply ice to the affected area of ​​the body.
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen.
• Keep your ankle away from activity during the first few weeks after the injury, usually by wearing boots when going outdoors or in a cast.

Non-surgical treatment tends to be done to avoid the risks that can arise from surgery, such as infection. However, this treatment increases your chances of experiencing the same problem at a later date.

Operation

Usually, a surgical procedure to treat an Achilles tendon injury involves making an incision in the back of the lower leg, where the torn tendon is sutured back together.

Actually, this condition depends on the condition of the torn tissue, because the process could have been reinforced by the presence of other tendons.

Possible complications from surgical procedures include infection and nerve damage. Minimally invasive procedures reduce infection rates compared to open procedures.

Rehabilitation

After undergoing one of the types of treatment that have been selected, you are advised to take part in physical exercises to strengthen the leg muscles and the Achilles tendon.

Most of the people who experience this condition will have the same strength as before after 4-6 months later.

However, it is important to continue to do physical exercise to maintain the strength and stability of the muscles and tendons afterward so as not to experience muscle weakness or other muscle problems.

There is also functional rehabilitation, which is a type of rehabilitation that focuses on the coordination of body parts and how the body moves. The purpose of this rehabilitation is to return to fitness as before.

Rehabilitation that is carried out, after undergoing treatment can also increase the progress of the treatment process itself.

Achilles tendon injury complications

Achilles tendon injuries can also cause several complications, including:

• The pain may get worse every day.
• Difficulty walking or being unable to actively move.
• The tendon is torn due to repeated injuries.

There are also complications that occur right after you undergo treatment for this condition, such as:

• Tendon torn after cortisone injection.
• There is pain and infection that occurs after the surgical procedure.

To avoid these various types of complications, get checked out immediately if you feel certain symptoms related to this condition. Postponing treatment increases your risk of developing complications that you don't want.

Prevention of Achilles tendon injuries

If you do have a very busy and active activity, some things you can do to prevent Achilles tendon injury are:

1. Do stretches that strengthen the calf muscles

Stretch your calves until you feel a real pull, but it doesn't hurt. Don't let your body bounce while stretching.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, calf strengthening exercises can also help muscles and tendons absorb more strength and prevent injury.

2. Vary the exercise

Don't always do sports with high intensity, this is very likely to cause injury. Vary high-impact alternative sports, such as running and low-impact sports, such as walking, cycling or swimming.

Avoid activities that put excessive stress on your Achilles tendon, such as running on hills and jumping.

3. Choose a safe surface to walk on

Avoid or limit hard or slippery surfaces. Dress properly for the weather and wear athletic shoes that fit snugly against the heel.

4. Increase the intensity of the exercise slowly

Achilles tendon injury is a condition that generally occurs after a sudden increase in the intensity of activity. Increase the distance, duration and frequency of your workouts by no more than 10 percent each week.

If you have any questions, consult a doctor or orthopedic doctor to better understand the best solution for you.