Achilles Pain


Potential causes of Pain in the Achilles, back of the heel or calf muscle include:

Other Causes of pain in the back of the heel or calf include but are not limited to:

  • Muscle Strain – calf muscles (gastrocnemius or soleus)
  • Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
  • Muscle Cramp

Call Podiatry First if you have pain in the back of your heel or calf and we will discuss what we can do for you and set up an appointment.

Achilles Tendinopathy

The Achilles Tendon is a combined tendon of the calf muscles – gastrocnemius and soleus muscles it is the strongest tendon in the body. Due to overload or overuse the Achilles can become painful and this can be debilitating making it hard to walk and or compete in your chosen sport. Your podiatrist will do a biomechanical examination and establish what factors may contribute to the overload of the tendon and work out a treatment plan to help offload and reduce the pain in the Achilles Tendon.

Bursitis

Bursitis can also cause pain in the back of the heel – there are two bursa in the Achilles region and they can become inflamed when there is excessive friction from the overlying tendon. The two bursa in the back of your heel are between the skin and Achilles tendon and between the Achilles tendon and the bone.

Severs Disease

Severs is a term used to describe inflammation and pain in the back of the heel in young people. As there is a growth plate in the back of the heel overuse or bad biomechanics can contribute to an inflammation in the area and subsequent pain. If you are concerned your child has Severs call Podiatry First we will establish the cause, and work out a treatment plan.