Can your achilles tendon cramp

The tendon usually heals faster if no additional strain is placed on it during this time. Your doctor may suggest that you use crutches if you need to go long distances while resting your tendon. Ice: Put ice in a bag, wrap the bag in cloth, and place the wrapped bag of ice against your skin. Hold the bag on your tendon for 15 to 20 minutes, then take the bag off to let the tendon warm up again. The ice usually makes inflammation or swelling go down faster.

Compression: Wrap a bandage or athletic tape around your tendon to compress the injury. You can also tie an article of clothing around this area. This keeps the tendon from swelling too much. Elevation: Raise your foot above the level of your chest. Because your foot is higher than your heart, blood returns to the heart and keeps the swelling down. This is easiest to do by lying down and putting your foot on a pillow or other raised surface.

This can cause sharp pain in the heel area. Your doctor will usually refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to decide which procedure is best for you. One surgical method is called open repair. In this surgery, a surgeon makes an incision to open your leg above the heel bone. Then they sew the two sides of the ruptured tendon back together and close the incision.

In another method, a surgeon makes an incision to open the area on your leg where the rupture happened. Then they pass needles with sutures through the tendon and the skin and back out through the incision. Finally, they tie the sutures together. The most common complications of Achilles tendonitis are pain, having trouble walking or exercising, and your tendon or heel bone becoming deformed.

You can also experience a complete tear, or rupture, of your Achilles tendon. A study found that complications such as infection or difficulties in wound healing are possible, though uncommon, after a surgery for Achilles tendonitis. If you continue to put stress or wear on your Achilles tendon after a surgery, your tendon can rupture again. While it may not be possible to prevent Achilles tendinitis, you can take measures to reduce your risk:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Achilles tendinitis is an overuse injury of the Achilles uh-KILL-eez tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to your heel bone. Achilles tendinitis Open pop-up dialog box Close.

Achilles tendinitis Achilles tendinitis is an overuse injury of the Achilles uh-KILL-eez tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to your heel bone. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references DeLee JC, et al. Tendon injuries of the foot and ankle.

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List of Partners vendors. Tendons are very strong, but not very flexible, and the Achilles tendon is no exception. This means that the Achilles tendon can only stretch so far before it becomes inflamed known as tendonitis or tears. The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. It joins the gastrocnemius calf and the soleus muscles of the lower leg to the heel bone of the foot.

A compromised Achilles tendon can cause discomfort from a slight ache, tenderness, and stiffness to severe pain, especially when bending the foot downward. It's important to become acquainted with the different conditions that affect the Achilles tendon, considering they require unique attention and therapy, some more urgent than others. The two most common causes of Achilles tendon pain are Achilles tendonitis and Achilles tendonosis. Achilles Tendonitis. Achilles tendonitis is an acute, inflammatory injury of the Achilles tendon that most commonly affects athletes, especially runners, or people who play sports that require lots of starting and stopping, such as tennis.

The prominent symptom of Achilles tendonitis is pain, often described as burning, that worsens with activity. Along with pain, there may be mild swelling and warmth over the Achilles tendon, as well as morning stiffness in both the heel and calf that eases as a person warms up and stretches their ankle and leg. Besides active individuals or those who suddenly begin or increase an exercise regimen, failing to warm up the calf muscles before exercising is another potential trigger for the development of Achilles tendonitis.

The tighter the calf muscles, the more tension that's placed on the Achilles tendon. Exercising in sneakers that are worn-out or are not meant to be used for aerobic exercise can also cause Achilles tendonitis, as can these other factors:.

Another cause of Achilles tendonitis is the development of a bony growth on the back of the ankle—either a bone spur from arthritis or a Haglund's deformity from wearing poor-fitting shoes.

Having a medical condition like psoriasis , high blood pressure , and obesity which puts pressure on the tendon has also been linked to a higher risk for developing Achilles tendonitis. Rarely, a class of antibiotic drugs called fluoroquinolones has been associated with Achilles tendonitis and rupture described below. Achilles Tendonosis. Unlike Achilles tendonitis, which describes an acutely inflamed tendon, Achilles tendonosis describes a chronic, degenerating tendon that results from untreated tendonitis.

With Achilles tendonosis, the collagen fibers that make up the tendon deteriorate or break down. This deterioration causes not only pain in the tendon but also the formation of scar tissue, which may lead to permanent thickening. The tricky part is that while the inflammation of Achilles tendonitis can ease up with proper treatment and heal well, some cases are not accompanied by pain—so a person does not actually know there is a problem until tendonosis has developed where there is always pain.

Achilles tendon rupture, when the tendon fibers tear and separate, either partially or completely, is rare. Achilles Tendon Rupture. In order for the Achilles tendon to rupture, a sudden force is usually exerted on the tendon, often occurring during a strenuous form of exercise that requires sudden pivoting of the foot, as in playing basketball.

That said, even a trip where your foot is used to break a fall or a sudden step off a curb can sometimes be enough to overstretch and tear the tendon. When the Achilles tendon does rupture, along with severe heel pain, some people hear a "pop" or "snap," and there may be a visible gap where the tendon is torn. It's important to seek out medical attention if you develop pain in the back of your leg, anywhere from your heel to your calf.

Other symptoms that warrant a healthcare provider's visit include:. The diagnosis of Achilles tendon pain is generally done clinically, meaning your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your pain and perform a physical examination.

If a rupture is suspected, imaging with magnetic resonance imaging MRI or ultrasound is warranted. A thorough physical exam of your foot and ankle is perhaps the key to diagnosing the culprit behind your Achilles tendon pain.

Some prime elements of the physical examination include inspecting and palpating pressing on the area around the Achilles tendon for swelling, warmth, crepitus popping sensation , and tenderness; all of these features may be present with acute Achilles tendonitis. With Achilles tendonosis, besides tendon pain with palpation, the tendon may feel thick or there may be small bumps along the tendon, signifying areas of scar tissue and fibrosis.

A healthcare provider can sometimes diagnose an Achilles tendon rupture by palpating the tendon. Another physical exam clue for an Achilles tendon rupture is bruising over the tendon, especially if the blood tracks beneath the malleolus the bone that projects out on each ankle.

Thompson Test. As part of the physical exam for Achilles tendon pain, your healthcare provider will perform the Thompson test , also called the calf squeeze test.