Achilles tendonitis is the bane of many runners’ lives. It’s one of the most common running injuries and can affect your athletic performance and your day-to-day movement. As an avid runner, you probably don’t want to stop running due to this nagging pain, but is running with Achilles tendonitis a good idea? Or is perhaps taking a break from running the best course of action? The short answer is: yes, you can run with Achilles tendonitis, but whether or not you should depends on the severity of your injury and taking adequate precautions when you do.
Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon plays a major role in all movement involving our legs, hence why runners are especially prone to injuring it. Achilles tendonitis leads to soreness and tightness in the lower leg and ankle, limiting the sufferer’s range of motion. Read more about Achilles tendonitis and its symptoms on our injury advice page.
Running with Achilles tendonitis
The nature of Achilles tendonitis means that running can exacerbate the symptoms. It’s an overuse injury and results from prolonged tension and usage. Therefore, it’s common for sufferers to immediately stop any athletic activity until the symptoms disappear, but this may be unnecessary in many cases.
If your pain isn’t too severe, then running while suffering/recovering from Achilles tendonitis is entirely possible. You simply need to take additional precautions. To begin with, warming up is even more important now. As well as gentle stretching, applying heat to the area using warm water can help reduce your risk of aggravating the injury whilst running. Following your run, applying ice to your affected Achilles tendon can help reduce or prevent any inflammation or swelling. Additionally, regularly using hot water packs and foam rolling your tendon each morning and evening will reduce your risk of causing further damage as you continue to run during this recovery period.
During your runs, there are two key things to keep in mind. One is your pace – while suffering from Achilles tendonitis, avoid straining too much. If you insist on running, then keep your pace and intensity moderately low so as not to injure yourself further. The second thing we recommend you do is use an orthotic insole. Our Enertor sports insoles provide some of the best support and injury prevention thanks to our patented D3O technology. It’s the finest tool available for those who wish to continue running whilst injured.
If you suffer from significant Achilles tendon pain when running and/or it does not subside after several weeks while you continue to run, then it may be best to take a break and consult a doctor. You should avoid running at all (for a while at least) if you experience significant pain whilst running and/or you’re unable to raise your toes off the floor (while seated) due to tightness or pain in your Achilles tendon. Running while in this condition will almost certainly exacerbate the symptoms.
Running with Achilles tendonitis is perfectly okay as long as your pain isn’t too severe and you take the proper precautions.
Our insoles have been proven to reduce the risk of many running-related injuries, including Achilles tendonitis. Wearing insoles can also help ease the symptoms in those who suffer from this condition. Find the right insoles for you so you can get back on track (literally!).