"Achilles Tendonitis Treatments - The Good, the Bad, and the Useless" by Treat My Achilles
The injury
I landed badly and sprained my Achilles tendon when playing badminton on Tuesday (16/7/24) at around 6 pm. I felt a fairly sharp pain on my right heel after landing badly on my right foot. It was not too severe and I knew nothing was torn.
I decided to try out the PEACE and LOVE and no-HARM approach. See my post on Soft Tissue Injuries.
No-HARM stands for: no Heat, Alcohol, Running/activity, or Massage. PEACE stands for: Protect, Elevate, Avoid anti-inflammatory drugs, Compression, and Education. LOVE stands for: Load, Optimism, Vascularisation, and Exercise.
Disclaimer: The following is a record of my attempt to try out the no Harm and Peace and Love approach. The following should NOT be considered an instruction on how to recover from an injury. It is merely a record of my experience. I did not consult a medical professional for the following attempt in recovery as I considered the injury minor. Please make your own decision and consult your medical advisers as appropriate.
No-HARM and PEACE and LOVE
First day (Tuesday 6 pm to Wednesday 6 pm)
Tuesday evening: The right heel was quite sore. There was some warmth to the area, perhaps some inflammation. I did not put ice on the area and avoided too much hot water during shower. I tried using two Nordic Walking poles when moving around.
"Is Ice Or Heat Better For Achilles Tendinitis?" by Treat My Achilles
Second day (Wednesday 6 pm to Thursday 6 pm)
Wednesday evening: I could move the ankle a few times through its restricted range of motion. There was a slight pain afterwards. Gentle massage and elevation felt comfortable. I applied a compression bandage to the ankle. I tried using two Nordic Walking poles to protect the right foot.
Thursday morning: I walked slowly. I applied kinesiology tape to the ankle. It was important to have a balanced gait when walking. My heart rate increased when moving around. I slowed down and calmed myself. It helped with more awareness and mental connection with the injured area. Learning about the injury and related information was useful.
I practised Tai Chi (the Hao 96 form) with no problem, allowing pain to guide my range of motion. The movements of this Tai Chi form were slow and gentle.
Day Three (Thursday 6 pm to Friday 6 pm)
Day three: Continued practicing PEACE.
Day Four (Friday 6 pm to Saturday 6 pm)
Friday afternoon: I walked around reasonably well. The right ankle was still slightly sore. I practiced the Tai Chi and did some two legged standing isometric heel raise.
Saturday morning: I taught Tai Chi classes for about 2-1/4 hours. I walked around reasonably comfortably.
Day Five (Saturday 6 pm to Sunday 6 pm)
Sunday morning and early afternoon: I moved around quite freely. I had some soreness in the hip area due over-compensation. I did more exercises including standing isometric heel raise, lunge, and push ups.
Day Six and Seven (Sunday 6 pm to Tuesday 6 pm)
Monday: I taught Tai Chi (for 1 hour) in the morning and did some strengthening exercises. I removed the kinesiology tape that was put on from Day Two.
Tuesday: The ankle was a bit sore after waking up in the morning. It felt better after some walking. I walked around normally without pain in the afternoon.
Concluding thought
The no-HARM and PEACE and LOVE approach had worked well. After 7 days, my right ankle injury was much better. Further implementation of the LOVE principle should strengthen the ankle.
