Complications with Achilles Tendonitis
The main complication experienced with achilles tendonitis is that patients suffering from Achilles tendonitis will sometimes feel the pain they are experiencing subsiding during exercise and are therefore led to believe that they are assisting in rehabilitating the injury. The athlete may then continue to train but instead of assisting in rehabilitation, they are instead reversing any previous work which has been done and in doing so, they are causing many micro-ruptures in the tendon, and therefore they are prolonging the injury whilst increasing its severity.
With the increased severity of the problem, what was once acute Achilles tendonitis could now become the chronic form of the injury. Not only will the patient prolong the injury, but they will increase the amount of pain as well as increasing the time in which they cannot participate in their sport.
Chronic Achilles tendonitis is secondary to the acute form and occurs if and when the primary injury (acute Achilles tendonitis) is not allowed to heal, or is treated inappropriately. Chronic Achilles tendonitis is much more difficult to treat and can sideline an athlete for a prolonged period of time.