Achilles tendon pain after inactivity

[-Luke-]

I've had this problem for a few weeks/months now. When I get up in the morning I can barely walk for the first few steps and have to tiptoe around slowly for a minute or so. The same thing happens after I have been sitting for a long time - or not even hours on end, half an hour is enough.

I used to have this problem in the past, when I was still running and doing other sports. Back then I read about an exercise that was pretty effective. It's basically calf raises on an elevated surface, but with focus on the slow eccentric instead of the concentric phase. After doing that every day, the pain was more or less gone within three or four days and the effect would last for a while. I've tried that again and it brings some relief, but not really longer-term like it used to be.

I thought about shining red light directly on the tendons to see if it helps. Another idea I had was so called "flossing", basically restricting blood flow to the area for a while to increase it afterwards. But I haven't tried any of that yet.

Does anyone else have an idea what it could be or what could help? Thank you!

 

[schmolch]

I've had this problem for a few weeks/months now. When I get up in the morning I can barely walk for the first few steps and have to tiptoe around slowly for a minute or so. The same thing happens after I have been sitting for a long time - or not even hours on end, half an hour is enough.

I used to have this problem in the past, when I was still running and doing other sports. Back then I read about an exercise that was pretty effective. It's basically calf raises on an elevated surface, but with focus on the slow eccentric instead of the concentric phase. After doing that every day, the pain was more or less gone within three or four days and the effect would last for a while. I've tried that again and it brings some relief, but not really longer-term like it used to be.

I thought about shining red light directly on the tendons to see if it helps. Another idea I had was so called "flossing", basically restricting blood flow to the area for a while to increase it afterwards. But I haven't tried any of that yet.

Does anyone else have an idea what it could be or what could help? Thank you!

I had achilles tendon issues several times when i was running a lot. Actually these issues occured _after_ running a lot, when i got lazy. I was running mostly barefoot or in vibram "barefoot shoes" which force you to run forefoot / midfoot, thus the much higher load on the tendons and calves.
The last time i had it for several months just like you described. A weak pain all day until it "warms up". Neither running nor resting seemed to cure it. Running made it worse and resting did not help either even after several months.
The solution was to keep stretching it but not overdue it. Not static stretches (too boring for me) but intervalls of *very* slow running and walking. After 20 minutes of walking / jogging the pain was completely gone. I believe the tendon was too short. I guess if you run with a short and stiff tendon it will increase the damage and if you rest a short tendon it will remain short. The slow jogging and walking fixed it.

 

[bell]

I've had this problem for a few weeks/months now. When I get up in the morning I can barely walk for the first few steps and have to tiptoe around slowly for a minute or so. The same thing happens after I have been sitting for a long time - or not even hours on end, half an hour is enough.

I used to have this problem in the past, when I was still running and doing other sports. Back then I read about an exercise that was pretty effective. It's basically calf raises on an elevated surface, but with focus on the slow eccentric instead of the concentric phase. After doing that every day, the pain was more or less gone within three or four days and the effect would last for a while. I've tried that again and it brings some relief, but not really longer-term like it used to be.

I thought about shining red light directly on the tendons to see if it helps. Another idea I had was so called "flossing", basically restricting blood flow to the area for a while to increase it afterwards. But I haven't tried any of that yet.

Does anyone else have an idea what it could be or what could help? Thank you!

I have the same thing. I notice stretching "helps", but doesn't make it go away. B5 has been the key for me on this - IDK why, but it gets better when I take B5, and worse if I stop B5

 

[-Luke-]

@schmolch
Thank you! I have not been running for years (only a few sprints every now an then). The stretches from the slow walking sound interesting. I will try that.

@bell
Thank you! Interesting that B5 helps for that kind of symptom. I tried it around 15 years ago for acne, and if I remember correctly, it caused some hairloss for me. Static stretching of the calf helps temporarily for me, but like for you, it doesn't make it go away

 

[Jonk]

I think generally it's because of compensation patterns in the gait. Things that increase CO2 like lots of salt is probably helpful to soften up the tissues but ultimately you want to reprogram the movement pattern that makes the tightness happen in the first place. I was really helped by a guy called One of a kind fitness on Instagram. He has a lot of interesting concepts in the biomechanics/PT-sphere and has a lot of experience with different alternative training modalities like GOATA and Functional Patterns. If you're interested I can help guide you further but I highly highly recommend scrolling through his Instagram page.

 

[-Luke-]

I think generally it's because of compensation patterns in the gait. Things that increase CO2 like lots of salt is probably helpful to soften up the tissues but ultimately you want to reprogram the movement pattern that makes the tightness happen in the first place. I was really helped by a guy called One of a kind fitness on Instagram. He has a lot of interesting concepts in the biomechanics/PT-sphere and has a lot of experience with different alternative training modalities like GOATA and Functional Patterns. If you're interested I can help guide you further but I highly highly recommend scrolling through his Instagram page.

