| Do you think you have Achilles Tendonitis? Not sure? | | | | tendon is a big strip of tough connective tissue that |
| Do your calf muscles hurt? Here are three | | | | runs from the bottom of your calves all the way down |
| components to look for to help you figure out what is | | | | to where it attaches on your ankle bone. Press into it, |
| going on. Three places to actively look for pain so you | | | | poke it, run your finger along the length of it. You are |
| can start getting clues in the calf muscles, below the | | | | looking for a sharp pain, a hot spot(s). You'll know it if |
| calf muscles, and on the Achilles Tendon itself. | | | | you find it. |
| 1. Look for pain in the calf muscles | | | | Calf Pain |
| Feel around the calf muscles and see how they feel. | | | | If your calves hurt, the issue is more about how much |
| Are they achy? Are they sore? Press around deeper | | | | they hurt. The calves themselves really aren't going to |
| into the muscles. You will find tight bands and variations | | | | get injured. They may get sore, then really sore. . They |
| in the muscle. Feel around to get familiar with what's in | | | | may be so tight that they are essentially in a constant |
| there, and to get a feel for how things feel. Are there | | | | state of spasm, and that hurts. They may cramp, but |
| hot spots? Meaning, are there spots of sharp pain that | | | | that's an entirely different conversation and there's no |
| makes your eyes widen if you press into them? You | | | | mystery about it when a cramp hits. The constant |
| will find ache and some level of pain. That's normal for | | | | spasm concept is more useful to know. The key here |
| everyone. Take stock of what you feel. You are | | | | is whether or not there is pain on the tendon. It's not |
| looking for all that plus anything worse than that. You | | | | going to hurt unless there is a tendonitis issue. |
| may or may not be able to feel the difference | | | | If there is NOT a hot spot on the Achilles Tendon: |
| between normal ache/pain and what we'll call injury | | | | If there is not painful hot spot(s) on the tendon, then it's |
| pain, but you will get enough information. | | | | most likely just calf pain. Meaning that your calf |
| 2. Look for pain below the calf muscles | | | | muscles are too tight, might have tiny spots of spasm, |
| Start feeling around beneath and under the calf | | | | and for a variety of reasons have an inflammation |
| muscles. Not on the big tendon that runs from the | | | | process happening that basically makes everything |
| calves to your heel, but around it and under it. What | | | | more tight and more painful. |
| does that feel like in there? Feel around from your | | | | If there IS a hotspot on the Achilles Tendon: |
| ankle all the way up to your calves. Again, you will feel | | | | If you find obvious painful spots on the tendon, that |
| normal ache and pain. It's good to take stock of what's | | | | points to tendonosis and tendonitis. If you have |
| there, feel how bad it is, and see if anything jumps out | | | | tendonitis, it is to be expected that your calves will be |
| at you as being worse than it should be. | | | | more tender and painful to the touch than they would |
| 3. Look for pain on the Achilles Tendon itself | | | | be without the tendonitis in the area. |
| Feel around directly on the Achilles Tendon. This | | | | |