what exercises can rehab achilles tendon injury

Exercises that can be done to improve balance and proprioception after an Achilles tendon rupture may include:

• Single leg stance (with eyes open and eyes closed)
• Wobble board standing
• Using a BAPS board
• Standing on foam
• Using a BOSU balance trainer to challenge balance

Full Answer

What are the best stretches for the Achilles tendon?

A key exercise is the heel raise. The emphasis should be on the eccentric control. Eccentric means when the muscle lengthens. In this exercise, the starting position is up on the tip toes, and the important component is the slow lowering of the heels. Spend several seconds to lower down the heels. I typically advise 1 second up and 5 seconds down.

How to strengthen your Achilles tendons?

Oct 25, 2021 · Soleus Heel Raise. With your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent, lightly touch a countertop. Keeping a small bend in your legs, rise up onto both heels. Lift the non-painful leg in the air and gradually lower your other heel back to …

What are some exercises for Achilles therapy?

Feb 03, 2015 · When you no longer have sharp pain in your calf or tendon, you can do the step-up, heel raises, and static and balance and reach exercises. Towel stretch: Sit on a hard surface with your injured leg stretched out in front of you. Loop a towel around your toes and the ball of your foot and pull the towel toward your body keeping your leg straight.

How to safely stretch your Achilles tendon?

Mar 03, 2018 · Ankle Plantar Flexion-straight Double leg Calf Raise exercises for Achilles tendonitis rehabilitation Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart in a comfortable stance. Now try to lift your heels off the floor whilst going onto your tiptoes. Double leg calf raises on a step exercises for Achilles tendonitis rehabilitation

How do you rehab an Achilles tendon injury?

For an Achilles tendon injury, the following treatments are often used:Stretching and flexibility exercises. These are key to helping your tendon heal without shortening and causing long-term pain.Strengthening exercises. ... Ultrasound heat therapy. ... Deep massage.

What is the fastest way to heal an Achilles tendon?

To speed the process, you can:Rest your leg. ... Ice it. ... Compress your leg. ... Raise (elevate) your leg. ... Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. ... Use a heel lift. ... Practice stretching and strengthening exercises as recommended by your doctor, physical therapist, or other health care provider.Oct 18, 2021

Can you exercise with a torn Achilles tendon?

Between 6 and 8 weeks: You'll have fewer rehab appointments and should be able to stand on the injured leg for 10 seconds at a stretch. The boot could come off during this time, too. You can do more activities now, but still no high-impact exercise. Your therapist might recommend swimming or biking.Oct 18, 2021

How can I strengthen my Achilles tendon naturally?

Sit in a chair and extend your affected leg so that your heel is on the floor. With your hand, reach down and pull your big toe up and back (toward your ankle and away from the floor). Hold the position for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 4 times a session, up to 5 sessions a day.

Is it good to massage Achilles tendonitis?

Conclusion: Pressure massage is a useful treatment for Achilles tendinopathy. Compared with eccentric exercise treatment, pressure massage gives similar results.Mar 21, 2019

How long does it take an Achilles tendon to heal?

Depending on the type of work, some people need several weeks off work after an Achilles tendon tear (rupture); the time taken to return to sport is between 4 and 12 months. Generally, the outlook is good. However, the tendon does take time to heal, usually about six to eight weeks.Dec 21, 2020

What exercises can I do to strengthen my Achilles tendon?

Toe stretchSit in a chair, and extend your affected leg so that your heel is on the floor.With your hand, reach down and pull your big toe up and back. Pull toward your ankle and away from the floor.Hold the position for at least 15 to 30 seconds.Repeat 2 to 4 times a session, several times a day.

Should you stretch a strained Achilles?

Stretching and strengthening exercises for the Achilles tendon. Achilles tendon damage is common. It can be painful and make it difficult to exercise or even walk. Stretches can help speed up healing and improve mobility.May 20, 2020

Can stretching make Achilles tendonitis worse?

Excessive stretching can CAUSE Achilles tendonitis/tendinopathy. When you do a calf/Achilles stretch, the lower part of the Achilles tendon gets compressed against the heel bone. This is normal and usually not a problem.

What are 2 signs of Achilles tendonitis?

