Achilles tendinitis can be an incredibly painful and limiting condition. Your Achilles tendon connects the back of your leg to your heel and is vital for activities such as walking, running and jumping. Achilles tendinitis occurs when the tendon becomes swollen and painful near the heel area. This most often happens due to:
- Overuse
- Irritation
- Injury
Achilles tendinitis is fairly common in younger people who are highly active, such as walkers, runners, or athletes who do a lot of intensive footwork. Various things can trigger Achilles tendon pain, but tendinitis is one of the most common causes.
While there are a number of different treatment methods for Achilles tendinitis, dry needling is one you may not have considered before. However, it can be a highly effective part of your treatment plan for Achilles tendinitis. Let’s walk through how dry needling can help Achilles tendinitis, plus other treatment methods your physical therapist may use.
How dry needling can help Achilles tendinitis
Dry needling cannot by itself completely get rid of Achilles tendon pain. However, when used alongside other physical therapy methods, it can be an effective treatment for relieving pain and promoting healing. With dry needling, your physical therapist can:
- Accelerate your overall recovery process
- Improve mobility in your leg muscles
- Increase blood circulation to promote healing
- Reduce pain and stiffness in your ankle
Because tendons generally have poor blood supply, using dry needling to promote blood flow can encourage the healing process. When using dry needling for tendon issues, the needle isn’t inserted into the tendon itself. Instead, the needle is inserted into the muscle surrounding the inflamed tendon. The goal is to release the trigger point that may be tightening the muscle around the tendon, providing temporary relief. This offers a great opportunity to use other physical therapy treatments to stretch and strengthen the area surrounding the Achilles tendon while the muscle is relaxed.
Other treatment methods for Achilles tendinitis
Other physical therapy treatments can work alongside dry needling to improve your Achilles tendinitis. Here are a few common methods that your physical therapist may use to alleviate your condition:
- Sports massage — Sports massage is a type of manual therapy that focuses on deep tissue. It can help:
- Mobilize the soft tissue
- Reduce inflammation
- Relieve muscle tension
It may also be used as a form of trigger point therapy to focus on specific areas or “knots” in the muscle that may be causing referred pain. If your Achilles tendinitis is being aggravated by tense muscles, sports massage can help loosen up those areas, reducing tension and making it easier to move your foot and ankle joints.
- Joint mobilization — Joint mobilization is a type of manual therapy that can help alleviate pain and restore your ankle joint’s normal function. Your physical therapist will use their hands to manipulate and stretch the various joints, muscles and tendons in and around your Achilles tendon. This can ease tension in the inflamed tendon and help you regain your range of motion in your ankle.
- Strengthening exercises — Therapeutic exercises are a great way to stretch and strengthen the muscles, ligaments and tendons in your legs. This can help you relearn how to move properly so there’s less of a chance of you aggravating your inflamed tendon. In addition, strengthening exercises can build up the muscles surrounding your Achilles tendon so that you don’t put as much strain on the tendon itself and give your Achilles tendon time to rest and heal.
- Graston Technique® — The Graston Technique is a form of soft tissue mobilization. It uses specialized instruments to break up inflamed or painful scar tissue. Your physical therapist can use the Graston Technique to rub specialized instruments along the Achilles tendon. The goal of this method is to release tension and help break down any scar tissue due to inflammation. It can also help alleviate tension from stiff or tense muscles and increase your overall range of motion.
These different types of physical therapy are just some of the methods your physical therapist may use to help with your Achilles tendinitis. Your physical therapist will be able to assess your condition and recommend specific exercises and PT treatments to improve your range of motion, decrease pain and reduce your chances of reinjuring yourself.
Our physical therapists at REPAIR SI have been expertly trained in a number of treatment methods that can be used to help your Achilles tendinitis. If you’re ready to begin that healing journey, contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.