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Heal the Heel! The Legendary Fix for a Stubborn Achilles Tendon.

This is an interesting physio story that rivals Greek mythology, and it might be the key to solving your Achilles pain! Dr. Hakan Alfredson is a surgeon and sports medicine professor who had Achilles tendon pain that would not go away. He asked his boss to schedule him for surgery, but he was refused because it was “not severe enough”.  So naturally, Dr. Alfredson tried to aggressively load his Achilles and make it bad enough to warrant surgery. He filled a backpack with weights, stood at the edge of a step, and let his heels drop toward the ground, over and over and over.  What happened? His Achilles GOT BETTER, and a new exercise protocol was born…

Here is the exact program to heal the heel. Be warned that it requires a good level of commitment!

Exercise:  Stand on the edge of a step and rise up on your toes. Then lift the non-painful leg, and use the injured leg to lower your body quickly but controlled. Your heel should drop below the level of the step.
Rise back up using both legs and repeat.

Repetitions:  3 x 15 performed with a straight knee, followed by 3 x 15 performed with a bent knee.

Frequency:  Twice Daily

Progression:  Add a weighted backpack and slowly increase the load as the exercise becomes more comfortable. Just add enough to make it uncomfortable again.

Achilles Heel I have seen many incredible results with this program, but here are some criteria of who will benefit:
  • Chronic Achilles pain with mid-tendon (2-6cm up from the heel) tenderness
  • Visible thickening of the Achilles tendon
  • Pain provoked with heel raise, or repetitive loading (running or hopping)

NOT Advisable For:

  • Acute (new) inflammatory Achilles Tendinitis
  • Achilles rupture
  • Other problems (ex. posterior ankle impingement, dislocation of the flexor tendons, irritation of the sural nerve, systemic inflammatory disease)

Disclaimer:

Consulting a physiotherapist is the best way to ensure that this or any other exercise program is correct and safe for you. These therapists will perform a thorough assessment of your hips, knees, ankles, etc. to determine if there are any existing weaknesses, alignment faults or flexibility issues that need to be addressed.

Rob McMillan – Registered Physiotherapist

Services Offered:

Acupuncture
Dry Needling
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS)
Physiotherapy
Virtual Physiotherapy

Related Conditions:

Ankle + Foot

Patient Resource Guides:

Plantar Fasciitis

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COVID-19 SAFETY

Easthill Physiotherapy + Acupuncture Clinic has protocols to ensure the utmost safety for our patients, team and community. We have worked hard to protect our public health during this pandemic. Medical masks are mandatory for all staff and patients to keep everyone safe, and we appreciate your commitment.

We continue to follow the guidelines and protective measures indicated by our regulatory boards and governments. Our team has also had extensive training on our new protocols, and we are all 100% committed to ensuring our patients’ safety.

This is the new normal.

All patients and staff will be screened before each visit. Unfortunately, anyone showing signs of respiratory infection will be unable to come into the clinic. We will encourage and book virtual physiotherapy appointments for those that need help but are symptomatic if a client is at greater risk or for anyone who is not comfortable coming into the clinic.

We have the highest standards for hand hygiene and cleaning. All equipment and rooms will be disinfected after each use, frequently touched surfaces will be sterilized, and personal protective equipment will be used in all appropriate situations. Patients and staff will have hand washing stations to ensure proper frequent hand hygiene.

We also understand that it is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission with physical distancing. To do this, we have installed plexiglass barriers, reduced the number of appointments available by spreading them out and designed an optimal patient flow that minimizes contact with other patients and staff before and after appointments. Our team is also committed to practicing these as measures of hand hygiene and physical distancing outside the clinic to be safe when they return to work.

Although it may seem different with the steps we need to take, the Easthill Physiotherapy + Acupuncture team is still the same! We still believe in the same values and are here to provide an extraordinary physiotherapy experience. This is not going to change. Our goal is to keep all of us healthy and happy.

Our fabulous admin team is available to book in-clinic appointments now. Or if you prefer a virtual physiotherapy visit, we can book that too. Please call us at 250-545-2922 to book an appointment or if you would like more information.

Chris Burk + Rob McMillan
Owners, Easthill Physiotherapy

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