What are the Symptoms of Achilles Tendon Injuries?
The main symptom of Achilles tendonitis is pain and swelling in the backside of your heel when you walk or run. Other symptoms include tight calf muscles and limited range of motion when you flex your foot. This condition can also make the skin on your heel feel overly warm to the touch. The Achilles tendon permits people to point their toes toward the floor and rise on your tiptoes. Injury to the tendon is commonly suffered by sports athletes; however, it could be any member of the public. Damage to the Achilles can be mild or moderate and feel like a burning pain or stiffness in the lower part of the leg.
Who is Liable?
Making an Achilles tendon injury claim will involve determining who is liable for the injury and then submitting all details to the Injuries Board for assessment. A solicitor can do this for you should you be unaware of the steps to take.
Common Injuries
If a person ruptures their Achilles tendon, it is probable that there will be a snapping sound when it occurs. A very sharp sense of pain will be felt in the heel or lower leg which prevents a person from standing upright. To make a full recovery from an injury medical treatment and rehabilitation is often required.
- Strain – the ripping of the muscle fibres which is due to over stretching
- Sprain – aggressive twist or pulling of the ligaments
- Tendon rupture – a partial tear of an area of the tendon
- Tendinopathy – the progressive decline of the tendon
- Tendonitis – inflammation of a tendon
Causes
Achilles injuries are likely to occur to people who do things where they quickly speed up, speed down or pivot. A select few of such examples of these activities include:
- Running
- Football
- Tennis
- Basketball
Furthermore, it is not only sporting activities that contribute to damaging an Achilles tendon, these movements can also leave you more exposed to injury:
- Wearing high heels which stresses the tendon
- Having ‘flat feet’, whereby the arch of the foot collapses, stretching the muscles and tendons
- Having too tight of leg muscles
Achilles Surgery Negligence
In certain circumstances, it can become possible that a medical practitioner was negligent in their duties when performing surgery. Negligence can be proved if the surgeon delivered treatment to a patient that was deemed as substandard care. Examples, where this may be the case, include:
- The healthcare professionals failing to correctly diagnose the injury.
- Making mistakes during the surgical procedure.
- Failing to administer the correct medication or the correct dosage necessary.
- Failing to notify the patient about the potential risks attached to undergoing the Achilles tendon surgery.
Treatment
Treatment for an Achilles tendon injury will depend on the severity of the injury. Minor to moderate injuries tend to heal on their own but there are several ways which can help to speed up the process:
- Rest your leg and avoid putting any unnecessary weight on it. The best way to do this is to use crutches.
- Keep swelling down by wrapping it tightly in a bandage – this is called compressing your leg.
- When sitting, raise your leg if possible.
- There are inserts you can buy for your shoes called heel lifts that help protect the tendon from further stretching.
- Ice your leg.
- Take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
- Attend a physiotherapist and practise strengthening exercises.
Recovery may take a few weeks to a few months depending on the severity of the injury. If you are unsure about what activities you can do when injured, it is best to ask your doctor for their advice. It is best not to expect to be able to retain the same level of activity you had before the injury. The best advice is to ease yourself into physical activity. You will know you are on the mend when you can move your leg more easily, your leg starts to feel as strong as your uninjured leg and you don’t feel any pain when you walk, jog or run.