The weakness of the great war hero of Greek mythology. For us too, the Achilles tendon is an injury hotspot. It is easily inflamed (tendinopathy) and can even tear. When this happens, it can be very loud and often sounds like a whip cracking.
What is it?
Tendons can become inflamed when they are put under too much static or mechanical strain. They also cause problems when they tear or are sutured. Tendons have a poor blood supply. This means that they heal relatively slowly.
If there’s tension at the point of inflammation, it can lead to pain.
What’s important at this stage?
For the first few weeks, the key word is rest. Frequent elevation is very important. Gentle movement can help to increase blood flow.
During the recouperation period, tendons react best to isometric exercises.
For example, this might involve:
Pushing the feet against a wall, doing leg presses or pressing heavy barbells and holding for 20 seconds without moving – and not to the point where it becomes painful. Push as hard as possible. Four times.
This stimulates the tendon to grow. Uneven movements should be avoided from the start. So balance training is a good idea from an early stage. This keeps the pressure on the body and the strain on the tendons distributed evenly.
Fun Fact.
The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the human body. It is 15-25 cm long.
Standing on two moving tapes means your body is constantly adapting to keep its balance. Your centre of balance is constantly shifting and you have to bring yourself back to centre. The feet are challenged to keep the load spread evenly and maintain your balance.
Donald Thomas claims that his World Championship high jump win (2007) was primarily due to his extremely long Achilles tendons.
If you have problems with your Achilles, your rehab really needs to be led by a physio.
They're the experts and can give you personal advice as to what training is right for you.
We recommend following training:
Physio / Lower Extremities
Health / Feet
Or simply stand on the device
