top of page
Book a video consultation with our physios


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
2 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
4 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
6 min read


Partial Achilles tears – the symptoms, healing process, and treatment
This article explains what the partial Achilles tear symptoms are, how the healing process works, and elements of a good rehab programme.
Alison Gould
10 min read


Understanding plantaris tendon pain, how it affects the Achilles, and how to treat it
The plantaris tendon runs right next to the Achilles tendon and is thought to sometimes play a role in why the Achilles tendon gets...
Maryke Louw
7 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
5 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
7 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
5 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
9 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...
Maryke Louw
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...
Steph Davies
4 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...
Maryke Louw
3 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...
Alison Gould
5 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...
Maryke Louw
1 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...
Alison Gould
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
3 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
4 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...
Maryke Louw
3 min read
bottom of page