Achilles Tendinitis - Downtown Vancouver

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Vancouver Physiotherapy Hub provides exceptional physical therapy services to the downtown community. Our physiotherapists are experts in diagnosing and treating Achilles’ tendinitis, and the debilitating symptoms that come with it.

At Vancouver Physiotherapy Hub, our approach to treatment is unique: with advanced post-graduate training, our physiotherapists not only treat your condition but prevent it from recurring altogether. Our aim is to establish the root cause of your Achilles’ pain, whether that be from running or other sports-related activities, to get you back – and stay – feeling your best.

For Achilles’ tendinitis treatments, we recommend the following:

Chris Connolly

Physiotherapist

Rajveer Singh

Physiotherapist

At Vancouver Physiotherapy Hub, we find that the best approach to treating this condition is using a combination of different techniques, including IMS, manual therapy, low-level laser, and more. Because Achilles’ tendinitis is often caused by a strain and repetitive movement to your Achilles’ tendon, our main priority is to diminish the swelling in the tendon and the tightness in the surrounding muscles. Using manual therapy alongside IMS, we target the surrounding area to relieve tension in your tendon. From there, we use laser therapy (cold-laser and ultrasound) to increase circulation to the area and speed up your recovery time.

And for those cases that are especially difficult, our physiotherapists can provide a multidisciplinary approach to treatment – a method that involves massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, kinesiology, and more. A multidisciplinary approach is one of the most effective ways to treat any condition. As part of a larger multidisciplinary clinic called Electra Health, you can easily access these treatments at any time.

What Can I Expect From My Session?

During your initial assessment, your physiotherapist will take a detailed health history, including any past or current injuries or conditions. From here, they will run you through a series of diagnostic tests to determine what is causing your pain.

From here, you will receive treatment. Depending on the findings of your assessment, your physiotherapist will use a combination of manual therapy, acupuncture, IMS, laser therapies, ultrasound, and more to alleviate your symptoms. We find that Achilles’ tendinitis responds exceptionally well to IMS and acupuncture, and as such, our physiotherapist can use this treatment.

Because Achilles’ tendinitis is caused through repetitive straining movements, like running, your physiotherapist may recommend that you avoid physical activity until the pain and swelling subsides. In addition, they will also provide education: walking you through specific stretches, exercises, and movement patterns to make sure that you are moving in ways that are optimal for your body and keep your condition from recurring.

You will also be given a treatment protocol, which includes follow-up sessions and a homecare plan of stretching and strengthening exercises. In certain instances, your physiotherapist may incorporate other treatment types – such as massage therapy, kinesiology, acupuncture, and more – to support your rehabilitation and get you back to feeling your best.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs of Achilles’ tendinitis?

Everybody responds differently to an Achilles’ tendinitis flare-up, but the common symptoms are the following:

swollen heel
pain in your Achilles’ tendon in the morning, during movement, or after exercise
“crunching” feeling in your Achilles’ tendon when you move your heel
thickening of the tendon

How can you tell the difference between Achilles’ tendinitis and plantar fasciitis?

Often, these two conditions can have pain patterns that closely emulate each other. Generally speaking though, Achilles tendinitis creates pain in your tendon and your heel, while plantar fasciitis creates pain in the bottom of your heel and foot. We recommend that you see one of our physiotherapists to get an accurate diagnosis of your pain.

What is the fastest way to heal Achilles’ tendinitis?

The quickest way to heal Achilles’ tendinitis is rest and physical therapy. Our physiotherapists suggest that you stop vigorous physical activity immediately and you come in for treatment at the first sign of a flare up. To increase the speed of recovery, we also suggest a multidisciplinary approach – using physical therapy alongside massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care and kinesiology.

What causes Achilles’ tendinitis to flare up?

Achilles’ tendinitis is often caused by a sudden increase in repetitive movement that causes strain on your Achilles’ tendon. Increase in physical activity, such as running, is often a culprit for the flare-up.

At Vancouver Physiotherapy Hub, our physiotherapists are experts in dealing with the painful symptoms of Achilles’ tendinitis. With advanced training in treating this condition, our physiotherapists not only treat your symptoms but diagnose the root cause of your condition, so that you can get back to – and stay – feeling your best!