| So what happens after the first 48 to 72 hours of | | | | to blow it now. |
| your Achilles tendon injury? Let's first take a quick | | | | Achilles Tendon Injury Post Treatment: Removing |
| look at how damaged tendons repair themselves. | | | | Scar Tissue |
| When any damage occurs to the soft tissue | | | | To remove most of the unwanted scar tissue, you |
| (muscles, tendons, ligaments), the body immediately | | | | now need to start two vital treatments. The first is |
| goes into a process of repair. Where the individual | | | | commonly used by physical therapists (or |
| fibres rupture, or tear, the body begins to bind the | | | | physiotherapists), and primarily involves increasing the |
| damaged fibres together using a fibrous protein called | | | | blood supply to the injured area. The aim is to |
| collagen. Or, as it's more commonly known, scar | | | | increase the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the |
| tissue! | | | | damaged tissues. |
| When a tendon is torn or strained, you would expect | | | | You see, the Achilles tendon receives very little blood |
| that the body would repair that damage with new | | | | supply, as compared to a muscle for example. So it's |
| tendon. In reality, this doesn't happen. The tear or | | | | vitally important to increase the blood flow to the |
| rupture, repairs itself with scar tissue. | | | | injured area. This helps supply the tendon with the |
| Now this might not sound like a big deal, but if you | | | | oxygen and nutrients needed for a speedy recovery. |
| have ever suffered an Achilles tendon injury, (or any | | | | Physical Therapists accomplish this aim using a |
| soft tissue injury) you'll know how annoying it is to | | | | number of activities to stimulate the injured area. The |
| keep re-injuring that same old injury, over and over | | | | most common methods used are ultrasound and |
| again. | | | | heat. |
| Very brittle, inflexible fibrous material makes up scar | | | | Ultrasound, or TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve |
| tissue. This fibrous material binds itself to the | | | | Stimulation) simply uses a light electrical pulse to |
| damaged tendon in an effort to draw the damaged | | | | stimulate the affected area. While heat, in the form |
| fibres back together. What results is a bulky mass of | | | | of a ray lamp or hot water bottle, is very effective |
| fibrous scar tissue surrounding the injury site. In some | | | | in stimulating blood flow to the damaged tissues. |
| cases, it's even possible to see and feel this bulky | | | | Secondly, to remove the unwanted scar tissue it is |
| mass under the skin. | | | | vital that you start to massage the injured tendon |
| When scar tissue forms around an injury site, it is | | | | and connecting muscles. While ultrasound and heat will |
| never as strong as the tissue it replaces. It also has a | | | | help the injured area, they will not remove the scar |
| tendency to contract and deform the surrounding | | | | tissue. Only massage will be able to do that. |
| tissues, so not only does this diminish the strength of | | | | To start with, the Achilles tendon may be quite |
| the tissue, but compromises flexibility of the tissue. | | | | tender. So start with a light stroke and gradually |
| So, how do we get rid of that annoying formation of | | | | increase the pressure until you're able to use firm |
| scar tissue associated with an Achilles tendon injury | | | | strokes. |
| or any other type of soft tissue injury? | | | | Concentrate your effort at the direct point of injury, |
| Firstly, you must keep active! Don't listen to anyone | | | | and use your thumbs to get in as deep as possible to |
| who tells you to do nothing. Now is the time to start | | | | break down the scar tissue. |
| active rehabilitation. Most of the swelling will have | | | | Just a few final points before we move on. Be sure |
| subsided after the first 48 to 72 hours and you are | | | | to drink plenty of fluid during your injury rehabilitation. |
| now ready to start light activity. | | | | The extra fluid will help to flush a lot of the waste |
| Light activity will not only promote blood circulation, | | | | products from your body. |
| but also activates the lymphatic system. The | | | | Also, I recommend you purchase a special ointment |
| lymphatic system plays a vital role in clearing the | | | | to use for your massage called "Arnica". This special |
| body of toxins and waste products, which | | | | ointment is extremely effective in treating soft tissue |
| accumulate in the body following a sports injury. | | | | injuries, like sprains and tears. You can purchase this |
| Activity is the only way to activate the lymphatic | | | | ointment at most health food shops and pharmacies. |
| system. | | | | As usual, I've gone on way too long, and I'm not |
| Before we move on, a quick word of warning. Never, | | | | finished with this topic yet. I still need to cover the |
| Never, Never do any activity that hurts the injured | | | | rehabilitation and conditioning exercises needed to get |
| area. Of course you may feel some discomfort, but | | | | your Achilles tendon back to 100%. This final part of |
| NEVER, NEVER push yourself to the point where | | | | the rehabilitation process for an Achilles tendon injury |
| you're feeling pain. Listen to your body. Don't over do | | | | is vitally important, and I will discuss it over the next |
| it at this stage of the recovery, you've come too far | | | | couple of topics. |