Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Achilles tendinitis - aibu or is it a curse?

53 replies

LostittoBostik · 19/10/2024 16:45

Ugh it's been about six months and I've suddenly bothered to look into what's happening properly and it looks like I have this in both ankles.
I'm only in my 40s and I feel about 80 as I get stiff if I sit for more than 10 minutes.
I know what damaged them was a pair of flat sandals, plus always wearing converse so they were weak anyway.

I'm seeking a physio but can someone give me hope that it will eventually recover. I'm rushed off my feet with work, young children, house issues, older parents to support and I've just let it go on so long without any care and it's very bad now.
I'm worried I've damaged myself for life.

OP posts:
Contigo · 19/10/2024 16:46

Mine hasn’t recovered after two years of rest, exercise and physio. I’m being referred for surgery.

GoldieRetrieverLocks · 19/10/2024 16:46

I had it horrendously for about a year.

Then it miraculously just cleared up.

I did have some physio in that time though. Strengthening exercises for things like hips work wonders.

fluffiphlox · 19/10/2024 16:51

It’s a pain in the backside. I’ve had it twice and it took about 18 months each time to recover.

steffibabes · 19/10/2024 16:53

I have it in my left ankle and found that wearing cushioned shoes stopped the pain. Was wearing flat shoes before.

Original poster
LostittoBostik · 19/10/2024 16:54

Contigo · 19/10/2024 16:46

Mine hasn’t recovered after two years of rest, exercise and physio. I’m being referred for surgery.

Oh god. I didn't even realise that was a thing...

I've just had surgery for something else and can't manage to fit in more downtime with two young kids.

Argh!!!

I'm not even a runner or anything. Depressing

OP posts:
BigSkies2022 · 19/10/2024 16:58

I had it, OP, and it was painful. We flew long-haul in 2018 and my achilles tendons were so sore and sort of 'rigid'. So, sympathies.

What did work for me was HRT (you may be perimenopausal in your 40's and oestrogen is important in maintaining joint and tendon flexibility and strength) and lots of ballet barre exercise. Loads of relévés, basically, also building glute and hamstring strength (it's all connected!) and knocking off the high-impact gym work. You can go back to it once you're better. YouTube has lots of resources.

Redruns · 19/10/2024 17:02

The things that have helped me most with tendonitis in various places over the years (I abuse my body so have had lots) are ice, more often and for longer than feels reasonable , and super strength turmeric capsules.

For achillies tendonitis I'd have my feet in a bucket of iced water as many times a day as I possibly can.

Disasterclass · 19/10/2024 17:07

I had it in one foot and physio really helped. I also got an insert in my shoe (on advice of the physio) that helped. That was a few years ago and hasn't come back since

Freydo · 19/10/2024 17:14

It was fucking Vivo Barefoot that did for me! Physio really helped (NHS you can self refer in my area). Podiatrist too. Exercises to strengthen calf muscles and stretches, progressing to Alfredson protocol. Inserts in shoes. Wearing sliders (Archie’s) in the house.

Freydo · 19/10/2024 17:15

Also a referral for shockwave treatment.

Fizbosshoes · 19/10/2024 17:16

Oh I wish I hadn't read this, I think I might have this and was unrealistically hoping for a quick fix from physio!

Maddy70 · 19/10/2024 17:20

Insoles saved my life with this. Treat the same as plantar fasciitis. Exercise by rolling a tennis ball under the sole of your foot and do the stretching exercises

Chocolategirl19791 · 19/10/2024 17:22

My husband has this and keeps it at bay my pretty much living in Sketchers arch fit trainers in various colours. He gave up football mid 30s as that was a trigger but equally so was other things or even nothing. My patience used to run out with him hobbling around the house unable to drive or do stuff with the kids. He also wears flip flops (arch fit type) around the house. Bare feet are bad and he found this when we were away and didn't take them. Physio did help after a bad run with it - he'd prefer to avoid surgery - did start the process on private health care the Covid hit and it was out on hold but now dragging out to try and avoid this.

Contigo · 19/10/2024 17:26

This is the protocol I followed OP. Mine was caused by chemotherapy and has been really troublesome, hence I am now having surgery.

https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/11924Ptendinopathy.pdf

Original poster
LostittoBostik · 19/10/2024 18:16

Chocolategirl19791 · 19/10/2024 17:22

My husband has this and keeps it at bay my pretty much living in Sketchers arch fit trainers in various colours. He gave up football mid 30s as that was a trigger but equally so was other things or even nothing. My patience used to run out with him hobbling around the house unable to drive or do stuff with the kids. He also wears flip flops (arch fit type) around the house. Bare feet are bad and he found this when we were away and didn't take them. Physio did help after a bad run with it - he'd prefer to avoid surgery - did start the process on private health care the Covid hit and it was out on hold but now dragging out to try and avoid this.

Ok these aren't as ugly as I feared 😂

I'm going to get an appointment with a physio in the next fortnight and take it from there!

