Your Guide to Custom Orthotics and Achilles Pain

You’ve probably heard your Achilles heel is often your biggest weakness. This stretches back to mythology and Achilles himself. He was a great warrior and fighter in the Trojan War.

The legend goes that his father, Thetis, took him and dipped him in the River Styx. He held him by the heel and the rest of Achilles body was in the water. It’s believed that the water made him invulnerable and he became the greater warrior that he was.

All except for his heel, which was not in the water. This became an Achilles heel or his greatest weakness.

Many who have suffered from an Achilles injury might agree with the myth and the associated weakness and pain.

So, what should you do when you get Achilles heel pain? What causes it and how can custom orthotics help treat the pain and weakness?

Read on to learn about Achilles heel pain and treatment using custom orthotics.

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What Does the Achilles Tendon Do?

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in your body. It connects the heel bones in your foot with the calf muscles in your leg. You need this tendon to walk, run, jump and do any movement where you are standing on your feet.

If you injure or strain your Achilles tendon, you will know because of the symptoms that come with the strain.

Symptoms Associated with Achilles Tendon Issues

Before discussing treatments, let’s take a look at the symptoms associated with an Achilles heel problem. These include:

Stiffness and tenderness in the heel and back of the leg, usually worse first thing in the morning
Significant movement like jumping, running, stair climbing causes severe pain
Starts as an ache that worsens over time
Pain is located in the lower part of the calf, just above the heel

You might also see redness or swelling in the area signifying a problem.

Treatments

In some cases, the tendon pain that’s bad in the morning eases with movement. In more severe cases, you may need to see a doctor.

Often the doctor will suggest the RICE method: rest, ice, compression and elevation. If you have an Achilles injury ignoring it and thinking you can power through is a mistake as it’s likely only going to get worse.

The doctor can also use custom orthotics to treat your Achilles heel pain. A custom orthotic slides inside your shoe. It raises your heel slightly which relieves the pressure on the Achilles tendon.

The doctor uses either a foam cast or computerized technique to get a mold of your foot. Then the custom orthotics is built specific to the shape of your foot to support it and take the pressure off of the Achilles tendon.