Author Topic: Achilles  (Read 6985 times)

Blood

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 66
  • Do something with your life...get fat.
Achilles
« on: January 07, 2006, 11:48:12 AM »
Over the last couple weeks the rear of my right ankle has been stiff and popping a lot. It doesn't hurt, but I've heard stories of guys tearing their achilles tendons leg pressing and squatting. Any advice?
SRHS Raiders

onlyme

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 19328
  • Don't Fuck With Bears
Re: Achilles
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2006, 12:14:56 PM »
I tore my achilles completely playing racquetball.  The exact day as Dan Marino snapped his.  But, I originally think I tore the sheath first several months before that.  I was bringing some dumbelss up on the bench and when I stood up I heard this snap and felt like someone hit me in the back of my ankle with a broom stick.  I looked around and didn't see anything or fell anything weird.  But, then after I snapped it I remembered what happened earlier and think it led to the final tear.  It was soloud when it finally snapped.

Blood

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 66
  • Do something with your life...get fat.
Re: Achilles
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2006, 12:17:00 PM »
What did it feel like before you tore the actual tendon? Because I haven't been experiencing what I would call pain, it just feels tight and I don't want to take any chances.
SRHS Raiders

dr.chimps

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 28635
  • Chimpus ergo sum
Re: Achilles
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2006, 05:49:50 PM »
Sister is a physio, and she has seen a few of these cases. This tendon is very tough and very resistant to damage but when it goes, it is audible. Guys at hospital have to winch it back in place to reattach it, and rehab can take a long time. Usually people are not warmed up, in very poor shape, or overweight when this happens. For someone who is in shape, and who warms up properly, it is usually only susceptible to being damaged by a violent movement or accident. Take care, always warm up and go controlled with the leg stuff. Icing cannot hurt.

Blood

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 66
  • Do something with your life...get fat.
Re: Achilles
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2006, 12:16:45 PM »
Thanks for the advice, guys. My ankle feels a lot better now, but until its 100% better, I'll go easier on legs.
SRHS Raiders

onlyme

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 19328
  • Don't Fuck With Bears
Re: Achilles
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2006, 12:52:10 AM »
Quote
Sister is a physio, and she has seen a few of these cases. This tendon is very tough and very resistant to damage but when it goes, it is audible. Guys at hospital have to winch it back in place to reattach it, and rehab can take a long time. Usually people are not warmed up, in very poor shape, or overweight when this happens. For someone who is in shape, and who warms up properly, it is usually only susceptible to being damaged by a violent movement or accident. Take care, always warm up and go controlled with the leg stuff. Icing cannot hurt.

Actually some of the best athletes around (probasketball players) are themost common victims of this injury.  Like I said Dan Marino snapped his the same exact day I did mine.  I had another friend in Hawaii who was an second team all american snap his the same day too and then 4 months later snapped his other one.  I snapped mine about two hours into the tournament.  Warming up your achilles is not a thing you can do.  That is never a reason why it snaps.  Being overwieght can be but usually not.  I was actually just taking a step forward going after the ball and a very very loud snap.  The guy I was playing thought it was my leg cause it was so loud.  But I grabbed my ankle and my fingers just went in.

Also, it doesn't really hurt.  The nerves I think are competely severed or something like that so no pain really.  At least with mine.  Also, the pulling down of the tendon is also another thing that rarely happens.  There are two types of tears.  One is where the tendon snaps in two but part if it is still connected to the heel.  The other one is where it competely detaches from the heel.  If operated on quickly then usually the tendon does not shorten or tighten up enough to have to pull it. 

I waited a complete week cause I didn;t want to have it operated on.  Plus I had no insurance.  I had to pay $8,000 cash at the hospital and the doctor.  I bruoght $1,200 in 100's into the operating room to pay the anastegiologist (?).  The doctor (Dr. Jobe famous surgeon and Laker and Rams team doctor) told me that I had to operate now (after 7 days) or he would have to make a longer incision cause the tendon will be shorting up.  So I did.

I remember the hotel I was staying at a famous black quarterback was in the elevator with me.  He asked what happened I told him and he was actually on his way to the hospital to have Dr. Jobe operate on his shoulder.

Doc Savage

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 88
  • Master debater. Cunning linguist
Re: Achilles
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2006, 04:47:38 PM »
Some background:

Achilles tears occur in 3 areas:
-Myotendinous junction - usually related to eccentric contraction and acute injury
-Watershed zone - unlike most tendons, the Achilles has no sheath.  Instead it has a thin membrane called the paratenon; as a result the midportion of the tendon often becomes chronically hypoxic and heals with excess scar tissue after minor injuries.  This results in chronic tendinosis and eventially tears.
-Calcaneal insertion - often due to developmental calcaneal deformity and footwear; but can be seen in athletes as well

Most athletes with ruptures have the second kind.  These are chronic processes which is why pros tear it late in their career.  Tendon pathology can be accentuated by steroids and fluoroquinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin) as well as diabetes and other metabolic conditions.

