How do I know if I’m ready to return to running after Achilles Tendonitis?
Can you stand on tiptoes (both feet at once) really high, and then take your better foot off the floor and stay there without pain and without dropping down? If not, then there’s no point in returning to running after Achilles tendonitis. Get back to cycling and strength training for another 4 weeks. If yes, then maybe you are ready.
What’s that? You weren’t doing any strength training and were hoping it would just get better on its own? The science on Achilles injuries seems to change regularly, but current thinking is that progressive loading of tendons is better for recovery than just leaving them. This assumes the tendon is not badly torn, which makes it difficult to be sure what to do unless you’ve seen a doctor to check, although torn tendons are normally incapacitating, which is a bit of a giveaway!
What if I’m not ready to return to running after Achilles tendonitis?
So, you did the test above but it doesn’t seem right. What next? If it’s still really painful in that test after 8 weeks, get back to the doctor for further assessment. If it’s just a niggle, then keep going with the strength and conditioning – eccentric heel drops, and eccentric hamstring work (Norwegian Hamstring Curls) too. For aerobic work, try gentler exercise like cycling during the time off running. Cycling doesn’t need you to change the ankle angle much, so it’s normally pretty safe as long as you stay away from jumps and drops on a mountain bike.
A plan for returning to running after Achilles Tendonitis
If you are wondering when to start running after Achilles Tendonitis, you’ll need a plan. Once the tip-toe test is pain free, it’s time to get back to running with caution. When you do the tip toe thing, is there a difference in strength and stability between the good and bad leg (assuming only one leg has issues)? If so, caution advised – very short runs only for a few weeks to be sure. 5 minutes. Not 30 minutes! And do a warm up walk first.
Once there is no difference in strength and stability, it’s time to progress gradually. Try adding 5 minutes each run, so 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc. You are aiming to run pain free, so if you still feel a niggle after 20 minutes, remember to take action and reduce the running again. It’s not acceptable to ignore it, otherwise you’ll be back to where you started again soon. Remember, the normal amount of pain is zero!
Once you reach 30 minutes running without any issues, it should be safe to get back on to a normal training plan – given that you’ve had some time off from running, you can’t just suddenly jump back up to doing 60+ minute runs, so yes, it’s going to be frustrating, but you’ll have to build up gradually. Continue to do cycling to keep your aerobic base up until your runs reach a good length after a few months.
During the process, you may notice that you have lost some proprioception in the relevant foot. Proprioception is the body’s ability to feel where it is in space and in relation to objects around it, so in the case of a runner, it’s feeling what the foot is doing against the ground underneath you. When strength is lost due to rest and recovery, it’s worth retraining the foot to sense the ground. This can be done simply by trying to balance on one leg with your eyes shut. Try it barefoot and in your running shoes and feel the difference. Swap to the other foot for comparison. Try this while waiting for the kettle to boil.
Now you know how to return to running after Achilles Tendonitis properly. Good luck! Don’t mess up!
What’s the difference between Achilles Tendinitis and Achilles Tendonitis?
Achilles Tendinitis is just another spelling of Achilles Tendonitis.
What’s the difference between Achilles Tendonitis and Achilles Tendinopathy?
Achilles Tendinopathy is collagen degeneration in the tendon. This happens when the tendon is overloaded and then repeatedly used without allowing recovery. It presents as pain in the area of the tendon. Age-related collagen degeneration can also be a contributing factor.
Achilles Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon caused by micro-tears, This happens when the tendon with Tendinopathy is repeatedly used without allowing recovery for so long that it gets worse, or by a sudden overload.
What’s the difference between Achilles Tendinopathy and Achilles Tendinosis?
Achilles Tendinosis is just another word for Achilles Tendinopathy
