{"id":4440,"date":"2019-02-26T08:24:13","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T08:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=4440"},"modified":"2021-03-29T14:32:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T14:32:15","slug":"14-signs-your-achilles-tendon-is-about-to-rupture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-signs-your-achilles-tendon-is-about-to-rupture\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Signs Your Achilles Tendon is About to Rupture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Achilles Tendon is a condition that develops from tears in the tendon resulting from overuse. The rupturing of the Achilles heel, on the other hand, is often an injury created from sudden strain on the area that overwhelms the Achilles tendon. It is often accompanied by a sudden, dramatic pain or a popping noise and can lead to burning, swelling, and stiffness in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Achilles Tendon has been damaged, it tends not to heal that quickly, but the problem can be addressed by rest, cold packs, a proper diet, and physical therapy. You may not be able to distinguish at the beginning whether you have ruptured your Achilles tendon or whether you have simply pulled a muscle, but there are telltale signs that indicate specific problems with the Achilles tendon, particularly if the pain is intense and does not go away.
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1. Stiffness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you feel a stiffness <\/a>that is greater than average after pulling a muscle but just won\u2019t relax, then you may have ruptured your Achilles tendon. Stiffness can be associated with many conditions of the tendons and the muscles, so your doctor may do other tests to rule out other causes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this stiffness followed a sudden pain or a popping when engaging in intense physical activity, this might point to the fact that the stiffness is the result of an Achilles heel rupture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your doctor squeezes your calf and ankle and the muscles do not respond in a way that is considered normal but is too stiff to perform basic movements, you may have a rupture in your Achilles heel. One way to relieve the stiffness is through massage therapy, but this should only be done with a professional who has dealt with Achilles Heel rupture.
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2. Not Passing the Thompson Test<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you feel you may have ruptured your Achilles tendon and are seeing a doctor, you may not have to worry about having an Xray or an MRI. There is a test for Achilles tendon<\/a> rupture that is nearly foolproof and it involves a simple manipulation of the area. The patient lies on his or her stomach with the feet at the end of the table. The doctor or physical therapist will squeeze the back of the calf, specifically, a group of muscles called the soleus complex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this happens in normal situations, the Achilles tendon tenses up and causes a bending movement. If this does not happen, since it is a natural reflex, it indicates that the Achilles tendon has been ruptured or detached from the muscle or bone. The doctor can suggest a course of treatment that includes rest and physical therapy.
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3. Difficulty Standing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since the Achilles tendon stretches all the way down to the back of the heel bone, it has a pivotal role in helping us do basic functions like standing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sudden injury to the Achilles Tendon, particularly a rupture, may make it difficult to do simple things like standing up. If you have twisted your leg of heard a sudden popping sound, have fallen and felt you can\u2019t stand properly, this may be a sign that the Achilles Tendon has been damaged. In this case, you have been forced to stay off of it, and should continue to rest the area. Applying ice packs can be helpful to reduce swelling <\/a>and pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of ongoing physical therapy, you may be able to stand normally again in a few days or weeks depending on the extent of the injury. Physical therapy can also prevent you from compensating for the injury and creating other problems.
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4. Burning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with other types of problems with the tendons, the rupture of the Achilles tendon is accompanied by a burning sensation in the area. The presence of heat in the heel area is not enough to confirm that there is a problem with the Achilles tendon. The presence of heat may indicate other conditions, such an internal infection <\/a>that must be dealt with promptly, especially if the burning sensation is not accompanied by other symptoms of an Achilles heel rupture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One sign that the feeling of burning is a symptom of Achilles tendon rupture is if the feeling accompanied a sudden dramatic movement that led to a popping or sudden pain along the Achilles heel. If the hot sensation did not let up after this, you may have torn or ruptured the Achilles tendon. Applying ice packs to the area can cool off the hot sensation and bring relief.
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5. Swelling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As with many other leg injuries, swelling and pain <\/a>are the first signs of a problem. However, swelling is so common after pulling a muscle that, on its own, it can\u2019t determine absolutely whether there has been a tear or a rupture in the Achilles heel or not. If there has been a sudden, traumatic injury that was followed by swelling in the area of the heel, that may make it more likely that a tear in the Achilles tendon is to blame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swelling can impair movement and make the pain intense, so apply ice packs to the area to reduce the inflammation and eat foods and take supplements, such as Omega 3s and Tumeric that have anti-inflammatory properties. Have your doctor rule out an internal infection as the cause of the swelling, but if the swelling is accompanied by intense pain, it is likely an injury is responsible.
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6. Popping or Snapping Sound<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are actively involved in a sport that requires jumping or sudden twisting and you hear a popping sound followed by a burning sensation and a sudden inability to walk normally, you may have ruptured your Achilles heel. The Achilles tendon is one of the most essential tendons and among the longest, because it allows us to jump and facilitates many types of movement, but it can also be one of the most vulnerable to injury<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Achilles tendon is attached to the heel bone where there is relatively low blood flow, and therefore, it is more like to suffer injury. The popping sound is a telltale sign that the tendon has ruptured, although a broken bone can also be associated with a similar type of sound. Your medical professional can diagnose tendon problems and may not need to do an internal examination to determine the cause of the problem.
