Injury Prevention Tips*
Achilles
The most difficult aspect of rehabbing from an achilles tendon injury is how darn long it takes! This is largely due to the limited blood flow in that area. Also, the achilles rarely ever gets a rest. Be it walking, running, standing, or even sleeping, there is always pressure on it. Sleeping, you ask?! You doubt me? If you sleep on your back, the weight of the blankets pushes your foot down and interrupts the achilles' healing process.
The solution is a rather simple one, although rather annoying at the same time. Go to your local craft store and get some casting cloth (plaster cloth or several other names), then find some knee-high socks you don't mind making a mess of. You will need someone to help you with the next step. Lie on your stomach, with your feet hanging comfortably off the end of a table, couch, etc. Put the sock on the injured leg, and with your foot perpendicular to your leg (straight down), have your assistant create a cast of your lower leg. You only want to cast the back of your leg and the bottom of your foot, wrapping around the sides slightly and to the ball of your foot for stability. Remember, you want to be able to get it off! Once it has dried, take it off and cut it down to about mid-calf level. When you put it on at night, wrap it with an ace bandage to hold it in place.
Remember I said something about it being annoying? Well, if you get up at night to go to the bathroom, you'll understand... Especially if you have the cast on both feet!
*Please note: All exercise, training, health, and nutritional information on this page and throughout Run-Down should be treated as educational in nature. Unless explicitly stated as otherwise, all advice contained within Run-Down's pages is non-medical opinion. Please consult a doctor before embarking on any exercise or training regimen. Run-Down and Dan Kaplan do not assume responsibility for any physical harm that may be caused as a result of advice given on these pages.
