Achilles Tendon Injury Ends Season for New York Jets’ Player
posted: Oct. 21, 2014.
The future looks bleak for Dee Milliner, New York Jets’ cornerback after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the team’s recent loss to the Broncos. According to an article on espn.go.com, he will miss the entire offseason because his recovery from the injury is likely to take six to nine months.
Fortunately, Achilles tendon rupture is not common because this tendon is the largest and strongest one in the body. Tendonitis, or inflammation of the tendon, is much more common, especially in athletes. But, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to experience tendonitis of the Achilles tendon; recreational athletes are also prone to this condition. Running or repetitive jumping can inflame the Achilles tendon.
According to health.harvard.edu, Achilles tendonitis accounts for 15 percent of all running injuries, especially when little attention is given to running technique or appropriateness of footwear. A recent small study reported in runnersworld.com challenged conventional wisdom showing a greater load on the Achilles tendon when the heel is elevated in a standard running shoe compared with barefoot running.
Sometimes, Achilles tendonitis is a result of an inflammatory illness like gout or rheumatoid arthritis. A consultation with a medical professional like Toronto Podiatrist, Sheldon H. Nadal, D.P.M. will confirm your condition and determine the cause and appropriate treatment.
With Achilles tendonitis you may experience pain in the back of the heel where the tendon attaches to the bone, but pain may also be felt higher up the back of the leg. The sooner it is treated, the sooner you will recover. Immediate treatment should include rest, ice, compression, elevation and non-prescription, anti-inflammatory medication. Depending on the severity of your condition, your Podiatrist may recommend a program of functional rehabilitation that includes stretching exercises and maybe a leg brace, or surgery.
An acute tendon rupture or chronic tendonitis may require surgery, although a review of Canadian research reported in health.usnews.com in 2012, indicated that ruptured Achilles tendons respond equally well to non-surgical functional rehabilitation as they do to surgery.
Resources:
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/11696388/dee-milliner-new-york-jets-torn-achilles-tendon