Achilles Tendonitis

[Guest]

I'm a runner and lately I have been feeling slight discomfort in my shins. I have iced and moreover the pain has dimished. Since then, I have been running and during my runs I have noticed a very sharp, almost piercing pain that burns around my achilles tendon. It stiffens up and the tendon itself becomes tight. Do I have achilles tendonitis? If so, what should I do to treat it? And if it is not Achilles tendonitis what may it be? As of now, it is very hard to stop running because it is track season. If I had to stop running how long would I be off and would the time from running decrease my performance drastically? I have never noticed this pain before until after the brief episode with my shins in which I have concluded to get new shoes. Would buying new shoes solve this problem too?

[Guest]

It sounds like you do have achilles tendinitis. However, the reason for the tendinitis as well as the shin splints is probably due to a foot type problem like flat feet or over-pronation. Therefore, a podiatrist will be able to examine you and most likely be able to fit you for orthotics which could greatly relieve your pain. Also, if your shoes are worn out, you should replace them because they can exacerbate your conditions. Therefore, see a podiatrist so you can be properly diagnosed and treated.
[quote] I'm a runner and lately I have been feeling slight discomfort in my shins. I have iced and moreover the pain has dimished... [/quote]