Common symptoms of Achilles tendinitis include:Pain and stiffness along the Achilles tendon in the morning.Pain along the tendon or back of the heel that worsens with activity.Severe pain the day after exercising.Thickening of the tendon.Bone spur formation (insertional tendinitis)More items...

Flexibility Stretches

Tight calf muscles put extra strain on the Achilles tendon during daily movements and intense physical activity. This is why physical therapists recommend exercises that build or restore flexibility in the calf muscles.

Eccentric Strength Techniques

Eccentric exercises refer to moves that build strength in a muscle by applying tension to the structure as it is lengthened. This type of technique has been found to be especially helpful in relieving the pain associated with mid-portion Achilles tendonitis.

Heavy Resistance Exercises

Exercises that subject the Achilles tendon to higher amounts of weight are another option when treating mid-portion tendonitis. These techniques, which utilize common pieces of equipment found in a gym or health club, have been found to be equally effective as eccentric strengthening exercises at relieving Achilles tendonitis pain. 3

A Word from Verywell

Achilles tendonitis is a condition that is both relatively common and extremely uncomfortable. Fortunately, in the majority of cases, this diagnosis is effectively treated using physical therapy exercises, such as the ones detailed above.

How to get rid of a swollen leg?

With the hand that is farther away from the chair, reach forward in front of you by bending at the waist. Avoid bending your knee any more as you do this. Repeat this 15 times. To make the exercise more challenging, reach farther in front of you.

How to strengthen calf muscles?

Eccentric calf strengthening: Stand behind a chair or counter with your feet flat on the floor. Using the chair or counter as a support to help you, raise your body up onto your toes and hold for 5 seconds. Then slowly lower yourself down with your injured leg only.

How to straighten a leg that hurts?

Step-up: Stand with the foot of your injured leg on a support 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) high –like a small step or block of wood. Keep your other foot flat on the floor. Shift your weight onto the injured leg on the support. Straighten your injured leg as the other leg comes off the floor.

How to lift a leg that is injured?

Side-lying leg lift: Lie on your uninjured side. Tighten the front thigh muscles on your injured leg and lift that leg 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) away from the other leg. Keep the leg straight and lower it slowly. Do 2 sets of 15.

How to stretch a toe?

Towel stretch: Sit on a hard surface with your injured leg stretched out in front of you. Loop a towel around your toes and the ball of your foot and pull the towel toward your body keeping your leg straight. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and then relax. Repeat 3 times.

How to heal Achilles Tendon?

Achilles Tendon Injury Exercises. Your healthcare provider may recommend exercises to help you heal. Talk to your healthcare provider or physical therapist about which exercises will best help you and how to do them correctly and safely. You can do the towel stretch right away. When the towel stretch is easy, try the standing calf stretch, ...

How to fix Achilles tendonitis?

Rules Of Fixing Achilles Tendinitis 1 Before exercising, minimize the pain! It is ok to exercise with pain, but the pain should not increase to the point where it’s unbearable. 2 You should be able to walk normally without a limp. 3 The next morning, the pain should not be worse than the previous morning. 4 If you cannot walk without a limp, it is advisable to either rest, or use a heel lift, which helps to decrease the tensile load on the tendon. 5 As the acute inflammation decreases, try to wean off the heel lift.

What is the largest tendon in the body?

The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It allows us to extend our ankle (plantar flexion) and push off. Achilles tendinopathy, or more generally known as Achilles tendinitis, occurs when the tendon fails to heal fully.

How to walk without limping?

If you cannot walk without a limp, it is advisable to either rest, or use a heel lift, which helps to decrease the tensile load on the tendon. As the acute inflammation decreases, try to wean off the heel lift. If you can follow those rules, try these 5 exercises: 1. Calf & Soleus Stretch.

Why does Achilles tendonitis hurt?

It is thought that much of the pain associated with Achilles tendinitis comes from the neural pathways associated with these new vessels. What this means is that, once you are dealing with tendinosis, you must be very careful about how you continue to exercise, as the problem then becomes a long-term condition.

Where does the pain come from in the middle of the Achilles tendon?

Note: Pain in the middle of the tendon is more common. Some people have pain at the bottom of the Achilles where it inserts into the heel bone (known as insertional Achilles tendinitis). These symptoms often take longer and can be more difficult to treat.

