Achillies Tendonitis!

[Bill B]

Last year after starting to run bare feet, I developed tendonitis in my left achillies. After months of physio therapy, about $1700 worth (thank God for employer health benefits!!), tons of pain, and some proper instruction on barefoot running (thanks Tina) it was resolved, and I was able to run all winter pain free. I noticed about 2 weeks ago, that my right achillies started to act up. No where near as bad as the left one, but the warning signs are there! This is my routine for self rehab.
Calf eccentrics, both legs, 30 reps 2X/day.
6X45 second sessions on Thera Band Stability board/leg.
Foam roller on both calves, 10 minutes/calf.
Wife's rolling pin on the back of calf and achillies tendon, 10 minutes/leg.
Stretch as often as I can.
Care to comment on it, add something else? It is working, and I am back to running bare feet, for about 2.5 miles. Was doing about 4 with minis on. My goal is to get up to 5-6 miles max. Not looking to compete, go fast etc., just want to run! Thoughts, advise? Thanks for your time!!

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Looks like you're on your way to recovery.
Are you doing the RICE?
Icing the area will speed up the healing process compression helps too in your non-run time.

 

[Bare Lee]

I would make sure to roll/massage/stretch the shin muscles too. They and their tendons work in tandem with the calf muscles and their tendons, so if they're not happy, the calf team isn't either. Probably not the cause of your problem, but it could be part of the cure.

 

[Bill B]

Looks like you're on your way to recovery.
Are you doing the RICE?
Icing the area will speed up the healing process compression helps too in your non-run time.

No rice, had spagetti tonight.... What is RICE?

 

[Zetti]

No rice, had spagetti tonight.... What is RICE?

Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation

 

[Zetti]

or this...

 

[Hobbit]

Hi Bill,
In January I also had pain that was diagnosed as Achillies Tendonitis.
A couple of weeks later, somebody on this forum (French Chapter) made me discover Trigger points and their referred pain, which quite often is mistaken for a diversity of typical runner's ailments by doctors who have never heard about trigger points during their studies.
Anyway, treating the corresponding Trigger point did the trick for me!
After that, the pain came back, but only the days when I did a specific exercise with my feet, which obviously causes this special myofacial knot in my calf.

 

[mokaman]

Lots of good stuff in this thread... I do daily massaging of the lower legs...usually with a tennis ball but mix it up with the foam roller, golf ball, baseball or softball. Not really any stretching except the Piriformis stretch and great tips about massaging the shin bones/muscles and searching for trigger points...these are regular things for me too.

A little warning...you can over roll the really sore spots thus making them even more sore...so take it easy if its really really sore just a bit will do.

RICE = Rest, Ice, Compression and "Exercise"

 

[Bill B]

Thanks for all the advise! Thanks TJ!
Hobbit, can you elaborate on "trigger points" please and thanks!!

 

[Zetti]

Hobbit, can you elaborate on "trigger points" please and thanks!!

 

[Hobbit]

Hobbit, can you elaborate on "trigger points" please and thanks!!

You could have a look here:
http://www.triggerpointbook.com/index.html
and here:
http://www.triggerpoints.net/