Handling Achilles Tendon Injuries Achilles tendon pain is a typical running injury that impacts the lower calf/heel location. Use reasonable sports training strategies, such as using the right shoes and stretching before activities. Practically 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 3 times your body weight. My conditioning was back on track and I started playing full field soccer once again without any heel pain. Ice: Use an ice bag covered in a towel or a cold compress to your tendon for 15 minutes or more after you work out or if you feel pain in the tendon. The Achilles tendon is the thickest and greatest tendon in your body, connecting your calf muscles to the back of your heel. The tendon will be extremely tender on palpation or pressing in on the achilles tendon or squeezing it from the sides. Normally, the closer a shoe is to feeling and looking like a running shoe," the much better it is for your foot. The night splint definitely helped, but what finally got me back on the streets was ART treatment. Being out of shape or not heating up prior to exercising might likewise trigger Achilles tendon problems. Try a pair of prescription orthotic inserts for your shoes if your medical professional thinks it will help. Achilles tendonitis normally starts off as a dull stiffness in the tendon, which progressively disappears 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 4 or 5 weeks the results became noticeable that I was moving with a good deal less pain in my heel.