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7. A feeling of having been Kicked<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are engaged in a sport and suddenly jump or twist your leg, feel as if you have been kicked and collapsed, you might have a cheating opponent to blame or more likely, you the culprit is your Achilles heel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Achilles tendon ruptures, you can feel a sudden blow or may hear a popping noise. The feeling can be quite dramatic and cause you to feel that someone really has struck you or kicked you when the tendon has simply become detached from the heelbone or has ruptured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More often than not, you will find it impossible to stand normally on your leg because of the damage done to the tendon in the heel. It may require long-term physical therapy<\/a> before you are able to stand or walk without pain, and it is important to rest and stay off the area.
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8. Not Being Able to Push Off Injured Leg<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have had an intense injury, you may feel that you have simply strained a muscle<\/a>, but certain signs can point to specifically the rupture of the Achilles tendon. This tendon is quite long and extends across the back of the heel bone, connecting a complex network of muscle to the bone. One motion that the Achilles tendon is responsible for is the ability to push off the injured leg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find you are unable to do this motion after the injury, it is likely that you have ruptured or severely damaged your Achilles Heel. This pushing is like the beginning of a jumping movement, but the impairment is likely to stop short of a full jump. If even making the movement is accompanied by intense pain, that may be enough to indicate the Achilles tendon has been injured or ruptured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Loss of Mobility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most obvious symptoms of impending tendon doom is a loss of mobility, and this can also be what caused the issue in the first place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mobility is something that is increasingly being talked about more and more when it comes to fitness and performance. This is good news because a lack of mobility can otherwise lead to a lot of different problems \u2013 and might also help to illustrate a potential underlying issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, a loss of mobility can be caused by the lack of strength <\/a>in the damaged Achilles heel and possible concurrent tightness in antagonist muscle-tendon units \u2013 such as the tibialis anterior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, you might find that you struggle with plantar flexion: meaning to push the foot downward. This is because you normally push the foot downward at least in part by exerting force through the calf muscles via the Achilles tendon. You might notice that mobility is impaired early on by the stiffness in the tendon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Weakness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weakness is another common sign that not all is well. In the case of your Achilles tendon, this weakness may cause you to walk and move more slowly, or to find it difficult to jump and engage in other athletic activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for this weakness is again due to an inability for the muscles in the calf to exert force as they normally would. If you are a strength athlete, then this lack of strength <\/a>in the calves might also make a number of your other usual activities more difficult: things like calf raise, of course, will be greatly affected, but so too might things like squats to an extent, deadlifts, and squat jumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice your performance is noticeably declining during any athletic pursuit, then this should always be a good sign that you should consider a deload week: taking some time off to allow the area to recover.
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11. Dull Ache<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whereas a ruptured tendon can be painful, it can also be asymptomatic and cause no pain at all in some cases!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most likely, if you are building up to a ruptured Achilles tendon, then you will be likely to notice at least a low-level discomfort or mild pain. This might be caused by swelling in the area as blood is rushed to try and recover and heal the area. It might also be caused by damage to the tendons and the muscles themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason that pain might not always be as pronounced as the damage to the area might seemingly suggest, is that the free nerve endings in the tendons are primarily in the pretentious tissues<\/a>: the areas where the muscle turns to the tendon. Where the damage is caused then, it will depend on how the pain is felt.
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12. Calluses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are a runner or another type of athlete that spends a lot of time on their feet, then you will probably be used to ending the day with a foot full of calluses<\/a>, blisters, and other damage. Athletes do not typically have the most attractive feet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of a damaged Achilles tendon, however, you are likely to notice that this is more severe than normal. That\u2019s because the change in the strength and feel of your tendon is likely to cause compensatory movement patterns: in other words, you will slightly alter your gait and the way you move to compensate for the injured tendon. And as a result of this, you will then find that pressure is placed on your feet and that this can lead to softer areas of your foot that don\u2019t normally get exposed to this pressure becoming sore and toughened. Consider this a warning sign: it shows that your movement has changed and that the pressure and impact are hitting your body in a different way. This can of course often lead to injury.
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13. Asymmetric Development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asymmetric development means that you may have stronger looking legs, quads, and hamstrings <\/a>on one leg than you do on the other. The reason for this is once again that your body is compensating. As you find it harder to push off of your right or left foot, and as this is causing more pain, you may then start to put more pressure on the other side. If you perform squats, for instance, you might find yourself slightly leaning to one side and producing more of the force with that leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this means that the side taking the brunt of the force is likely to develop differently and add more muscle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, it may be that you use a slightly different movement pattern on one leg than the other: perhaps one side is more glute dominant than the other for instance. Again, this can change the way that muscles in the legs develop.
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14. Lethargy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, listen to your body and try to identify any sign of an underlying injury or weakness. A damaged tendon is likely to place a strain on the body as it attempts to repair the area. This means that you will have less energy available for other tasks, and may, in turn, feel tired and lethargic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself feeling generally run down, you should always take this as a sign to reduce activity until you begin to feel better again. Taking a little time off now can save you from months of being unable to train!
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