“Life is a race and we all have to run hard to be on the track!” Something perhaps we all have been listening to from our early days and in fact doing since our days of maturity. We all have been in to busy and active life where we are to run and work hard every single day to match up with the time. In this course of time, what we forget we are trying to live a hundred years of life in mere ten years. We overuse our mind and overuse our body without taking enough care of selves. In turn we are dragged to fall down or get restricted with our bodily functions many times. One such common condition that arise with our overuse of leg (maybe in running or jumping), is termed as Achilles Tendinitis. This is a condition affecting the body’s largest tendon called the Achilles Tendon, lying in the back of the leg near the heel. How about being that much of a healthy body to take up the challenge of keeping ourselves free from this Achilles tendinitis in a natural and active manner?
This article is something about the Achilles tendon stretches which would help you come out of the painful symptoms of Achilles tendinitis and heal your affected Achilles tendon in an active manner while practicing the stretches regularly. So let us go through the following section on the write-up to understand some of the common Achilles tendon stretches.
Achilles Tendon And The Common Condition Of Achilles Tendinitis:
Achilles Tendon is the largest tendon of the human body which lies at the backside of the leg near to the heel. This tendon is very much important and mainly helps in running and jumping. Being the strongest tendon, it is known to withstand a lot of stress that is caused while running or while jumping. However as the belief goes, “Anything in excess is harmful!”; with overuse of Achilles tendon there comes a state where it gets prone to tendinitis. This is what the common condition of Achilles Tendinitis mean. A patient suffering from such a condition meets with excessive pain in his/her Achilles tendon. Let us read about the causes and symptoms of Achilles Tendinitis below.
Causes Of Achilles Tendinitis:
Usually Achilles Tendinitis occurs when there is a specific kind of injury to the Achilles tendon. There are problems when there is any kind of repetitive stress to the tendon. Let us list down in brief about some of such special causes of Achilles tendon.
- Sudden increase in the level of exercising.
- Exercising all of a sudden with a tight calf muscle
- There are chances of injury when there is an extra bone growth near the Achilles tendon and the heel bone which may lead to rub against the tendon and be painful.
Symptoms Of Achilles Tendinitis:
Now coming down to the symptoms of Achilles tendinitis, here we are below with some of the most common symptoms that are to be noted.
- Severe pain in the Achilles tendon all throughout the day with exercising or any physical activity.
- Pain all along the Achilles tendon during the early morning
- Serious pain in the back of the leg or in the heels region
- Swelling near the Achilles tendon all throughout the day
- Excessive growth of bone or arrival of bone spur near the tendon area in the back leg near the heels
- Thickening of Achilles tendon and pain around the portion.
Some Essential Achilles Tendon Stretches:
“Stretch beyond what you thought you could do!” This powerful saying about stretches would motivate you to strongly opt for learning and performing the stretches to get rid of painful Achilles Tendon and keep the tendon healthier for the long run of your life. So here below are some of the essential Achilles Tendon stretches which can help you greatly.
1. Toe Stretch:
This is one of the most common and effective stretch for Achilles tendinitis. Let us read the steps for doing the toe stretches.
- Sit on a chair and extend your legs in a way that your heels touches down to the floor
- Bend and reach down and with your hands pull the big toe of the affected Achilles tendon, up and back (away from the floor).
- Manage to keep the toe in this uplifted position for few seconds and do the same for 2 to 4 times.
- Practice this at least for a minimum of four times a day.
2. Calf Stretch:
This is another stretch prescribed for Achilles tendon which involves the calf. Read the following to understand the procedure step by step
- “Wall is your support!” So take the help of a wall and place your hands on it for support.
- Now take backward step from the left leg.
- Keep the left leg straight and press the floor with your heel.
- Bend your right legs slightly by pressing your hips forward. Make a note you are feeling the stretch on your left calf.
- Keep this for at least half a minute and then repeat for 2 to 4 times.
- Make sure you are doing this entire calf stretch for at least 5 times a day.
3. Stair Stretch:
Below mentioned are the steps to understand stair stretch for Achilles tendon
- Stand with the use of the balls of your feet on the edge of a stair. Hold something solid for your support
- Keeping the affected leg straight, allow the heel hang down the stairs until you experience a stretch in the calf or the Achilles tendon.
- Make a check that some of your weight is still on the other leg
- Keep this position constant for at least 30 seconds max and repeat the same twice
- Go for at least 4-5 such sessions in a day for better benefits from the stretches.
4. Calf Plantar Fascia Stretch:
This is one of the advanced form of Achilles tendon stretches which can benefit you greatly from getting rid of the painful symptoms of Achilles tendinitis. Here below are the steps to follow
- Sit down the floor with the extended legs. Keep a note to have your knees straight.
- Now take a towel to wrap around your leg or the foot which requires the stretch.
- Leaving the toe, cover the foot with the towel in a clean manner and hold both the ends of the towel with your hands placed just above your knees.
- Now pull your leg through the towel towards you so that you can feel the stretch.
- Hold this position for at least 20-30 seconds and repeat for two times.
- Manage to do the stretch at least 5 times a day for better results.
One Unique And Effective Stretch For Achilles Tendon:
There are many other Achilles tendon stretches which are effective and worth practicing. One of such unique and effective Achilles tendon stretch is explained below.
- Place the foot you want to stretch on a wall at your knee height.
- Now press the heel towards the wall.
- Make sure the other leg is kept entirely straight.
- Don’t bend your hips and also keep a check that you are not leaning towards the wall
- Lift your chest and keep yourself straight.
- Hold the position for at least 15 to 30 seconds and then relax.
- Repeat the same with the other foot.
Safety Precautions To Maintain While Doing The Achilles Tendon Stretches:
“If safety is a joke, death is the punch line.” Check out some of the safety precautions to be maintained while doing the Achilles tendon stretches and prevent yourself from unnecessary injuries that would even raise your level of stress and burden on the affected tendon.
- Do not over stretch and go for a gentle warmup after stretching.
- Go for massaging with ice for at least 15 to 20 minutes after stretches.
- Take required amount of rest to relax the Achilles tendon.
- Talk to an expert professional and take the necessary advises and treatments for Achilles tendinitis.
Now that we have discussed about some of the essential stretches for Achilles tendon pain, get a positive mind to start with your Achilles tendon stretches on a proper manner and let the pain leave you at the earliest possible time.
Also Read: