injury in heel. Please help!

[rlim701]

Hi,
I have this pain that happens to be right below my archilles tendon, but right before the foot that touches the ground...My wife thinks that it's right at the tendon attachment. It feels like a bony structure in there that hurts somewhat while I am running around on court, and the pain is more pronounced if I were to push on the bone(if it's really a bone in there). Does this injury ring a bell and has anyone experienced this before? I am more inclined to keep on rubbing that spot in the hope that I can get more blood circulation and cause it to heal faster, but I'm not sure if that could be hurting it more. So before I go spend $$$ on doctor fees, what do you guys think?

Thanks,
Richard

[hongyi_2000]

Best advise for you...go see a doctor and let him decide

[Cheung]

Alternative is to see a sports physiotherapist. That may be a cheaper option in the US.

[Neil Nicholls]

I've had pain in the same area, but not during play. For me, that area would be sore the morning after playing, and walking would be stiff and slightly painful for a short while. Pressing the back of the heel where the tendon joined the bone was painful.
I put it down to overuse and/or not warming up enough.
I ignored it and it seems to have gone away.

If yours hurts during play, it sounds worse than (or different to) what I had.
I wouldn't continue playing on it.
Rest it and see a physio.

[Mag]

There are two major types of achilles tendonitis: one is in the tendon itself (more common), and the other manifests itself where the tendon attaches to the heel. The first type is (as suggested by Fahlström (http://journal.ajsm.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/1/51) and others) best treated with an eccentric training programme, but the second type has proven more difficult to treat. Your symptoms seem consistent with the second type.

You should see a doctor!

[buluayam]

I've experienced this too. Not too sure what caused it!

I basically did the same as what Neil Nicholls did, ie ignore it and it eventually went away...although I remember it did last for awhile (around a month or slightly longer) before it went away - I can't really remember, it just sort of went away without my noticing it.

Probably not the best thing to do, but I'm quite a stubborn person who always refuses to go see the doctor...

If it gets worse or prolongs, then I think you should see a doctor or a physio...although it has worked in 2 cases, pain generally indicates something is wrong and sensibly I don't think it should be ignored for too long...