Tendonitis or tendonosis?
The main difference is time. Tendonitis is short-term inflammation, often after a direct injury. Tendonosis is long-term, from repeated strain or an injury that has not healed.
Pain in the tendon at the back of the heel, often stiff in the morning and sore after activity rather than during it.
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If this sounds like your pain, there is a structural reason for it. The assessment is what finds it.
The Achilles transmits everything the calf does into the foot. Pain there usually follows a change in load — more running, faster running, different surfaces or shoes — or a mechanical reason the tendon is working harder than it should.
The Achilles tendon joins the calf to the back of the heel. Our assessment looks at which side of the tendon hurts, because each side points to a different way the foot is moving.
Which side of the tendon
Burning pain and inflammation on the inside of the ankle, behind the ankle bone. Rolling in puts extra strain on the inner tendon.
Burning, sharp pain and swelling either side of the attachment, sometimes with a hard lump on the tendon.
Pain and swelling on the outer side. Often a high-arched foot that stays rolled out through the whole step.
The main difference is time. Tendonitis is short-term inflammation, often after a direct injury. Tendonosis is long-term, from repeated strain or an injury that has not healed.
It matters less what the diagnosis is called than finding the biomechanical reason for it. That reason is what the treatment is aimed at.
Over time, strain can cause small tears, scarring and adhesions in the tendon.
Achilles Pain is diagnosed with the Najjarine Biomechanical Assessment, so treatment is prescribed against a finding rather than a symptom.
We assess calf function and how the foot loads through push-off.
We work out whether the problem is the load, the mechanics, or both, and show you what we found.
Treatment addresses the mechanics alongside a graded loading plan, rather than rest alone.
All ten treatments, starting with those most often used for Achilles pain. Which you need is decided at the assessment; most plans combine more than one.
Acoustic waves using kinetic energy to stimulate repair in tendon and soft tissue. We use it most often for persistent heel pain and Achilles pain.
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Prescribed devices that change how your foot meets the ground. Manufactured on site at our Kirrawee head office.
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Fine needles inserted into trigger points to break down restrictive tissue.
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Running injuries, return to sport, and footwear that matches your gait.
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A full lower limb assessment from the feet up. It is the foundation of every treatment plan we prescribe.
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Pigeon toe, flat feet and growing pains, assessed while the foot is still developing.
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Hands-on work addressing restrictions across the foot’s 26 bones.
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Routine care including ingrown toenails, corns and calluses.
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Therapeutic support to offload tissue while it recovers.
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Injectable therapy to stimulate a repair response. Paired with prolotherapy.
Read moreEvery clinic books into its own diary. Choose the one nearest you.
Given a loading plan rather than told to rest, which is what finally worked.
They looked at my calf and my running load, not just the tendon.
Straightforward explanation of what stage it was at and why that mattered.
Not always, and not always completely. Load usually needs managing rather than stopping. Your podiatrist will set that out for your case.
They are different stages and are managed differently, which is part of what the assessment establishes.
The tendon stiffens overnight and is loaded suddenly when you stand. That pattern is one of the things we ask about.
Tendons are slow to respond. You will get a realistic timeframe at the assessment.
No. You can book directly.
Treating lower limb pain since 1990
Choose your clinic and book straight into its diary, or call and we will point you to the right practitioner.
