Tendinopathy
Whether you’re a runner, footballer, gym enthusiast or simply enjoy staying active, injuries can quickly stop you from doing what you love.
At PK Physiotherapy, treatment focuses on identifying the cause of the problem, reducing pain and restoring strength, mobility and confidence.
Common Tendinopathy Treatments:
- Muscle strains and tears
- Hamstring injuries
- Quadriceps injuries
- Calf injuries
- Ankle sprains
- Knee ligament injuries
- Tendinopathy
- Running injuries
If tendon pain is affecting your sport, work or daily activities, book your assessment today and start your personalised recovery programme at PK Physiotherapy.
CASE STUDY: Achilles Tendinopathy
Patient: Michal, 42
1 The Problem
Michal, aged 42, is a keen recreational runner and has always enjoyed leading an active lifestyle. Over time, however, his passion for running began to take its toll. He gradually developed pain in both Achilles tendons, which slowly worsened over several months.
Initially, the discomfort appeared only during longer runs, but eventually his calf muscles became constantly tight and painful. As the condition progressed, even long walks became uncomfortable, and activities that had once been enjoyable became increasingly difficult.
Like many runners, Michal had not suffered a sudden injury. Instead, his symptoms developed gradually as repeated loading exceeded the tendons’ ability to recover.
2 Assessment Findings
Following a detailed physiotherapy assessment, I diagnosed bilateral Achilles Tendinopathy.
Clinical examination revealed tenderness and thickening of both Achilles tendons together with reduced calf strength and endurance. The assessment also identified increased muscle tightness affecting the:
- Gastrocnemius
- Soleus
In addition, Michal demonstrated reduced ankle dorsiflexion, decreased calf flexibility and altered walking mechanics as he subconsciously avoided pushing off through his toes because of pain.
As is often the case with Achilles Tendinopathy, the problem involved much more than the tendon itself. The entire calf–Achilles tendon–ankle–foot complex had become overloaded, contributing to ongoing symptoms and limiting his ability to run.
There were no signs of tendon rupture or any other pathology requiring further medical investigation.
3 Treatment
Michal completed an eight-session course of treatment, which included:
- Shockwave Therapy (8 sessions)
- Manual mobilisation of both Achilles tendons
- Soft tissue massage of both calf muscles
- Progressive stretching and strengthening exercises for the calf muscles and Achilles tendons
- Ankle mobility exercises
- Kinesiology Taping to help reduce strain on the tendons during rehabilitation
- Education on load management, training progression and injury prevention
- A personalised home exercise programme
4 Outcome
Michal made steady progress throughout his rehabilitation. His calf tightness gradually resolved, morning pain disappeared and walking became comfortable again. As the tendons adapted to increasing loads, his strength and confidence continued to improve.
After approximately three months, he successfully returned to running without significant pain. Before being discharged, we discussed strategies to minimise the risk of recurrence. Michal committed to performing a proper warm-up before every run, continuing his strengthening exercises and gradually rebuilding his running distance rather than immediately returning to his previous training volume.
These changes have allowed him to return to the sport he enjoys while significantly reducing the likelihood of overloading his Achilles tendons again.