OP posts:
Grantanow · 19/10/2024 18:28

I had it in one Achilles tendon with some swelling. I had a scan which indicated there was no vascularisation hence no need for an injection. Some exercises from the physio helped together with a heel pad in the same side shoe. It disappeared after a few months.

mrsmalcolmreynolds · 19/10/2024 18:34

I had tendonopathy in both heels, when I got up in the morning couldn't walk down the stairs properly etc. In the end it resolved as a side effect of building up overall leg strength - lots of squats, lunges, one-legged pilates bridges etc. This summer I ran a 5k for charity and it was fine which I honestly thought would never happen again.

dogscatsandbabies · 19/10/2024 18:52

Physio here. A few things jump out from your OP-

  1. You can't make your achilles weak by wearing Converse, although a change in footwear can certainly have an impact and some people can trace onset back to this. Consider though that often you've changed your footwear because you've changed some of your daily routine (more time at home, walking a school run twice a day at the start of reception, starting at the gym etc).
  1. You list a lot of stressors. Our physical health can be a good barometer for other stuff going on in our lives. There are measurable changes in immune responses and therefore low grade inflammation in the body when you are lacking sleep, suffering anxiety etc. Although there is a lot of benefit in the advice and exercises a Physio can give you, there may be other things you need to consider and try to address.
  1. When a Physio gives you exercises please do them! Loading tissues is the only way to make them stronger and more resilient!

Good luck.

Original poster
LostittoBostik · 19/10/2024 19:04

mrsmalcolmreynolds · 19/10/2024 18:34

I had tendonopathy in both heels, when I got up in the morning couldn't walk down the stairs properly etc. In the end it resolved as a side effect of building up overall leg strength - lots of squats, lunges, one-legged pilates bridges etc. This summer I ran a 5k for charity and it was fine which I honestly thought would never happen again.

This gives me so much hope, thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
LostittoBostik · 19/10/2024 19:07

dogscatsandbabies · 19/10/2024 18:52

Physio here. A few things jump out from your OP-

  1. You can't make your achilles weak by wearing Converse, although a change in footwear can certainly have an impact and some people can trace onset back to this. Consider though that often you've changed your footwear because you've changed some of your daily routine (more time at home, walking a school run twice a day at the start of reception, starting at the gym etc).
  1. You list a lot of stressors. Our physical health can be a good barometer for other stuff going on in our lives. There are measurable changes in immune responses and therefore low grade inflammation in the body when you are lacking sleep, suffering anxiety etc. Although there is a lot of benefit in the advice and exercises a Physio can give you, there may be other things you need to consider and try to address.
  1. When a Physio gives you exercises please do them! Loading tissues is the only way to make them stronger and more resilient!

Good luck.

Ok, sure. This is all very holistic. But my stressful self employed role is required to pay the mortgage, my children will only grow up as fast as time passes and no quicker, and sleep is disrupted by both those things plus worrying about my parents etc.
I do my best to eat well, keep active, walk 12k steps a day and stay a healthy BMI. But life is life.
I just really hope that some face to face physio support will help. I'm also buying some podiatry insoles right now!

OP posts:
Littlehouseonthe · 19/10/2024 19:09

Got it once in my twenties from running in wrong shoes. Recovered ok with lots of rest and using crutches for a bit as had to work etc. I was also able to get back to running (with the right shoes this time) and never had it again. I am in my forties now

Smokedcloud · 19/10/2024 19:13

I had shockwave therapy to cure mine, and it worked. I live in Fitflops and have insoles made especially for my feet that I put in nearly all my non FitFlop shoes. Avoid all flat shoes OP.

ClytemnestraWasMisunderstood · 19/10/2024 19:14

LostittoBostik · 19/10/2024 16:54

Oh god. I didn't even realise that was a thing...

I've just had surgery for something else and can't manage to fit in more downtime with two young kids.

Argh!!!

I'm not even a runner or anything. Depressing

Show quote history

Steroid injection!! Miraculous! I've just had a wrist done, and altho' it stung quite a bit, after 3 days, all was back to normal. If your waiting list is long, I'd consider saving to have it done privately. So worth it

FixTheBone · 19/10/2024 19:15

Check out angry orthopods website.

Stretching, eccentric dips, like clockwork, thrice daily 6 months. There are no shortcuts sadly.

You need to find a way to drop your step count, or to lessen the impact of each step - silicone heel cups for the longer bits of walking, but not around the house.

Twatalert · 19/10/2024 19:20

I had this and it is still noticeable some days but I can do the stairs etc with pain now. I did the NHS exercises, mainly muscle strengthening and stretching. Took ages.

Watch out that your knees are slightly bent when you walk. Mine weren't as I somehow had changed my way of walking and it seems to have triggered it.

I have plantar fascitis in my other foot now. I blame a year of inactivity during the height of my Achilles issues as I was so sore and my muscles and tendons weren't exercised enough.