Thank you, I will look into that.

 

[Mathgirl]

Have you ever taken any of the fluoride based-Fluoroquinolone antibiotics Ie Cipro. I had many side affects including what you describe. I have worked to detox the past 6 years. I rarley notice any problems any more. I didn't know they were all related to Cipro. Cipro now has a black box warning. there are many groups if you google "floxed".

 

[-Luke-]

Have you ever taken any of the fluoride based-Fluoroquinolone antibiotics Ie Cipro. I had many side affects including what you describe. I have worked to detox the past 6 years. I rarley notice any problems any more. I didn't know they were all related to Cipro. Cipro now has a black box warning. there are many groups if you google "floxed".

No, I have never taken any of those. But I searched for it on the forum and it seems like it's very dangerous stuff. Fluoroquinolone already sounds like it's good for a nice tongue twister, but for nothing else. Good to hear you are feeling better now.

 

[Giraffe]

Does anyone else have an idea what it could be or what could help? Thank you!

Have you tried transdermal magnesium?

 

[-Luke-]

Have you tried transdermal magnesium?

Good idea. No, haven't tried it on that area, but I have a bottle. Applied some this morning.

 

[bell]

Good idea. No, haven't tried it on that area, but I have a bottle. Applied some this morning.

Just remembered something else that helps, which is Authia cream. Authia is topical TTFD (a kind of thiamine / B1), and I apply it to help with random pain and edema. I started it after the B5 though - so I know it has helped, but I've never seen what it does without the B5 on-board. Hope you find something that works soon!!

 

[-Luke-]

Just remembered something else that helps, which is Authia cream. Authia is topical TTFD (a kind of thiamine / B1), and I apply it to help with random pain and edema. I started it after the B5 though - so I know it has helped, but I've never seen what it does without the B5 on-board. Hope you find something that works soon!!

Thank you, it has already become a little better. Have been using a combination of things for the last few days and this morning I still had some pain after getting up, but I didn't have to hobble around like a madman for the first steps. The same after long sitting. I'm optimistic that things will further improve with time.

 

[bell]

Thank you, it has already become a little better. Have been using a combination of things for the last few days and this morning I still had some pain after getting up, but I didn't have to hobble around like a madman for the first steps. The same after long sitting. I'm optimistic that things will further improve with time.

YAY !!!!! That's fabulous - looking forward to hearing that it's ALL good :)

 

[Explorer]

It could be higher cortisol lower progesteron related, try increasing CO2 by Buteyko breathing, lowering stress and increasing aspirin/Thyroid, focus on more mineralizing pro-anabolic foods/nutrients/supplements and go on long eccentric walks

 

[xborg]

Like most people, you might not be getting enough of the right collagen to build robust tendons and ligaments. So, beef gelatin (types I & III) and chicken collagen (type II) ar easy to add to beverages, soups, etc.

Durable collagen cannot be built without boron, so 3-6mg/day of that; most people are deficient. (30-60mg of Borax in 1-2 l water works too)

Finally, glyphosate is almost impossible to avoid and it interferes with protein synthesis by substituting itself for amino acid, glycine (from which it is derived). Try to restrict glyphosate sources and/or supplement with a few gams of glycine to help displace it.

 

[xeliex]

Hi Lucky

This happens to me sometimes.

I might be misremembering, but Ray might have said that it can be due to elevated PTH which can be triggered by 2 factors mainly.

1) inadequate calcium or high phosphate to calcium ratio

2) inadequate vitamin D

I can't figure out a correlational trend yet, but will update you if I gather mire insight.

Spontaneous and serial rupture of both Achilles tendons associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism in a patient receiving long-term hemodialysis - PubMed

The spontaneous and serial rupture of the bilateral Achilles tendons without history of significant trauma is an uncommon complication in long-term hemodialysis (HD) patients. The majority of these patients have additional predisposing factors, such as previous use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[-Luke-]

@Explorer, @xborg, @xeliex:

Thanks to all of you for the input!

I wasn't aware of the boron/collagen connection. Will look into it. I take about 3g of Glycine with breakfast and some beef gelatin (~10g) with lunch.

Inadequate Vitamin D is certainly a possibility, since I stay out of the sun except for morning and afternoon/evening and live in a country without much sun exposure for half of the year. However, I had bad reactions to Vitamin D supplements in the past.

All in all, there are small but steady improvements every day. Last night I couldn't sleep and got up at around 3 AM and hardly had to adjust my walking at all.