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Why is Achilles treatment so successful at Body in Motion?

We get great results with many Achilles tendon injuries that have not been successfully treated elsewhere.

Achilles tendon problems were in fact the most common reported injury during January and February. One reason for this is people becoming more active and preparing for upcoming events like the London marathon. Another reason is some have left their training programme too late, and are having to ramp up their mileage too quickly, resulting in Achilles pain and dysfunction.

What exactly is Achilles tendinitis/tendinosis?

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Achilles injuries do not result in inflammation of the tendon. Continued wear and tear to the tendon causes degenerative changes and should be referred to as Achilles tendinosis instead of the popular term tendinitis.

What are the symptoms of Achilles tendinosis?

Most people report to the Bournemouth physiotherapy clinic with the following symptoms:

1.Tenderness in the Achilles tendon
2.Stiffness in the heel area, especially when getting up in the morning
3.A general ache throughout the day i the heel which may ease when warming up
4.Reduced range of movement in the ankle joint
5.A thickening of the tendon

Sometimes people have often had the above symptoms for a long period of time. The pain is mild at first then as time goes on the symptoms become more severe until eventually an appointment is made through sheer frustration.

Why is treatment of Achilles tendinosis so successful at Body in Motion?

Our team understand the pathology of the injury. It is common for patients to have had previous treatment involving ultrasound, stretches and rest before coming to the clinic. This approach very rarely works.

Achilles tendinosis does not heal with rest, it just does not get any worse. Ultrasound is primarily used in treatment to treat inflammation. As mentioned earlier, there is very rarely any inflammation within the achilles so using ultrasound would therefore seem pointless.

What does work however is specific strengthening exercises combined with sports massage techniques and ankle mobilisations.

If you do have any of the above symptoms, please contact us now to book.

Achilles problems rarely get better on their own…they continue to deteriorate and may eventually snap completely, requiring surgery.

The longer you leave it, the harder it is to fix.