Why Achilles Tendinopathy Recovery Takes Time: A Podiatrist’s Personal Journey
At Achieve Podiatry, we always aim to provide evidence-based treatment and clear guidance to our patients. As a podiatrist, I often highlight the risks of following anecdotal advice—especially when someone claims a “miracle fix” for an injury. But in this post, I want to share my own experience with Achilles tendinopathy to give you a realistic look at what recovery can involve.
How I Developed Mid-Portion Achilles Tendinopathy
Back in January, I started increasing the intensity of my running. I introduced weekly (and sometimes twice-weekly) interval sessions—something my body wasn’t used to. Although many runners can tolerate that level of training, I was unprepared, and as a result, developed pain in my right Achilles tendon.
The symptoms were typical of mid-band Achilles tendinopathy—pain first thing in the morning that improved with movement, tolerance for walking and slow jogging, but sharp pain with sprinting or hopping.
Despite these warning signs, I continued training for a race and didn’t reduce my running volume enough. Naturally, the injury worsened.
My Achilles Tendon Rehab Plan
After the race, I got serious about my recovery. Here's what my Achilles rehab plan looked like:
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Heel lifts in all shoes (runners and work shoes) to reduce Achilles load.
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Reduced weekly mileage from 40 km to 30 km.
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Avoided hills and speed work, sticking mostly to slow jogging.
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Heavy, slow calf raise exercises three times per week, progressing from flat ground to step-based work.
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Plyometrics (e.g. pogo hops) added later, staying within a 4/10 pain threshold.
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Careful monitoring of symptoms 24 hours after each session to guide my training load.
Even though I followed best practices, I still believed I’d recover in a few weeks. That was a mistake.
Five Months Later—Finally Seeing Results
It’s now been five months, and only in the past week have I truly noticed significant improvement. I no longer limp out of bed in the morning, and I can now hop on one leg with almost no pain. This has reminded me (yet again) that tendons take time to heal—even when everything is done right.
Key Lessons for Runners with Achilles Tendinopathy
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Tendon healing is slow—expect 3–6 months, sometimes longer.
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There are no shortcuts, even with perfect rehab.
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You can usually keep running during recovery, provided it’s within safe limits.
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Tailored rehab is essential—everyone progresses at different rates.
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Staying active helps keep your muscles, bones, and ligaments strong for a safer return.
Unlike bone stress injuries, Achilles tendinopathy doesn’t usually require total rest. You can stay involved in your running community, maintain fitness, and get all the mental health benefits of training—even if it's modified.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been humbled by this process. Next time (if there is one!), I’ll go into it with more patience and better expectations. For now, I’m grateful that I could still get outdoors, stay active, and enjoy the social side of running—despite managing an injury.
Takeaway Message:
If you're dealing with Achilles tendinopathy—be humble, be patient, and respect the process. Tendons take time.
Want help with a tendon injury? At Achieve Podiatry, we create custom rehab plans to keep you running safely. Book online today or get in touch for tailored advice.