There is an old myth that says that when Achilles the Greek hero was a baby, his mother took him to the river Styx to bathe him. The bath was supposed to make him powerful, but his mother forgot to shower his heels. Achilles later died due to an injury to his heel. We will discuss with you all you need to know about Achilles bursitis, the signs and symptoms you will see in Achilles bursitis and what to do if you have this condition.
The Greek myth is teaching that although the heel can easily be overlooked, it is an essential part of the body. Achilles bursitis is an excruciating condition especially to an athlete such as a runner, a footballer or judo player. These sports require the athletes to make use of their foot a lot. Any injury, especially to the heel in these athletes, will prevent them from functioning optimally.
What Is Achilles Bursitis?
Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa. Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs around joints in the body. Their purpose in the joint is to reduce the effect of friction that occurs as a result of bones and ligaments rubbing against one another in the joint.
Achilles bursitis is the inflammation of any of the two bursae that surround the Achilles tendon in the foot.
There are two bursae located around the Achilles tendon, they are:
- Subtendinous bursa
- Subcutaneous bursa
What Are The Causes Of Achilles Bursitis?
The common causes of Achilles bursitis are:
- An athlete such as a runner that overtrains
- People who wear tight or poorly fitted shoes are at risk of having Achilles bursitis
- Those who have an inborn deformity with their ankle joint are also at risk of having Achilles bursitis
- Gout
- Haglund deformity
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Achilles Bursitis?
- Sharp pain at the back of the heel after running for a period.
- Pain at the back of the heel when you walk or run uphill.
- Experiencing pain that gets progressively gets worse when you tiptoe.
- Pain at the back of your foot when it is touched.
- Swelling at the back of your foot.
Diagnosis
- The Doctor takes your medical history and also physically examines you.
- The Doctor requests for investigations like foot X-ray or MRI to see if there is any fracture associated with the condition.
- An ultrasound may also be done to see the bursa around the Achilles tendon.
Treating Achilles Bursitis
- Rest your ankle. Reduce movements around the ankle joint that will increase your pain.
- Take anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen.
- Apply ice to the ankle several times in a day.
- Apply compression to the ankle region.
- Elevating your ankle.
- Use of antibiotics.
- Topical medications are drugs like ointments that you can apply directly to your Achilles tendon to treat the condition.
- Wearing an orthotic device such as a heel insert can encourage healing and prevent further occurrence.
- Stretching and physical therapy: A physical therapist can help your process of recovery by making you do exercises that will make your heel heal on time.
- Get treatment from an excellent sports medicine provider
9INE POINT Health
If you realize that you are not able to improve your Achilles bursitis on your own and it doesn’t appear to provide relief from the muscle tightness you feel, you need to work with a sports medicine professional. 9INE POINT Health can help to link you up with the best local providers.
You can search for providers by type or skill. Let’s say you want to work with a massage therapist that also knows Fascial Stretch Therapy, 9INE POINTHealth will show you the best local options so you can compare 9INE POINT Numbers.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.
