[Guest]

Dear Sir/Madam,
Around a year ago I began walking to work, around an hour each way, some of the walk being uphill. I began feeling a pain in my achilles tendon in my left leg, about 2 inches upwards of my heel. I noticed that the pain only occured when I was wearing shoes that put pressure on this spot. The pain declined and I was soon able to wear the same shoes I did previously without any feeling of pain.
A few days ago I went for a long walk in very comfortable sandals, but they had a strap which surrounded my foot at precisely the place where I had the problem before. The pain occured and grew stronger the longer I walked until I could walk only with great difficulty.
I have this problem only in my left achilles tendon, I am 21 years old and live in a country where good medical advice is hard to come by.
Could you let me know if this is indeed achilles tendonitis and if so why it would manifest itsself in such a way? Also ofcourse what I can do myself and if there are any companies supplying good orthopedic insoles to help me with this problem. Can this condition remain for the rest of my life, in the sense that it comes and goes only with certain footwear? Surely this is not the way it should be!

Many thanks for your help on this.

[Guest]

It probably is not tendinitis but rather bursitis. Certain shoes can cause pressure on the back of the achilles and a bursa forms to protect the tendon. As the bursa gets pressure put on it, it becomes inflammed and this is knwon as bursitis. The best thing you can do is to wear shoes that do not press on this area so the inflammation can calm. A heel lift may be effective in changing where the shoe hits the back of your achilles if this pain is present in all your shoes. Also, backless shoes are very helpful in relieving this pain.
[quote] Dear Sir/Madam,
Around a year ago I began walking to work, around an hour each way, some of the walk being uphill. I began feeling a pain in my achilles tendon in my left leg, about 2 inches upwards of my heel... [/quote]