Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body and is mainly activated in walking, running and jumping.
Despite its high resistance to loads, repeated stress can lead to irritation from overuse, a condition called Achilles’ tendinopathy.
The main factors associated with the increased chances of injuring the Achilles tendon are errors in athletes’ training, such as a sudden increase in the intensity and frequency of athletic activities, a return to sports activities after a long period of absence, and rough terrain.
Tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon may also be a result of poor posture, pes valgus, inappropriate footwear and tight gastrocnemius muscle.
Achilles tendinopathy occurs with pain along the tendon while there may be local swelling and stiffness of the ankle joint.
Symptoms may appear in the morning while getting up. In other cases, they appear the next day, after an intense physical activity (running, jumping).
In most advanced cases, the symptoms are even present during walking. Pain can be detected either in the middle of the tendon (Achilles tendinopathy or non-insertional tendinopathy) or on the heel (insertional tendinopathy).
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