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Don’t neglect your calf muscles

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Strong lower legs Seated calf-raises help

Achilles tendinitis is a common problem that affects the ankle. The Achilles tendon is a thick structure that attaches the calf muscle to the foot. It can be felt just above the heel. The tendon causes pain in the back of the ankle when it gets infla med or degenerated. In some cases, it can severely affect a person’s mobility. In very severe cases, where the tendon degenerates, it may lead to tendon rupture and require surgical intervention.

Achilles tendinitis can happen in persons who have very tight calf muscles. When the two heads of the calf muscle, ‘gastrocnemius’ (gas-truck-nee-mius) and ‘soleus’ are too tight, increased stress is placed on the tendon. The condition can occur even due to overuse.

The pain in people with Achilles tendonitis is usually worse in the morning as people sleep with their toes pointed up. When they wake up and put their feet on the floor, it stretches the tendon that had been kept relaxed for a long time. This causes pain.

Therapy under the guidance of an expert is recommended, says Robert Marx, orthopaedic surgeon in sports medicine and director of the Centre for Clinical Outcome Research at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York.

Strengthening exercises, ultrasound and electrical stimulation are helpful, he adds. A night splint that helps to keep the ankle at a neutral flexion (90 degrees) and a walking cast in severe cases are also recommended.

Patients recover slowly and activity modification is vital, Dr. Marx adds. He also suggest some ways to prevent the onset of the condition: train the calf muscles properly, warm up the muscles before a workout, stretch the muscle carefully in between sets, practise activities that challenge your balance (which develops ‘proprioception’) and, every now and then, add a ply metric exercise to condition the muscle, tendons and ligaments in the lower leg and ankle.

Sit on the machine and place your toes on the block at the bottom, hooking your knees under the pad.

Lower your heels in a smooth manner towards the ground, as much as possible. Press back up on your toes until the calves are fully contracted at the top. Do not rock back and forth. This movement develops the lower and outer areas of the calf muscles (soleus). Sportsmen such as runners, jumpers, sprinters and basketball players benefit immensely from this exercise.

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