Managing Achilles Tendon Injuries Achilles tendon discomfort is a common running injury that influences the lower calf/heel area. Usage practical sports training techniques, such as wearing the right shoes and stretching prior to activities. Essentially all of the force generated 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 complete field soccer once more with no heel discomfort. Ice: Use an ice pack 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 greatest tendon in your body, linking your calf muscles to the back of your heel. The tendon will be very tender on palpation or pressing in on the achilles tendon or squeezing it from the sides. Usually, the closer a shoe is to looking and feeling like a running shoe," the better it is for your foot. The night splint absolutely assisted, but what lastly got me back on the streets was ART treatment. Being out of shape or not warming up before exercising may also trigger Achilles tendon problems. If your medical professional believes it will assist, attempt a pair of prescription orthotic inserts for your shoes. Achilles tendonitis typically starts off as a dull tightness in the tendon, which slowly disappears as the area gets warmed up. It may become worse with faster running, uphill running, or when wearing spikes and other low-heeled running shoes. After about four or five weeks the outcomes became noticeable that I was moving with a large amount less pain in my heel.