Handling Achilles Tendon Injuries Achilles tendon pain is a typical running injury that influences the lower calf/heel area. Use reasonable sports training techniques, such as using the right shoes and extending before activities. Virtually all the force produced when you toe off" the ground throughout running is sent by the Achilles, and this force can be as much as three times your body weight. My conditioning was back on track and I began playing complete field soccer once more with no heel discomfort. Ice: Use an ice bag covered in a towel or a cold compress to your tendon for 15 minutes or more after you exercise or if you feel pain in the tendon. The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in your body, linking your calf muscles to the back of your heel. The tendon will be very tender on palpation or pushing in on the achilles tendon or squeezing it from the sides. Generally, the closer a shoe is to looking and feeling like a running shoe," the much better it is for your foot. The night splint definitely helped, but exactly what finally got me back on the streets was ART treatment. Running out shape or not heating up prior to exercising may likewise trigger Achilles tendon problems. Try a pair of prescription orthotic inserts for your shoes if your doctor believes it will assist. Achilles tendonitis generally starts off as a dull stiffness in the tendon, which slowly goes away as the area gets heated up. It might worsen with faster running, uphill running, or when using spikes and other low-heeled running shoes. After about four or five weeks the results became obvious that I was moving with a lot less pain in my heel.