I've had a chronic Achilles tendonitis at the point on insertion in my
left ankle for the past three years and can't seem to shake it. I've
tried rest, ice, heat, stretching and Ibuprofen. What's the best way
to cure the problem?

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Clarification of Question by coolcustomer-ga on 30 Sep 2002 11:24 PDT

I got the injury from playing soccer on dry, hard, bumpy fields. I'm
able to play during the games, but then the ankle will tighten up
afterwards. One of my teammates is an acupuncturist and he actually
suggested that acupuncture wouldn't help, so I never tried.

Tendonitis of the Achillies tendon can be very painful and, as in your
case, can cause changes in lifestyle.  The information provided here
is not intended to be subsituted for professional medical advice. 
Before undertaking any treatment, seek the consultation of a medical
professional.  The following are provided as various ways to treat,
however, none provided guarantee a cure, however, as the results show,
have shown positive results.

There are several non-operative procedures that are recommended before
any major procedures.  Non-invasice management of chronic achilles
tendonitis, as well as additional information, can be found at
http://www.fpnotebook.com/ORT138.htm.

Achilles tendon debridement is a technique where a surgeon creates a
single incision in the achilles and removes scar tissue.  A study
published by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
(http://journal.ajsm.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/3/318) showed that
90% of those underwent the procedure had complete or significant
relief of symptoms.

Another method is flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer/augmentation.
This is a relatively new procedure that is currently being studied.  A
report can be found at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11139028&dopt=Abstract
that shows that it may be a reasonable option for rupture or tendiosis
of the achilles.

I wish you luck in finding relief.  Again, please visit your doctor or
orthopedic specialist for all the option available to you. If you need
any clarification, please let me know.

Regards,

-THV

Search strategy
chronic achilles tendonitis
"flexor hallucis longus tendon" + achilles

I don't know if this is the BEST way to cure tendonitis.  However,
after six weeks of hobbling around, I went to an acupuncturist.  The
next day, my problem was gone and never returned.