Achilles Tendonitis

At the beginning of this school year my son slipped in our backyard while barefoot and cut open the bottom of his right foot, severing 2 tendons. We had to go through surgery and physical therapy so I'm not a dr but I did go through a crash course in tendons. He is now prone to tendinitis since the 2 repaired tendons are now shorter than the rest.

Sometimes our muscles lose flexibility as we get older. Especially if you haven't been stretching, a long walk in the park could cause this. People with Diabetes or Thyroid problems are also prone to it.

Here are things to do when it hurts:

1) ICE it
2) Elevate it
3) Take NSAIDs, (anti-inflammatory medicine) like ibuprofen or something stronger your dr can prescribe
4) See a chiropractor, they can help with non-medicine pain relief through acupressure/acupuncture/massage/adjustment. (The one we use is in Dallas if you want her info)

When it doesn't hurt, here are a few things you can do to prevent it from getting worse:

1) Stretches - you should stretch in the morning before you get out of bed and then in the evening. Check with your chiropractor or doctor on what stretches are best for you.
2) Wear heel wedges - you can pick them up at CVS, they reduce heel stress.
3) Vitamin/Minerals to increase elasticity and joint health (I know A,E,C, Bromelein and Glucosamine are good but check with your specialist for a complete list tailored for you)
4) Continue seeing your chiropractor

I don't want to be a downer. But I've had this for months. It's very painful and walking a little off can cause other parents of the body to start hurting. I've tried several types of ankle braces until I finally found one that at least helps me get through the day. I'm on my feet a LOT. But I have also tried hard to find times and ways to get off my feet more. I had to give up my gym time and it's been weeks that I've been hoping to get back to it.

I can't tell you why and I can't tell you what I did either. Since this all started, I now have problems with the muscles up the back of that leg all the way into my butt. I get so stiff at night that it's hard to get going in the mornings. I used to be able to do an achilles stretch which is good for the foot and helps alleviate heel spurs and plantar fascitis. But now I can't make myself do that stretch.

I've been thinking of going to an orthopedic surgeon. I just don't know if they would be able to help anymore. After awhile it's very depressing.

Tendons are strong, but once they're aggravated, they're hard to get back to normal (especially a place like the ankle/heel that you use many, many, many times/day).

Personally, I'd go to a podiatrist for their advice. ER doctors aren't bad, but they're trained on trauma mostly, not specific conditions. When I was diagnosed with arthritis in my feet in my late 20's (thought it was a stress fracture from walking around Vegas on vacation), my family practitioner recommended a Podiatrist because they specialize in feet and how to alleviate the pain of common ailments.

I've been going to the podiatrist for 6 years now and swear by him.

This podiatry site appears to have good advice relatively consistent with what the ER practitioner recommended:
http://www.podiatrynetwork.com/r_achilles_tendonitis.cfm

Does ice or a cold compress help?

Are you sure it's not Plantar Facitis? When I had that I could not walk in the morning, the pain was so bad. Stretching in the a.m. helped as did the little loop bandages you can wear around your arch (foot just slips in). They can be found near the foot products. Sorry. Good luck!

Amanda had some very good suggestions. I am a chiropractic assistant. The only differing opinion I have is on the wedges. You would need to talk to your chiropractor to see if you need them and what size. Also, orthodics can help a bundle. I wear custom orthodics from footlevelers. They have everything I need custom built right into them.
Also, if you are feeling pain, NEVER use heat! It will trigger an inflammatory reaction, and you will be in more pain later. Pain=ice Dull and achy old injury=moist heat.

I had tendonitis in both Achilles tendons many years ago, which ended my ballet career. Tendonitis is inflamation, a tear is something different, although the Achilles tendon can have very small tears along with inflamation. There was nothing that helped at the time. The only thing that helped me was to stop dancing for 15 years. Even so, if I spent a lot of time walking (like at an outdoor festival or long trip at the mall) it would hurt. After all those years, it stopped hurting, and I slowly added back dancing at a less strenuous level than before, and I even jog now without any pain.

Now, I have a young friend who plays on a major university football team and runs track who has the exact same condition. He gets all sorts of treatments to ease the pain and physical therapy to keep his Achilles tendons in condition to play football and run.

Go see an orthopedist or another specialist, the sooner the better. There are treatments available now that may help you heal faster.