I was wondering if there is an easy way to determine if my pain is due to plantar fasciitis or achilles tendonitis? If I understand correctly they can both produce the symptoms that I currently have, namely quite significant pain around the heel. My pain is mostly located on the back of the heel rather than under it. If I press on the heel it hurts in like half a circle around the very botton of the “heel bone” or whatever it is called. It is significantly more pronounced when pressing towards the “inside” of the foot. I was thinking that this points to problems with the achilles tendon, however, after finding out about plantar fasciitis I became a bit unsure. Would my approach to training/rehab differ depending on what it is?
I guess specifically I am worried about rupturing the achilles tendon if, for whatever reason, it is injured. I can’t remember any specific instance when I hurt my self though. I’ve been doing heavy single squats/deadlifts (for me that’s around 160/180kg @RPE 8) for the last couple of weeks as part of the power building template and I’ve also been walking a bit more than usual taking a day long hike as well as daily one hour walks for the past week or so. Pain started Sunday evening and before that I was perfectly fine. Skipped my Monday session at the gym but I’ve walked around ignoring some of the pain. It really does hurt walking though. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey @Birkovic , thanks for the question. My assumption here is you are referencing differentiating between insertional achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciopathy? Much of this will be dependent on your symptoms and then activity goals for recommendations. I would recommend getting a consult with us for more in-depth discussion on your situation: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F…ilUWA/viewform
With that said, based on what you’ve said, my concern for achilles tendon full rupture is fairly low. Sounds like perhaps you titrated up cardiorespiratory training a bit too quickly with hiking and walking. Check out this article for guidance on adjusting training with symptoms: https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog…ining-what-do/
It’s unlikely I’d recommend fully avoiding walking and hiking but rather finding tolerable doses.