Pain in the Achilles tendon

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 · 02.06.2006

Pain in the Achilles tendonPhoto: Jan Greune
I am 54 years old and have been cycling for 14 years - around 6,000 to 7,000 kilometres a year. After just two to three hour rides in the upper basic range, I started to feel pain above my heel. My GP diagnosed Achilles tendon irritation and recommended a longer break from cycling and general rest. As I had planned to cross the Alps to Lake Garda, I didn't want to put up with this measure. What advice would you give me? Werner by e-mail

In addition to unsuitable shoes, the main cause of Achilles tendon irritation is excessive training volume and intensity. Tendons and ligaments belong to the so-called metabolic support systems. In contrast to muscles, tendons require longer regeneration times. An imbalance between load and regeneration leads to overloading of the elastic tendon structures. They can eventually become inflamed and, in rare cases, rupture spontaneously. The most important thing to do at the onset of Achilles tendon pain is to reduce your workload or even stop training.

At the same time, you should think about the cause of your problems. If you are exercising too intensively, you will ultimately have to change the type of training. Anti-inflammatory medication and ointments, electrotherapy as well as stretching and cross-friction of the muscles can also be helpful. To improve the biomechanics, I recommend optimising the shoes with insoles. You should compensate for any asymmetrical loading or one-sided muscular deficits and strength differences. Strength training on the trampoline, wobble board or gyroscope are suitable for this.

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