5 Remedies for Achilles Heel Tendinitis

For preventing and relieving tendinitis, use adequate footwear. It should give you the necessary support. Without good shoes, you might make things worse.

Tendinitis in your Achilles heel means inflammation in that area. It’s a problem that can cause a lot of discomfort and pain.

Its location can make it hard for you to do everyday activities without pain.

Our recommendation is that you take the time you need to treat the problem. If your doctor asks you to take a few days off for rest, do it for as long as they say.

Besides following your doctor’s recommendations, you can use some of these remedies to help treat tendinitis.

1. Use the RICE treatment

The Spanish Hemophilia Federation approves of the RICE method, which is a first aid treatment that is divided into 4 steps:

1.1 Rest

The constant tension your foot is under can usually cause Achilles heel tendinitis. For this, you need to be aware of both the time and effort you expend when you walk, jog, or run.

For a few days, it’s a good idea to reduce the amount of stress and tension on it. If you can take a few days to rest, that would be much better.

1.2 Ice

The second phase of this treatment is applying ice compresses to your Achilles heel regularly.

This will gradually reduce the temperature. At the same time, it reduces inflammation and takes away the pain.

A study from the University of the Americas in Santiago, Chile found that cryotherapy works well as a natural pain reliever.

1.3 Compression

Apply pressure on the area around your Achilles heel, especially when you go to sleep.

Make sure to keep your tendon stable. It should have better support to avoid any additional tension.

For this, you only need to use either a compression bandage or socks. During the day, it’s important to use appropriate, doctor-recommended footwear.

1.4 Elevation

A little elevation helps increase blood flow in this area. Also, gravity helps to take tension off the tendon. This allows your blood vessels and capillaries in the area to not strain as much.

It’s important to talk to your doctor first, however, because elevation is not recommended in some cases.

2. Give it a massage with castor oil

Castor oil is helpful for treating and reducing tendinitis pain. This study from the Autonomous University of Queretaro (Mexico) found that castor oil has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

When you do the massage, start little by little. It can be very painful at the beginning. As your tendon relaxes, you can increase the pressure

After giving yourself this massage, be sure to cover the area with a compression sock or bandage.

3. Quit smoking

Smoking is one of the worst habits for your health. It’s especially bad for your blood circulation. Many people believe that if you have Achilles heel tendinitis problems, quitting smoking can significantly improve your recovery time.

At the moment, however, we don’t have any scientific evidence that quitting smoking can improve an injury like tendinitis.

What we know for sure is that smoking is dangerous for your health. Giving up the habit isn’t an easy task for anyone, but it’s worth it. This study from the Castilla-La Mancha Health Service shows that many people have been able to quit smoking through will power, support, and long-term goal-setting.

4. Use appropriate footwear

Tendinitis in your Achilles heel gets in the way of walking correctly. However, this isn’t everything: if you use the wrong shoes, you can make the problem worse.

To keep this from happening, it’s important that you make sure to use a pair of shoes that have enough support. Stay away from ones that put constant pressure on the tendon.

You also need to look for shoes that have soft sides. The back and sole should be thick enough so that they don’t need any extra support. If you have any doubts, ask your doctor directly.

While it can be a bit of pain, finding the right shoes is worth it. According to this study from the University of Barcelona, it’s important to pay attention to your footwear and be aware of the pain that bad shoes can cause, even when you’re talking about work shoes.

5. Stretch to warm-up your Achilles heel

Stretching isn’t just something you do after exercise. In truth, it’s recommended that you stretch every morning. This lets you prepare your body for the stresses of the day.

Unexpected twists, cramps, tension, and tendinitis in any area can happen. This is because it’s not prepared to face normal effort or stress.

You only need to stretch for 10 or 15 minutes. This is enough to prevent any tendinitis problems or pain. Start little by little and make sure you don’t force it.

Experts also recommend avoiding overdoing it when you feel pain. The last thing you want to do is increase the inflammation.

Always watch the progression of the tendinitis

If your symptoms don’t lessen or the pain is unbearable, you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Doing nothing only causes complications and unnecessary pain.

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