How to Treat an Achilles Tendon Injury

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Dr. Kim Makoi. I'm a Holistic Chiropractor from San Fransisco, California. And this is how you treat an achilles tendon injury. The achilles tendon is the thick tendon that runs up the back of your leg starting down your the heel. So, if you've injured that you usually know it. And, it's important to remember that you should make sure to get the injury checked out by a doctor, especially if you are a middle aged athlete, because achilles tendon rupture is a very common injury in middle aged athletes. If your tendon is close to rupturing, it can do so very easily, and if it goes untreated, and at that point you will require surgery. So make sure to get it checked out. If it's not to the point of where it could rupture, just strained, you may feel some heat around the tendon. That's a sign of inflammation. It's also a sign you should apply ice to the tendon and definitely rest whenever you have a tendon injury. It's not a good idea to "work through it", as they say. Rest is definitely the way to go. Also, some people find it helpful to put a small 1/4 inch lift in the heel of the shoe with the injury. This should be a very temporary measure as it can throw off the rest of your bio mechanics. But, for the short term, it can take some pressure off of that achilles tendon. And that is how you treat an achilles tendon injury."