Achilles Pain and Good Weather - How can they be related?

Thankfully summer has finally arrived! Along with this better weather we often see an influx of Achilles pain in the clinic… how can these two be related?

Could it be because championship is just around the corner for our GAA athletes so training has ramped up?

Could it be because rugby and hockey pre season is back?

Could it be because the sun often brings out some new road runners?

It could be any of these reasons, but it’s likely that all of these athletes have been effected by the ground getting harder.

It may sounds a bit far-fetched but we must consider that subtle changes in terrain can have a huge impact on our tendons.

Your Achilles tendon is on of the main structures that transfers force from the ground to your lower limb muscles. Once your foot strikes the ground, the Achilles is in charge of accepting and delivering force and power.

Does this mean that when the sun comes out, you stop training instantly?

Definitely not!

Instead, prepare your body correctly, giving your Achilles the ability to respond to inevitable changes in loading throughout the year.

If you’re starting to feel Achilles pain, follow these 3 steps to get started solving your pain for good:

Get assessed - we need to know the extent of your pain so that we can decide whether to load

straight away or take some time to manage the pain

Load the tendon and other soft tissue (especially your calf and hamstring) gradually - start in lying and then progress to standing, then move onto step 3

Plyometric loading - Reactive and higher intensity foot contact drills are one of the main tools to condition your tendons to the high forces of running on hard ground. We want to do this in different planes of motion and in different environments,

gradually building the intensity over time.

Following these 3 steps will get you to a place of thoughtless, fearless movement - you just need someone to map this path out for you…. Get yourself booking in for a free discovery call to see if we can help your Achilles pain!