Achilies tendonitis

Craggers
Craggers Posts: 185
edited June 2010 in Training, fitness and health
Hi all,

I've started to suffer from sore and inflamed achillies tendons after long rides (>80miles), which keeps me off the bike for at least 2 weeks afterwards. I'm also pretty sure there is scar tissue building up there as it feels notchy/gritty in the tendon when I flex my foot...

Anyone had similar problems?? Is it possible to change riding styles to help prevent it??

Cheers
Craig
Fixed / Fast(ish) / Frankenbike

Comments

  • jimmcdonnell
    jimmcdonnell Posts: 328
    I had bilateral achilles tendonitis some years ago, from playing sport with cheap trainers. I was lucky, running etc caused it, cycling was pain-free, so I could do that while recovering.

    Listen carefully. There is only 1 cure. REST. Don't stretch, don't do the exercise that caused it in the first place. It's frustrating but the only way. I didn't rest and it took me a year to get over it.

    NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) like ibuprofen will give symptomatic relief but won't cure it.

    If you want a professional opinion, go to your quack and get referred to a podiatrist.
    Litespeed Tuscany, Hope/Open Pro, Ultegra, pulling an Extrawheel trailer, often as not.

    FCR 4 (I think?)
    Twitter: @jimjmcdonnell
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I got the problem by powering up hills with a heavy touring load. It is an important warning, don't take it too lightly, 10-20% will end up with complete rupture which is a very nasty scenario. As above, rest, try and be patient, look for obvious causes such as trauma from the "Achilles protector" on poor shoes, or simply too much cycling and / or too much grinding with heavy loads or too high a gear, with ageing and increasingly inelastic tendons . . . I'm afraid :cry:

    Since my last episode, 18 months ago, I have managed to avoid recurrence.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Apart from rest and recuperation, when you're back on the bike the only things that may help reduce the strain on the achilles are obvious from a mechanical point of view:

    Keeping your cadence high, especially on hills. This might involve smaller chainrings / bigger sprockets.

    Move your cleats back as far as you can. This will feel funny at first, might create a toe overlap problem with the front wheel, and you'll probably have to lower the saddle a bit to compensate for effectively shortening your legs.

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