Surviving Achilles Tendinitis

Tomorrow marks my sixth week with Achilles tendinitis, and I’ve had it up to here with it! My first and foremost recommendation to the dancers of the world: Don’t wait all summer to get your back adjusted. Chances are, if it feels like your tailbone is out of alignment, it is. And the longer you walk around lopsided, the harder it will be to walk correctly again. I would know. I wish I didn’t.

If, however, it’s too late for you, too, I’ve decided to put together an Achilles Tendinitis Survival Kit to make your life (and mine) a little easier. As Miss Tori put it: Achilles tendinitis feels about as good as having two broken legs, and there are a whole lot of ways to make it worse. But let’s be positive! Here’s how I’m making it better:

Chiropractor

As dancers, we know our bodies better than most people. If something’s not right, we tend to notice right away. Be positive (don’t talk your body down!) but don’t ignore what your body is telling you.

Cold Laser Treatment

My chiropractor recommended a 20-minute cold laser treatment on my Achilles. My first thought was, Ow, ow, ow, pain, no, bad idea, I think not, let’s leave before I get my legs melted off. But it’s actually painless. It took a few days, but I did notice a difference in my calves! From what I was told, it works miracles on some people!

Massaging

Massaging actually made a huge difference. My mom became a sports medicine expert in September, but she’s not really interested in making a career out of it, so you’ll have to find your own massage therapist… sorry about that.

Biofreeze

My life. Biofreeze has helped me more than anything else. No massaging required… a 30-second, DIY, get-better-quick remedy for the OMG, when did I turn into an injury magnet? moments.

Vitamin C

If you put the vitamin powder in applesauce, you can’t even taste how gross it actually is! Or just eat a kiwi.

Stuff I Can’t Recommend

Over-stretching… THAT was a bad idea. Balancing on releve also wasn’t great fun. Jumping… that’d be scary. And pointe. Even if you have gorgeous new Euro Stretch shoes that you’re dying to break in… don’t.

Stuff Other People Recommend

Hot baths, heating pads and essential oils (lavender and peppermint) are all things that seem to work for others but haven’t worked on me. That’s not to say they won’t help you along!

And finally…

I AM NOT A DOCTOR, AND I DON’T PRETEND TO BE. I’m just a dancer, trying to recover quickly and documenting how 16-year-old me reacted to Achilles tendinitis. It is one of those things that can only heal with rest, and so I say once again: listen to your body. Be nice to yourself. Stay positive! You can beat this.

Aquinnah