Matthew-boes-snc
Appt : (919) 863-6845
Make an Online Appointment
  • shoulder-arthrocscopy
  • rotar-cuff-tear
  • knee-arthroscopy
  • Acl-reconstruction
  • trusted-sports

Achilles Tendon Rupture: An Athlete’s Achilles’ Heel

plantar-fasciitis-matthew-boesYour Achilles tendon serves to connect your heel bone to your calf muscle and plays an important role in many of your daily motions: walking, jumping, running all depend on a healthy and functioning Achilles tendon. The tendon is vulnerable to injury, most commonly a rupturing or tearing of the tendon.

What Can Cause An Achilles Tendon To Rupture?

Certain things can put you at risk for experiencing an Achilles tendon rupture. Recreational athletes are particularly more susceptible to the injury, with men being five times more likely than women to experience it. Although the tear can result from a forceful trauma to the back of the heel, it is most often caused by a sudden flexing of the ankle, as can happen during sports play. This same motion can occur as a result of a trip, fall or jump. Below are some ways you can lessen your risk of experiencing a ruptured Achilles tendon.

  • Stretching and strengthening calf muscles helps relieve the strain on the Achilles tendon and increase its range of motion. A strong Achilles tendon is nothing without strong calf muscles to back it!
  • As always, be careful of where and what surfaces you are running on. Smooth running surfaces are the key to safety.
  • Beware of the “weekend warrior effect” which is commonly seen as a cause of Achilles tendon injuries – i.e. when usually sedentary individuals suddenly place undue stress on the tendon during “pick up” sports or other rare recreational activity.

Treatment of Achilles Tendon Rupture

An Achilles tendon rupture will present itself as a sudden, stabbing pain in the back of the ankle with difficulty walking after the injury. There may be swelling, and a gap that can be felt just above the heel. Your doctor may have you lie down and try to engage your calf muscle; if your foot doesn’t flex automatically it’s assumed your tendon has ruptured. Treatments for a ruptured tendon include:

  • Surgery that stitches the tendon back together.
  • Wearing a cast and allowing your tendon to heal back together on its own over time.

The specific treatment selected depends on many factors, such as age, usual activity level, and associated medical conditions. If you suspect an Achilles tendon injury, call Matthew Boes M.D. early so that appropriate evaluation and treatment may be instituted.

4,094 comments on “Achilles Tendon Rupture: An Athlete’s Achilles’ Heel

  1. Hey would you mind letting me know which web host you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you suggest a good internet hosting provider at a reasonable price? Kudos, I appreciate it!

  2. There is apparently a bunch to realize about this. I feel you made various good points in features also.

  3. Electric Car says:

    I have been surfing on-line more than three hours today, yet I never found any fascinating article like yours. It is lovely value sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will likely be much more helpful than ever before.

  4. Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!

  5. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!

  6. It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you some interesting things or tips. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read more things about it!

  7. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

  8. Construction says:

    hello there and thank you for your information – I have definitely picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise some technical points using this site, since I experienced to reload the website a lot of times previous to I could get it to load properly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage your quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Well I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you update this again very soon..

  9. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?

  10. Glass Door says:

    Hello there, I discovered your site by means of Google at the same time as searching for a comparable subject, your website came up, it seems to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  11. The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a 30 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!

  12. Hi would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different web browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good internet hosting provider at a reasonable price? Thanks, I appreciate it!

  13. Business says:

    Great website! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am taking your feeds also

  14. Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog? My blog site is in the very same niche as yours and my visitors would really benefit from some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this ok with you. Regards!

  15. Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will definitely return.

  16. ppob tektaya says:

    My brother suggested I might like this web site. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!

  17. Appreciating the dedication you put into your site and detailed information you provide. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Excellent read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  18. Admiring the time and effort you put into your site and detailed information you provide. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed information. Wonderful read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  19. Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Cheers

  20. Superb blog! Do you have any helpful hints for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m completely confused .. Any ideas? Thanks!

X

Tell a Friend

captcha