Podiatry
Achilles Tendinopathy
Pain, reduced performance, and swelling affecting the Achilles tendon and the structures around it.
Achilles tendinopathy is a condition characterised by pain, reduced performance, and swelling affecting the Achilles tendon and the structures around it.
The Achilles tendon is a thick band of connective tissue that runs from your calf muscle to the back of your heel bone. Its job is to help you lift onto your toes and to absorb and release load like a spring when you run and jump. It's an injury commonly seen in athletes who run and jump frequently without adequate rest between sessions, but it's just as common in middle-aged, overweight individuals with no history of increased physical activity.
Risk factors & causes
Like all tendons and ligaments in the body, the Achilles tendon has a relatively poor blood supply compared to muscle. When it's subject to repetitive load, it needs adequate time to adapt and rebuild itself stronger. When recovery is ignored, the tendon's structural quality can break down, degrade with scar tissue, and even calcify — contributing to longer healing times.
Causes of Achilles tendinopathy are multifactorial but commonly stem from continuous overload of the tendon without adequate rest. Not all cases are training-related — increases in activity or body weight, footwear, biomechanics, and age-related changes can all contribute to excessive tendon loading. Certain medications, such as fluoroquinolone antibiotics and local cortisone injections, have also been documented to weaken the tendon as a side effect.
- Athletes involved in track and field, distance running, or basketball
- Sudden spikes in activity over a short period of time
- Overweight and obesity
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics or a recent cortisone injection in the area
- Overstriding or a heavy heel-strike gait pattern
Common symptoms
- Stiffness in the morning or after prolonged sitting
- Pain with running and jumping
- Local tenderness and swelling in the tendon
- Difficulty walking, running, or jumping on the affected side
Assessment & treatment
Treatment
The gold-standard approach is managing load on the tendon through a progressive loading program, alongside adjunct therapies to help stimulate healing. This may include:
Treatment may include:
- Biomechanical assessment to identify contributing factors
- Footwear changes
- Orthotics
- Shockwave therapy
- Dry needling
- A progressive loading program
- Running technique and load coaching
How Simba Health treats Achilles Tendinopathy
Our podiatry clinicians assess the cause of your symptoms and build a personalised, evidence-based plan to treat Achilles Tendinopathy. With no GP referral required and initial appointments from $109, you can start care quickly at a clinic near you.
Podiatry near you
Frequently asked questions
No. You can book podiatry directly at Simba Health with no GP referral, so you can start treatment for Achilles Tendinopathy without delay. Initial appointments start from $109. A referral may still help if you're claiming under a care plan.
Achilles Tendinopathy is treated under our podiatry service, with initial consultations from $109 and lower follow-up fees. We keep our pricing transparent so you know what to expect before your appointment.
Our podiatry clinicians assess the underlying cause of your symptoms, then build a personalised, evidence-based treatment plan for Achilles Tendinopathy. Many people start to notice improvement once the right plan is underway.
Not sure this is right for you?
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(02) 9188 0544