• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

Achilles Tendinopathy: Stretching, Mobility and Massage (Part 5)

You are here: Home / Coaching / Achilles Tendinopathy: Stretching, Mobility and Massage (Part 5)
5
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

August 3, 2011 by Jimson Lee 2 Comments

Last Updated on March 10, 2013 by Jimson Lee

This Part 5 of a multi-part series.  A quick recap:

  1. Part 1 talked about the injury cycle and the 4 stages of diagnosing your injury. 
  2. Part 2 explained why regular strength training does not work, and why you need to do heavy load eccentric contractions.  Part 2 video showed the Heel Drop exercise.
  3. Part 3 video showed the Eccentric Squat and Reach. 
  4. Part 4 discusses stabilization exercises and stabilizing the ankle joint.

There isn’t a great blood supply to the Achilles, which is one reason why you may have a slow recovery.  Hyperbaric chambers help if you have access to it.

Everyone knows to stretch the Achilles, even distance runners. You’ll see them leaning on a stop sign, wall or car.

The problem with stretching (in general) is that the muscle and tendon length can return to “normal” homeostasis in as little as 4 hours.  And you don’t want to stretch every 4 hours.  As well, when you sleep, you probably don’t sleep dorsiflexed, so you sleep with your toes pointing down which shortens your Achilles.

There are a couple of things you can do to help maintain the overall suppleness of the tendon.

For example, Stretching, Massage and Mobility exercises and but please, whatever you do, NO heel lifts!

  1. slant boards
  2. demi-lunes
  3. night splints (similarities to plantar fasciitis)
  4. Strassburg Sock
  5. deep tissue massage
  6. ankle mobility

Slant boards and Demi-lunes

.

To stretch the Achilles, you can lean against a wall flat-footed, or you can prop the ball of feet on a wall with the heel as the only contact to the ground and stretch.  I find using a door frame entrance as the best grip and support.

See also  400 meter Running the Rounds at World Champs #Beijing2015

However, I like using a slant board that’s made from hard foam, and not wood.  I picked mine up at Stanford’s SMI over a decade ago and I still have it, but you can find these at Amazon or any advanced running store.

Since the slant board is a fixed angle, which you can simply adjust by your forward lean, another good product is the “demi-lunes” or half moon Achilles stretcher.  These devices have a curved rocker “boot” style allows a greater range of motion.

>> OPTP Slant – One Pair – #412
>> Medi-Dyne ProStretch Unilateral Stretching System

 

Night Splints and Strassburg Socks

.

These are more common for use with people suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.  However, they are beneficial for those with tight Achilles or tight calves in general.  I tried these in the past and it took me a long time to sleep with it.  I would wake up at 1:00am and rip the damn thing off my leg.

These devices used to be very expensive 10 years ago, but thanks to mass production they have come down in price dramatically, like under 20 bucks.

>> Bird & Cronin Plantar Fascitis Splint Large
>> JT Enterprises Strassburg Sock Large (16-21 in.calf) Injury Recovery

 

Deep Tissue Massage

This may be a challenge once you hit Stage 2 of the injury as the pain will be intolerable.

Both Achilles and Calves.

One thing the video misses is how to go even deeper in the calf muscle, and that is to go on all fours “doggie style” (on hands and knees only) and prop several pillows under your belly for support.  That relaxes your calves even further.

See also  Achilles Tendinitis: How to Strengthen the Achilles Tendon (Part 3)

Ankle Mobility Exercises

You’ll be surprised how stiff your ankles are simply by sitting on a high bed or bench, crossing your legs like a man (not a woman), and doing circle rotations with your ankles.  Then after a few clockwise and counter clockwise rotations with your hands assisting the movement, they will loosen up.  Having someone assist you to force the rotations will result in a much better range.

You can even do the ankle pump.  That is simply elevating your foot on a chair and bench and pumping your ankles back and forth.  Pretend you are driving in city traffic.

And if you have time, you spell the alphabet with your big toe.  Upper case or lower case, it does not matter.  Heh heh.

Category iconCoaching,  Injury Prevention,  Recovery,  Track & Field Tag iconAchilles Tendinitis

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jonathan says

    August 10, 2011 at 9:15 am

    Hello! I’m a 37 year old marathon runner; I’ve been running since I was 16. In fact, my journey into running was by accident…I was a very overweight child and adolescent, then around grade 8-9 I decided to start walking. Walking gradually turned into running; by grade 11 I was 90 pounds lighter. Fitness became my life, my major in college, my obsession. While my workouts were intense, my shoes were not great (lack of money during college, etc) and I believe my problems began there.

    About two years ago my training became much smarter and marathon-specific, I ran four marathons in a month last year, and this fall, after years of trying, finally got into the NYC Marathon. I’m also running Detroit and Niagara Falls, so once again, a lot on my plate. As much as I try to deny it, I can’t lie – my Achilles problems are back. My results from last springs Toronto and Ottawa Marathons were a letdown, I was in pain, I was angry at myself, I should have known better since this is what I do for a living as an exercise & fitness professional.

    Can anyone clue me into their secrets…I’ve done these exercises here to not much avail, I’ve been prescribed Tylenol-3, Lortab (for pain), Naproxen (for inflammation), but I know this is a band aid approach. I REALLY want to have fun this fall…I have been looking forward to my travels and marathons. Has anyone tried these low-level laser treatments? Cortisone shots? Anything to temporarily alleviate these symptoms (if I can just get by until after NYC, I will definitely enter physiotherapy long term). Any ideas, just let me know!

    Jon
    Lund416@yahoo.ca

    Reply
  2. Mark E says

    August 19, 2011 at 11:45 am

    Jon,
    How long did you say you’ve been doing these exercises? Have you looked at your shoes? Try to stop hills and intervals for a while?
    Tried self massage and ice?
    And eccentric calf raises?

    I am going through achilles issues now and am trying to avoide nsaids and have been doing all of the above and its only been a few days and I feel a little better already. I am going to keep with the above and if that doesn’t work head back to my ART guy, a fantastic alternative if you can fix it yourself.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}