Stretching probably has little effect on preventing this process.  Warming up before working out, increasing blood flow, is probably more useful. 

Popping posteriorly could also be related to a bursitis, anomalous muscles, posterior ankle impingement or other pathology.  Achilles tears occur suddenly, usually without warning, and you'll know if it happens!!
 

jeffrey.

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 449
  • i love the pdi
Re: Achilles
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2006, 10:15:33 PM »
Some background:

Achilles tears occur in 3 areas:
-Myotendinous junction - usually related to eccentric contraction and acute injury
-Watershed zone - unlike most tendons, the Achilles has no sheath.  Instead it has a thin membrane called the paratenon; as a result the midportion of the tendon often becomes chronically hypoxic and heals with excess scar tissue after minor injuries.  This results in chronic tendinosis and eventially tears.
-Calcaneal insertion - often due to developmental calcaneal deformity and footwear; but can be seen in athletes as well

Most athletes with ruptures have the second kind.  These are chronic processes which is why pros tear it late in their career.  Tendon pathology can be accentuated by steroids and fluoroquinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin) as well as diabetes and other metabolic conditions.

Stretching probably has little effect on preventing this process.  Warming up before working out, increasing blood flow, is probably more useful. 

Popping posteriorly could also be related to a bursitis, anomalous muscles, posterior ankle impingement or other pathology.  Achilles tears occur suddenly, usually without warning, and you'll know if it happens!!
 
i think i may have the second problem,my right achilles is very thick with a little lump and is sore alot of the time.mostly after training calves.i was told it was scar tissue and not to worry about it to much.is there anything i can do to rectify the problem or stop it getting worse?

Doc Savage

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 88
  • Master debater. Cunning linguist
Re: Achilles
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2006, 06:20:29 AM »
Not to my knowledge.. maybe freakfestMD has some advice.  An MRI can be useful to see if there is a tear starting but I don't think it has much prognostic value.

Psychophysio

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 386
  • Worthless
Re: Achilles
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2006, 01:09:26 PM »
i think i may have the second problem,my right achilles is very thick with a little lump and is sore alot of the time.mostly after training calves.i was told it was scar tissue and not to worry about it to much.is there anything i can do to rectify the problem or stop it getting worse?

Could be an Archilles tendinosis, although hard to say without looking at you. Eccentric calf raises, 3 sets of 12 reps, 2x per day, 7 days per week have been shown to clear up this condition in 12 weeks of exercise.

Look up Alfredson, H. and eccentric calf training - he has published quite a lot of stuff about it.
The jungle of the senses.

gtbro1

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 6893
Re: Achilles
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2006, 05:51:13 PM »
I get Archilles tendinosis every couple of years,it gets so bad I can barely walk.I work in a factory and am walking on concrete all day every day..that is what I thought was causing it.


I went to the nurse/medic and they basically told me to deal with it and stop complaining,that there was nothing they could do and it was part of dfactory work.

BigAnt

  • Pros
  • Getbig III
  • *****
  • Posts: 987
  • What don't kill me...makes me stronger
Re: Achilles
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2006, 11:58:33 PM »
Blood, if you tore if you would know, a ton of swelling, black and blue coloring and very painful...with out seeing or testing you, sounds like a sprain-strain.  Yes, ice is great, try friction massages...place Dixie cups in the freezer filled with water, once it is frozen, unpeel 1/2 the cup.  Use the bottom 1/2 of the cup to hold it and the top 1/2 with the ice showing to massage over your pain effected area.  Also try some ankle exercises..dorsi-planter flexion, inversion/eversion.  You can use a
T-band.  Wrapped around the bad foot, right below the toes.  You hold tension with your hands and place your leg in full extension, sit on a bench with your ankle hanging off, now with tention from the T-band you bring your foot up towards your body and down like you are pressing on a car's gas pedal (dorsi-planter flexion) 2x15. Now, with the t-band still on, move your foot all the way to the right and all the way to the left with toes pointed back to your shin (eversion/inversion)  Also try some Bosu ball squats and light standing toe/heel raises...Do the above exercise only if they are pain free, you will feel muscle-tendon-ligament soreness, just know the difference between sharp-stabbing pain and exercising soreness.  Do this 4x a week, twice a day. Hope this helps!