The best home exercises, tips, and techniques to eliminate Achilles tendon pain and stop Achilles tendonitis FAST. Presented by a doctor of physical therapy to help you get the results you’re after.
These are the best exercises to help you with your Achilles tendonitis. We will go over some massage techniques to stimulate healing, stretching techniques to increase range of motion and decrease pain, and the right progression of strength exercises to help increase your activity tolerance. My goal is to get you back to pain-free as soon as possible – let’s do it!
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OTHER VIDEOS YOU MIGHT FIND USEFUL
✅ *UPDATED* EXERCISES TO ELIMINATE ACHILLES TENDONITIS : https://youtu.be/kAzwyy1Ygyo
✅ BEST HOME EXERCISES FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS: https://youtu.be/zMUWbzxuw7s
✅ 3-MINUTE FIX FOR TIGHT, PAINFUL CALF MUSCLES: https://youtu.be/Hmf2xnHC58k
✅ 5-MINUTE MORNING ROUTINE FOR PLANTAR FASCIA PAIN: https://youtu.be/uod-dBB11hs
✅ HOW TO STRETCH YOUR TIGHT CALF MUSCLES: https://youtu.be/IMS65Ft-nY0
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➡️ EQUIPMENT USED IN THIS VIDEO ⬅️
JARED’S FOAM ROLLER: https://amzn.to/35FhJUv
JARED’S STRETCH OUT STRAP: https://amzn.to/33MYl6r
Before we jump right in to these stretches and exercises, it’s important that we make one distinction very clear: there’s a big difference between treating an acute case of tendonitis and a chronic Achilles tendon pain problem.
IF YOU’VE HAD PAIN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS: chances are there’s still a lot of inflammation in the area of your tendon. If your pain is less than two weeks old, my recommendation would be primarily an anti-inflammatory approach. Rest, ice, gentle massage, and gentle stretching will yield the best results for your problem.
IF YOU’VE HAD PAIN FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS: At this point your pain is becoming slightly more chronic. The pain you are experiencing is no longer primarily inflammatory… at this point there is scar tissue that’s accumulating that needs to be addressed. This problem (termed an Achilles tendinosis) responds better to aggressive massage, stretching, and eccentric exercises (as demonstrated in the video above).
THE BEST EXERCISES FOR YOUR ACHILLES TENDON PAIN
I always recommend people start with some massage to the area of the injury. If the injury is acute (less than 2 weeks) you may need to be a little more gentle. If the problem has lasted longer than two weeks, you may have to be more aggressive. I tell patients to be as aggressive as their pain threshold will allow.
1. CROSS FRICTION MASSAGE: forward and back as well as up and down along the length of the injury.
2. FOAM ROLLER: great way to release fascia/knots up into the calf muscles.
After massaging, it’s important to introduce some gentle stretching into the Achilles area. Not many people realize that your “calf muscle” is, in fact, two muscles. Both are stretched slightly differently but it’s crucial that we spend a little time stretching both of them out.
3. STANDING GASTROCNEMIUS STRETCH: performed in standing with the knee straight.
4. STANDING SOLEUS STRETCH: performed in standing with the knee bent.
After stretching, it’s important to introduce some active motion into the ankle joint to promote as much blood flow as possible into the injured area and provide some slight tensile force through the Achilles. Our goal is to heal it and get it used to moving normally again.
The following progression of exercises is presented in order from least difficult (and least effective) to most difficult (and most effective). You should start with the first and work your way through the progression as tolerated.
5. ANKLE PUMPS: non-weight-bearing active motion through as much range of motion as you have available.
6. STANDING HEEL RAISES: stand up and raise/lower your heels as high as possible and then back down to the ground.
7. HEEL RAISES ON STAIR: with the balls of your feet on the edge of a stair you can raise/lower your heels through a greater range of motion. Try to let your heels fall below the level of your toes.
8. ECCENTRIC HEEL RAISES: has been proven to promote the best healing in tendons due to their high tensile forces. For a right calf Achilles tendon pain, you would stand on the edge of a stair and raise up onto both toes. Lift your left foot and slowly lower the heel raise with just your right leg.
There you have them! Those are the best tips, techniques, and exercises to help you to eliminate your Achilles tendon pain fast!
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