The Achilles tendon is a strong fibrous tissue located at the back of the foot. It is one of the longest and strongest tendons in the body, and it attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone. When the calf muscles flex, the Achilles tendon pulls the heel, extending the foot, this motion allows us to walk, jump and run. Although the Achilles tendon is tough and strong, it is also prone to injuries, and if not treated well it could lead to chronic conditions due to its lack of blood supply.
The Achilles tendon is probably the most commonly injured tendon in the body causing tendinitis or worse, a torn Achilles tendon.
What causes Achilles tendon Injuries?
1. Using improper foot wear. Wearing high heels can put a lot of stress on the Achilles tendon.
2. Overuse.
3. Sudden increase in physical activity.
4. Foot problems. Conditions of the feet like a flat foot can cause Achilles tendon injuries.
Symptoms of Achilles tendon injury
1. Pain and tenderness at the back of the foot.
2. Swelling and stiffness.
3. Felt a popping or snapping sensation during the injury.
4. Painful and difficulty flexing or extending the foot.
Effective Treatment for Achilles tendon Tear
There are several modalities in treating Achilles tendon injuries, but the best way to address this is to encourage the body’s own healing properties for faster and safer healing.
PRP treatment is an innovative medical treatment that uses
the rejuvenation or the body’s own healing properties to treat any type of injury.
PRP or Platelet-rich plasma is plasma that contains concentrated amounts of
platelets. Platelets are blood cells that patch up any injury in the body to
prevent blood loss. These special cells attach to injured tissue and
immediately heal the area by stimulating dormant stem cells and release healing
factors.
PRP can be directly injected into the injured tendon to
stimulate healing. PRP is collected from the patient’s blood. First, whole
blood is drawn and centrifuged to separate the blood cells, plate-rich plasma
is typically found in the middle of the test tube, which is then collected and
injected to the injured tendon.
Regenerative medicine has been increasingly studied in the
field of tendinopathy. PRP is among the more popular treatments, this is used
to stimulate the release of growth factors.
PRP shows promise in the treatment of Achilles tendon injuries by decreasing
pain and faster recovery.
