Achilles Tendon Stretch and Strengthen

Video Transcript

Hey everyone, Dr. Alibhai here. Dealing with pain in your Achilles tendon or Achilles tendonitis can be very painful, especially when walking, moving, or working out. To address this, we want to retrain the tendons. It might seem intuitive to tighten our calf muscles with toe raises, but what we actually need is to strengthen the tendon by lengthening it.

Here’s how to do it: stand on the stairs with your toes, using support if necessary. You’ll raise up on your toes, and then lower the heel of the affected foot towards the ground, focusing on the one with the issue. Make sure not to support yourself entirely with your arms or put all your body weight on the heel.

The exercise is: up on two toes, down on one heel. This movement helps stretch and strengthen the tendon simultaneously, pushing it to the end range of its motion. It may seem mundane, but it’s effective. I guarantee that over time, you will notice increased strength and find it challenging.

Aim to do at least 12 repetitions on each side to maintain balance. Do this every other day. Let me know how it goes. Have a great day. Bye now.