From Achilles Tendinosis to reaching the summit

Its great when we get feedback from our clients, but even better when they have achieved so much with our help. Garry visited us with a chronic onset of Achilles Tendinosis and was struggling with his passion for walking and was finding things debilitating.

His treatment plan was carried out by Stuart and consisted of the following:

• Biomechanical assessment and slow motion video gait analysis.
• Soft tissue work and deep tissue massage.
• Corrective exercise/lower limb conditioning and eccentric work.
• Orthotic prescription
• Not forgetting the all important education.

“For over nine months I tolerated a painful right achilles tendon in the belief it was just one of those minor injuries we all pick up now and then which would sort itself out in time. It got to the stage where the pain significantly compromised my ability to exercise and engage in the activities I ordinarily would. I finally visited my GP who sent me for an ultrasound scan which resulted in a diagnosis of achilles tendinosis, with associated scar tissue thickening of the right acilles tendon.

The physiotherapy unit at my local hospital advised me to do eccentric heel drop and stretching exercises. After four months I felt little or no progress had been made, I couldn’t even walk to the corner shop and back without sharp pain in my tendon. I was then advised to see a sports podiatrist. I chose Stuart Campbell.

During my first consultation Stuart immediately identified and confirmed that I had very poor foot biomechanics (and very flat feet) which was causing my achilles tendons to bow or bend when my foot made ground/floor contact and this would be the root cause of my pain and the tendinsosis. It also explained why the otherwise often effective eccentric exercises didn’t seem to be helping me.

Stuart prescribed me some orthotics to help correct my poor foot mechanics. We then also noticed that after probably years of adapting and coping as best they could with my foot mechanics that my right calf muscle in particular had large adhesions and was simply not is as good shape as it could have been. To assist with this Stuart sports massaged my calves every couple of weeks or so. He is a big bloke and can have the best of us gritting our teeth as he pummels your muscles back to tip top condition.

My recovery was rapid. Just four weeks after my first consultation with Stuart I had my hiking boots on for the first time in nearly a year and completed a full day of hiking in the Brecon Beacons hills in Wales. At this stage I was only seven weeks from departure to climb Mera Peak in the Himalayas of Nepal, a four mile high mountain, something I had committed to the previous year, back when I thought my tendon condition was trivial and temporary. I enthusiatically carried out the home after care treatments Stuart advised me to do in order to alleviate the occasional discomfort of what was now furious training for Mera Peak. The time then came to head off to Nepal. I was still apprehensive over how well my tendons and calves would cope, it would be a two and a half weeks of daily trekking and climbing over heavy terrain, snow and ice. Stuart was however very confident I would be fine and do you know? I was!

In all I covered 95 miles in the Himalayas and summited Mera Peak at 6461 metres or 21,198 feet and my achilles tendon(s) were absolutely fine, no pain, nothing. A fantastic result. Thanks Stuart!”