What can I do about Achilles tendon pain from trapezing?

TTT Yachting Medicine answer...

A newly formed group of healthcare specialists, whose focus with TTT is to provide specific and appropriate advice and treatment to the sailing market. All three partners are experienced racing sailors in their own right. Timo Malinen is a qualified Chiropractor and Physiotherapist from the University of Glamorgan and Tampere College of Healthcare Finland, respectively. He most recently was the Medical Coordinator for the Volvo Ocean Race and the representive for the Medical Advisory Committee during the Race. Tim Spalding is an Orthopaedic Consultant at Coventry Hospital. This means he knows an awful lot about bones and joints and specialises in knees, a common problem for sailors. His current active research area is the prevention of offshore yachting injuries. Tim has been Medical Advisor to the Volvo/Whitbread Race since 1989. Mark 'Tommo' Tomson is a GP. He specialises in providing on board medical kits and has been Medical Advisor to top racing teams such as Kingfisher, ENZA and Royal Sun Alliance. Tommo has been Medical Advisor for the Whitbread/Volvo Race for over 10 years.

Andy Loukes asks:
Last December I started getting pain in the back of my heel where the achilles tendon joins the foot. I get pain when I stand on the ball of my foot and walking is painful, I then to walk on my heel to ease the pain.

I sail a trapeze dinghy and did a lot of sailing last year. I tend to trapeze on the balls of my feet and I do remember races last year where I started to trapeze on the soles of my feet after a long race.

I don't do any other fitness for sailing and have found that I am generally ok if I do lots of sailing.

I have seen a doctor who wasn't too sure what the problem is, I am going for a blood test and have just started taking anti-inflamatory pills.

Any thoughts on what caused it and how to avoid the problems again?


Andy,

Thank you for your enquiry to the "experts" regarding your painful heel.

Obviously it is not possible to make a diagnosis with 100% accuracy without examining your foot and maybe asking several more questions. However there are several possibilities for you to consider:

1) Achilles Tendonitis-- this is where there is some inflammation of the insertion of the Achilles tendon into the back of the heel. This can result after over use or some trauma. There is often a tender spot if you squeeze the bottom of the Achilles.

Anti-inflammatories can help and physio can be very helpful. The use of a small pad in the back of your shoe can help when it is painful but careful not to use it for too long as otherwise the Achilles tendon can shorten chronically and then cause longer term problems.

2) Retrocalaneeal bursitis-- Inflammation of the bursa ( sac of fluid around a joint to reduce friction)- often difficult to differentiate between this and the above but the treatment would often involve an injection of steroid into the area.

3) Calcaneal spur-- basically a overgrowth of the calcaneal bone causing problems.

4) Retrocalcaneal bursitis--Less likely but a possibility-- where there is a bony impingement between two moving parts of the ankle joint.

I would expect that the most likely problem is to do with the Achilles and a good physio (try www.yell.com, search physiotherapists) should be able to help you and give you some good stretching exercises to do which will more than likely be the mainstay of treatment.

Good luck with the sailing.
TTT

Important note: This medical advice is offered as only an opinion and does not constitute a diagnosis or a recommended course of treatment. The opinion offered above is bound by the terms and conditions of www.thedailysail.com.