Achilles Tendinopothy

The Achilles tendon (AT) originates from the calf muscle and inserts onto the calcaneus or heel bone. It is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body as it has to withstand 12x your body weight load during running. The AT transmits forces from the calf muscle complex to the foot and ankle, also known as the ‘powerhouse muscle’ in long distance runners. It is not surprising that the AT is commonly afflicted among runners and often manifests as a ‘tendinopathy’ which is an umbrella term used to describe pain and dysfunction. Although runners are mostly likely to experience Achilles tendinopathy it can also affect recreational athletes as well as sedentary individuals. Achilles tendinopathy can emerge from a multitude of factors (i.e age, genetics, medication), but it is commonly caused by a repeated microtrauma to the tendon that does not heal and over time builds up.