Symptoms
How We Can Help You for Achilles Tendon Injury
For every type of Achilles tendon injury, our doctors provide the full range of innovative treatment options. We always emphasize the least invasive, most advanced approaches, personalized to the unique condition and needs of each patient in our care.
The goal of our team is to help safely and effectively relieve your symptoms, which may include pain, stiffness, swelling, thickening of the Achilles, and development of bone spurs on your heel. Additionally, an important goal of treatment is to restore function as fully as possible to the injured tendon.
Members of our team include orthopaedic and sports medicine specialists, surgeons, colleagues from physical therapy, and others. Working together closely, they develop a care plan that includes one or a combination of rest, ice, ultrasound therapy, injection therapy, surgery, or other treatments.
In addition, Stanford Health Care patients with Achilles tendon injuries may have opportunities to join research studies of new treatments not yet available anywhere else.
What We Offer You for Achilles Tendon Injuries
- Specialized expertise from one of the world’s leading programs focused on diagnosing and treating every type of Achilles tendon injury and other orthpaedic conditions.
- Team-based treatment planning that brings together highly experienced specialists who create a comprehensive care plan personalized to your unique needs.
- Advanced treatment options, always emphasizing the least invasive approaches possible but also providing state-of-the-art surgery whenever needed.
- Full support that includes care planning and follow-up as well as strategies to prevent Achilles tendon injuries from getting worse or reoccurring.
- Clinical trial opportunities to join research studies of new innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of Achilles tendon injuries.
- Ease of access with highly trained specialists conveniently located close to where you work or live.
Treatments for an Achilles Tendon Injury
Your Achilles tendon, the large band that runs along the back of your ankle, stretches and flexes as you move your foot. The largest tendon in your body, the Achilles connects your calf muscles to your heel. It absorbs stress with every step.
Over time, Achilles tendonitis can develop. Tendonitis is inflammation where a tendon connects. It results from overuse of your tendon and calf muscles, especially from increasing your exercise levels or exercising with stiff muscles.
Stanford’s orthopaedic and sports medicine experts offer the latest treatments for tendonitis and other Achilles tendon injuries. In addition to expert evaluation, we provide noninvasive therapies such as ultrasound treatment and platelet-rich plasma injections.
Our orthopaedic team expertly assesses Achilles tendon injuries and provides the latest treatments, like platelet-rich plasma injections and ultrasound-guided tenotomy.
Nonsurgical Treatment
Surgery
Most Achilles tendon injuries heal with conservative (nonsurgical) treatment. The most important thing is to rest. Avoid running, jumping, and any other activity that stresses your Achilles. Avoid climbing hills or stairs as much as you can.
Noninvasive treatment
In addition to modifying your activities, your doctor might also recommend:
RICE method
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation can reduce pain and swelling. Use ice or a cold pack on your tendon for 15 minutes after you exercise. Wrap your ankle to support your Achilles tendon.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Take medications like ibuprofen to reduce swelling and inflammation.
Physical therapy
Learn stretches and strengthening exercises to keep your ankles and calves flexible. Our sports medicine experts can help.
Heel support
Wear heel lifts in your shoes to relieve strain on your Achilles. Avoid walking barefoot.
Splint or brace
Wear a night splint while you sleep. If your pain is severe, your doctor may recommend a walking boot or a walking cast.
Ultrasound and platelet-rich plasma injections
For Achilles injuries that don’t respond to conservative treatment, Stanford offers advanced ultrasound-based therapies in our Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Clinic:
Therapeutic ultrasound
By delivering heat to injuries deep inside your body, therapeutic ultrasound can help tendons like the Achilles heal faster.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection
Your doctor takes a sample of your blood and treats it in a centrifuge (a machine that separates liquids and solids). Then they inject one part of the blood, the platelet-rich plasma, into the injured tendon. The platelet infusion helps the tendon heal faster.
If you have an Achilles tendon rupture (when the Achilles tendon tears), you might need surgery. Read more about achilles tendon tears.
Your doctor may recommend surgery if your Achilles injury doesn’t respond to treatment after six months. Surgical Achilles tendonitis treatments include:
- Gastrocnemius recession: Your surgeon may lengthen your gastrocnemius (calf muscles) to relieve tension on your Achilles tendon. The procedure can help people who have trouble flexing their feet even after doing stretching exercises for several months.
- Debridement and repair: Your surgeon removes the damaged part of your Achilles (debridement) and stitches the remaining tendon back together. Your surgeon may remove a bone spur and reattach the tendon to your heel with plastic or metal anchors.
- Debridement with tendon transfer: If more than 50% of your Achilles has damage, your surgeon removes the damaged tendon and replaces it with a piece of tendon from your foot.
What to Expect
Most people eventually regain all of their Achilles tendon function after surgery. Full recovery may take up to a year, and physical therapy is an important part of your rehabilitation.
Most Achilles tendon injuries heal with conservative (nonsurgical) treatment. The most important thing is to rest. Avoid running, jumping, and any other activity that stresses your Achilles. Avoid climbing hills or stairs as much as you can.
Noninvasive treatment
In addition to modifying your activities, your doctor might also recommend:
RICE method
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation can reduce pain and swelling. Use ice or a cold pack on your tendon for 15 minutes after you exercise. Wrap your ankle to support your Achilles tendon.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Take medications like ibuprofen to reduce swelling and inflammation.
Physical therapy
Learn stretches and strengthening exercises to keep your ankles and calves flexible. Our sports medicine experts can help.
Heel support
Wear heel lifts in your shoes to relieve strain on your Achilles. Avoid walking barefoot.
Splint or brace
Wear a night splint while you sleep. If your pain is severe, your doctor may recommend a walking boot or a walking cast.
Ultrasound and platelet-rich plasma injections
For Achilles injuries that don’t respond to conservative treatment, Stanford offers advanced ultrasound-based therapies in our Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Clinic:
Therapeutic ultrasound
By delivering heat to injuries deep inside your body, therapeutic ultrasound can help tendons like the Achilles heal faster.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection
Your doctor takes a sample of your blood and treats it in a centrifuge (a machine that separates liquids and solids). Then they inject one part of the blood, the platelet-rich plasma, into the injured tendon. The platelet infusion helps the tendon heal faster.
close Nonsurgical Treatment
If you have an Achilles tendon rupture (when the Achilles tendon tears), you might need surgery. Read more about achilles tendon tears.
Your doctor may recommend surgery if your Achilles injury doesn’t respond to treatment after six months. Surgical Achilles tendonitis treatments include:
- Gastrocnemius recession: Your surgeon may lengthen your gastrocnemius (calf muscles) to relieve tension on your Achilles tendon. The procedure can help people who have trouble flexing their feet even after doing stretching exercises for several months.
- Debridement and repair: Your surgeon removes the damaged part of your Achilles (debridement) and stitches the remaining tendon back together. Your surgeon may remove a bone spur and reattach the tendon to your heel with plastic or metal anchors.
- Debridement with tendon transfer: If more than 50% of your Achilles has damage, your surgeon removes the damaged tendon and replaces it with a piece of tendon from your foot.
What to Expect
Most people eventually regain all of their Achilles tendon function after surgery. Full recovery may take up to a year, and physical therapy is an important part of your rehabilitation.
close Surgery
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Visit our online second opinion page to learn more.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may be eligible to participate in open clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies that are currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future.
What is an Achilles Tendon Injury?
Our Clinics
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