How to strengthen calf tendon?

Introduce isometric exercises first, where you load the tendon without movement. Just stand on one leg, and lean forward so that the weight is on the ball of your foot (heel should still be touching the floor). Hold this for 10 seconds at a time. Repeat for sets of 10. You should feel your calf working as you lean forward. This is a very physiologically safe exercise as there is no movement to the tendon. Ideally, you would perform this throughout the day for multiple sets of 10.

What happens when you overuse a tendon?

Overuse. The human body is always trying to heal itself, but when the rate of damage from overuse outweighs your ability to heal, your tendon will start to breakdown. This eventually leads to the long-term changes in your tendon associated with tendinosis.

What is phase 1 exercise?

Phase 1 (Mobility and early strength) exercises for Achilles tendonitis rehabilitation. Ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion AROM, on a table. In long sitting on top of a table/bed or a plinth, place your ankles over the edge of the table. Now move the ankles upwards towards you and then downwards towards the floor.

How to fix Achilles tendonitis?

Single leg Bridge exercises for Achilles tendonitis rehabilitation. Lay on your back on the floor or a plinth. Bend one leg to 90 degrees and place it flat on the floor and keep the other leg straight. Place your arms by your side. Now lift your bottom and the straighten leg off the floor.

How to do proprio cone touches?

Standing Proprio cone touches (3 points) exercises for Achilles tendonitis rehabilitation. Place 2 cones either side of you and 12 cones in front and behind you. Now stand in the middle of the cone circle. Then balance yourself on the injured foot, and then try to reach each cone with your toes.

Can a chronic tendon flare up be irreversible?

In fact, a flare-up in symptoms from a chronic tendon problem can be a reactive response from non-degenerate parts of the tendon. If you’re in one of these flare-ups then first settle symptoms with the advice in for reactive tendonitis above. There are aspects of degenerate tendonitis that are irreversible.

Can Achilles tendonitis be painful?

This is a gradual process and usually a painful one but sometimes it can occur without pain with the first sign of a tendon problem being a sudden unexpected rupture. Working out the Achilles tendonitis stages is important to determine the best treatment and seek the best advice for treatment.

How to heal Achilles tendonitis?

Stop if you feel pain. Stretch until you feel minor discomfort, then relax. Don’t strain or force your muscles. If you feel sharp pain, stop stretching immediately. Stretching is just one part of Achilles tendonitis recovery. Your doctor may also tell you to rest, apply ice packs, and wear heel lifts in your shoes.

What is the degeneration of the Achilles tendon?

Achilles tendinopathy is the degeneration and damage of collagen in the tendon. It develops when Achilles tendonitis becomes chronic. Other conditions that can affect the area include Achilles tendonosis, or micro-tears in the tendon, and an Achilles tendon rupture, a partial or complete tear.

What exercises can help with Achilles tendon?

Strengthening exercises can also tone the calf and heel muscles attached to the tendon. The stronger the muscles, the less stress will be applied on the tendon. Talk to your doctor before doing Achilles tendon stretches and strengthening exercises. During recovery, it’s important to rest and limit activity.

How to stretch your calf?

Keep your back heel on the floor and point your toes straight ahead. Bend your other knee toward the wall, keeping your back leg straight. Lean toward the wall until you feel a gentle stretch in your calf. Don’t lean so far that you feel pain. Hold for 30 seconds.

How to use a step ladder?

Do this stretch with the leg that has an Achilles tendon issue. Hold on to the railings of the staircase or ladder. Put the ball of your foot on the edge of the bottom step. Let your heel drop down, allowing your other foot to relax.

How to get rid of a tight Achilles tendon?

When the Achilles tendon is inflamed, it can tighten and cause discomfort. The runner’s stretch, or calf stretch, will provide relief by loosening the tendon. To do this exercise, you’ll need a wall or other support, such as a chair. Place your hands on the wall or chair.

How to raise your heel?

During seated heel raises, the muscles in your calves work together to lift your heel. This improves strength and provides support for the Achilles tendon. Sit on a chair or at the edge of a bed. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your heels as high as possible, pause, then slowly lower them.