Is ice or heat better for Achilles tendonitis?
It is usually better to use ice (cold) rather than heat when you have a painful Achilles tendon, but it has its limitations. Find out why.
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Maryke Louw
3 min read
Can swimming cause Achilles tendonitis?
It's very unlikely that swimming will cause Achilles tendonitis, but there are some exceptional circumstances in which it might do so. In...
Maryke Louw
2 min read
Can you swim with Achilles tendonitis?
Yes, you can swim with Achilles tendonitis or tendinopathy, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Depending on how sensitive or...
Maryke Louw
4 min read
Can tight calves cause Achilles tendonitis?
Are your tight calves causing Achilles tendonitis? No. It's rather the other way round. Learn how to relieve your stiff calves.
Maryke Louw
6 min read
Don't confuse heel drop exercises for Achilles tendonitis with stretching!
Do not confuse heel drop exercises for Achilles tendinopathy with stretching, because they are two very different things.
Maryke Louw
5 min read
How to prevent Achilles pain from derailing your marathon training
Achilles pain, or Achilles tendinopathy, is one of the most common running injuries to throw a spanner in the works of a marathon...
Maryke Louw
7 min read
Heel bursitis: Causes and treatment
The full name for the bursitis you get in the back of your heel, underneath the Achilles tendon, is retrocalcaneal bursitis. That’s a bit...
Maryke Louw
5 min read
Using a walking boot for Achilles tendonitis or pain
Why it's bad for you to wear an orthopeadic boot for too long when you have Achilles tendonitis, and what to do if you've been wearing one.
Maryke Louw
8 min read
Haglund’s deformity treatment – How to avoid surgery
Have you been told that you have a Haglund's deformity that is causing pain in your Achilles tendon or at the back of your heel? In this...
Maryke Louw
4 min read
How smoking or vaping can delay tendon healing
Yes, vaping is relatively clean compared to regular cigarette smoke, which can contain more than 4,000 toxic compounds, but if your...
Steph Davies
4 min read
Return to running after Achilles tendonitis: 5 things to consider
Up to 44% of people returning to sport after and Achilles tendonitis end up with a recurrence of the injury. Here are some things to...
Maryke Louw
3 min read
Top tips for insertional Achilles tendinopathy/tendonitis
Insertional Achilles tendinopathy/tendonitis is a very specific kind of Achilles injury. In this article, Maryke explains why you should...
Alison Gould
5 min read
Why an Achilles flare-up isn’t always a bad thing
There is nothing worse than feeling like you are making progress with your Achilles problem or even starting to get back into activity...
Maryke Louw
1 min read
Achilles rehab: Think of running as strength exercise
I find that one of the most common reasons why runners reinjure their Achilles tendons when they go back to running is because they try...
Alison Gould
3 min read
What pain means and how pain levels can help us manage an Achilles tendinopathy
One of the main drivers for patients to contact us is the level of pain they are experiencing in their Achilles tendon, which in turn is...
Alison Gould
3 min read
Cross-training when you have Achilles tendonitis
Most active people fear getting an injury that prevents them from doing their usual training. With Achilles tendonitis, walking as well...
Maryke Louw
3 min read
Achilles tendonitis – Absence of pain does not equal full recovery
I find that runners tend to use pain as the main way of gauging how bad an injury is. However, the intensity of pain often does not...
Maryke Louw
3 min read
Neuromuscular exercises for Achilles tendonitis rehab
Neuromuscular or motor control may play a role in both the cause as well as the successful treatment of Achilles tendonitis. In this...
Maryke Louw
4 min read
Don’t do cross friction massage on your Achilles tendon!
Many people believe that transverse friction or cross friction massage can heal an injured Achilles tendon. It cannot.
Maryke Louw
3 min read
Shockwave treatment for Achilles tendonitis
Shockwave is often prescribed as part of the treatment for Achilles tendonitis. In this article, Maryke discusses how it works, what the...
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