29 Sep Have you experienced a sudden sharp pain in your heel

Have you experienced a sudden sharp pain in your heel
Heard a snapping sound when you landed awkwardly at basketball
Couldn’t put your foot down to walk due to pain in your calf and heel

If you answered YES to any of the above, you might have ruptured your Archilles Tendon The Achilles tendon, is a large ropelike band of fibrous tissue in the back of the ankle that connects the powerful calf muscles to the heel bone. Sometimes called the heel cord, the Archilles Tendon is the largest tendon in the human body. It’s function is to allow you to point your foot and stand on tiptoe which is vital in activities such as walking, running, and jumping. A complete tear through the tendon, which usually occurs about 2 inches above the heel bone, is called an Achilles tendon rupture.

Archilles Tendon Rupture doesn’t just happen to athletes, although it is most common in middle age men who are weekend warriors playing sports like basketball, tennis, badminton. The Achilles tendon can grow weak and thin with age and lack of use. Then it becomes prone to injury or rupture. Achilles tendon rupture is more common in those with preexisting tendinitis of the Achilles tendon. So if you have been experiencing pain and swelling in the back of your heel, you might have chronic Archilles Tendinitis. People who have Arthritis or Diabetes are also more at risk of Archilles Tendon Rupture. Medications such as corticosteroids and some antibiotics can also weaken and increase the risk of rupture of the Archilles Tendon.

The key to successful rehabilitation of an Archilles Tendon Rupture is Early Intervention! Treatment options depend on the extend of your injury and may vary between resting and casting the foot to surgical intervention to repair the Archilles Tendon. The most common mistake we see at My Favourite Physio, is people tend to ignore the pain for weeks, thinking it’ll get better soon. Instead the best thing to do is to seek advise from your family GP or an Expert Physiotherapist.

So if you are struggling with your calf and ankle pain, don’t wait, ring My Favourite Physioon (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to book an appointment today!