Healing the Achilles tendon

Why does my Achilles Tendon Hurt when I Walk

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
Why does my Achilles Tendon Hurt when I Walk

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body and it's located at the top of the heel. It connects the two calf muscles and together they are responsible for supporting all our weight when walking. Achilles tendon pain may appear if we give more activity that it can support, so it is very common in athletes, as they are more exposed to overload during exercise. However, not only athletes suffer from this problem which can affect everyone. Read this article in OneHowTo to know why your Achilles tendon hurts when walking.

Steps to follow:
1

When the Achilles tendon is used in excess we can suffer from Achilles tendinitis, which is an inflammation of the tendon due to the extreme stress it has undergone. If left untreated, it can become chronic and difficult or impossible to walk. For this reason, it is recommended that if you suffer from Achilles tendinitis you avoid physical effort in this area of the foot.

2

Athletes are more prone to this type of condition in the Achilles tendon, especially runners, basketball players, tennis players and dancers. They are most susceptible due to stress they undergo at the heel in their sporting activities, especially the exposure of sudden movements and sudden braking.

But athletes are not the only ones who can experience pain in the Achilles tendon. Anyone can suffer from pain in the Achilles tendon when they increase their activity level. When we spend a period of inactivity and return to exercise, we can suffer from Achilles tendonitis if we do not begin gradually with our physical activity. A sudden start will be one of the most common reasons for lesions in the human body's largest tendon.

3

Changing footwear or wearing the wrong size shoes can also lead to pain in the Achilles tendon. The same happens when we use an already well-worn shoe that does not offer good support to the foot. This is how we subject the tendon to unnecessary overstress that it cannot stand as it is weakened and it hurts because of inflammation.

Heeled shoes in women can also cause injury when switching to flat shoes. This happens because the tendon is subjected to excessive stress for the change made by the calf muscles to accommodate both types of shoes everytime.

Why does my Achilles Tendon Hurt when I Walk - Step 3
4

Another cause of injury of the Achilles tendon in runners is running uphill. This happens because when we run uphill the tendon tends to stretch more than normal, which can cause an injury. The same happens when we run or do exercise on a surface that's too hard or irregular, as can happen on asphalt or sand from the beach.

Another reason why the Achilles tendon hurts is the excessive pronation, which occurs when the feet roll inward, especially when running. This exerts pressure on the tendon which can initiate discomfort in the area.

5

Exercising without warming up is one of the biggest risk factors to suffer Achilles tendinitis. If the muscles are not well prepared, all the pressure will force the tendon and will perform an overload which the tendon is not used to. For this reason it is very important to properly perform warm-up sessions before starting any physical activity, especially those that require an intervention of this area such as running.

Why does my Achilles Tendon Hurt when I Walk - Step 5
6

Bursitis retrocalcaneal is another very common cause of Achilles tendon pain. This occurs when there is inflammation between the Achilles tendon and heel zone, causing the part to become thick, red, swollen and very sore.

7

If you experience discomfort in the Achilles tendon visit your doctor. The most important in this case is to start the treatment as soon as possible, as if left untreated it could lead to a chronic pain.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Why does my Achilles Tendon Hurt when I Walk, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.

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