Achilles tendon

[KickChick]

Rupture of the Achilles tendon is a surprisingly common injury, occurring most often in middle-aged martial artists and sports participants that include basketball, tennis and squash, as well as any other sports that involve jumping and starts and stops.

 

Rupture of the Achilles tendon is a surprisingly common problem. I have just read that the good news is that you don't always need surgery. Although surgery is the method typically used for these common sports injuries, the non-surgical method may be as effective, with fewer risks. Achilles tendon tears may heal as effectively with a supportive splint and exercises as with surgery.

 

 

 

The basic scientific rationale for the splint with exercises is that, if you have a healing tendon and apply motion and resistance, the tendon heals much more completely. The splint protects the tendon, but it allows for motion and load-bearing exercises.

 

You can get the same result without having to be subjected to the risk of surgery. It looks like motion and stress are important to recovery.

 

 

 

Although surgical repair is the conventional method for treating Achilles tendon tears, some patients may have health risks that make surgery unwise, such as diabetics and smokers. Other patients may be reluctant to undergo surgery.

 

So if you or anyone you know has an AT rupture .... look into this non-surgical alternative.

[Patrick]

Dan Marino hurt his in the mid 90s and he was a different QB after that. Still great, just different.

[G95champ]

No question that took at least 5 years off Dan's career IMO. Never had the same zip but he still had more than most.

[G95champ]

This is a good time to tell the story of Achilles with this post.

 

Achillies was a great Greek warrior according to Homer. Homer was a blind poet who wronte many epics of anchient Greeks. Anyhow according to Greek myth Achilles was dipped into magic water by the gods. Every part of his body that touched the water could not be hurt. However he was held and dunked in the water by his heel. Thus the only way Achillies could die is to be stabbed or hurt in the heel.

 

Homer writes about the legand of Hellan of Troy. Hellan was the most beautiful girl in the land. She was capatured by the evil Trojans. The Greeks built up an army to go save Hellan. One of the warriors was Achillies. After years of fighting to take the city of Troy the Greeks decided to challenge the Trojans to a one on on fight. The fight would be between Achillies and the Trojans best warrior Hector.

 

Hector and Achillies fought for days. Niether could hurt the other. Until Hector struck Achillies in the back of the foot. Achilles feel in pain and died. The Greeks greatest warrior had been killed but a strike to his heel.

 

Thus today when someone says that is your achillies heel they mean that is your one weakness. The tendon is the name give to that tendon in the back of your heel. Named after the great Greek warrior Achillies.

 

For those who want to know if the Greeks won. Yeah they did. Another Greek warrior named Odyessous built a wooden horse and acted like they were going home. Odyessous and his men hid in the wooden horse. The Trojans opend the gates to the walled city of Troy that the Greeks had been trying to capature for 10 years and pulled the great horse inside. That night the Trojans had a huge party for winning the war. Most got really drunk. In the middle of the night Odyessous and his men climbed out of the horse and killed the drunk Trojans in their sleep and saved Hellan.

 

There is much more to the story. Check out the Illiad and Odyssey by Homer. Great reading. A nice mix of history and myth. Both are 2 of the greatest books written.

[LeaF]

Thanks for the story G95 and for the info KickCHick, I am rather curious though. I was under the impression that one was unable to wwalk when the rupture their AH. How would someone perform exercises if they cannot walk. Have I just been misinformed and they can walk? I can only imagine how painful it could be...once I had to "spar" with a bunch of kids (it was more like me messing up their hair while they tried to hit me) anyways they gennerally could kick high enough and my AH got struck many times, no that was painful and these are just 8 year olds!! so I would imagine that if you ruptured it the pain would be extremely immense and it would be difficult to walk nevermind do exercises...perhaps you could further educate me on this topic

[KickChick]

Nice to see someone else has that talent of being able to find just the right thread to bring up an educating piece of enlightment. Thank you G95!

[G95champ]

Im a history teacher LOL....

[Tobias_Reece]

Ummmmm........I'm about to go to bed but first I thought I'd just scan through a few posts. I came across the Achilles tendon post and thought "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if I pointed out the story of Achilles the Warrior". They I realsied that G95 had already done this.

 

"Hey", I thought, "that looks good, I'll just see if it brings back memories of my Greek Mythology obsession I had when I was younger"

 

Then I read it........then I realised it was quite inaccurate.

 

Please, G95 or anyone, correct me if I'm wrong with the following (but I'm sure I'm not)

 

-It was actually Ajax and Hector who fought to a draw.

 

-Achillis and Hector did fight, but Achilles won, not Hector.

 

-After the fight, Hector was then tied to the back of Achilles' chariot and dragged around (I'm sure there was a certain number of times around a certain building but I can't remember!)

 

-It was not Hector who killed Achilles but it was actually Paris.

 

-Achilles was nearly invunerable (due to his dip into the River Styx), except for his ankle (which was not dipped in). The god Apollo was angry at Achilles (I THINK it was something to do with some other God, but I'm not sure), and Apollo blessed Paris' arrow. The arrow found the heel of Achilles, and therefore killed him.

 

And yes, there is a lot more to this story then seems, with many different variations - but I just thought I'd point these few bits out.

 

But, like a said, its been a lot time (if these times ever existed), and stories get passed and changed and passed and changed.

 

Let keep his Greek convo going - oh and G95, I'm not trying to make an enemy here, you're one of the good guys

 

Cya

[Tobias_Reece]

Once again I've ended a thread.

 

I can see the tumbleweeds passing by

[ZeRo]

haha great convosation killer! nice one.