Achilles Tendinopathy Treatment in South Yarra

Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse injury that affects the large tendon connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. It often develops gradually and can cause stiffness, tenderness, or swelling at the back of the ankle — especially during running, walking, or climbing stairs.

Our South Yarra osteopaths regularly help active individuals recover from Achilles pain by addressing the underlying causes such as calf muscle imbalance, poor foot mechanics, or training overload. We focus on restoring tissue health, improving biomechanics, and preventing recurrence.

Common Causes of Achilles Tendinopathy

This condition can affect both athletes and non-athletes, and often arises from repetitive strain or poor load tolerance in the tendon. Contributing factors include:

Mechanical and training-related causes

  • Sudden increase in running distance or intensity

  • Calf tightness or weakness

  • Poor foot or ankle alignment (overpronation or stiffness)

  • Inadequate footwear or poor shock absorption

  • Insufficient recovery between training sessions

Other contributing factors

  • Reduced ankle mobility after previous sprains

  • Altered gait patterns from hip, knee, or pelvic imbalance

  • Systemic factors such as inflammation or metabolic stress

If you’re feeling persistent stiffness in your heel or calf, particularly with your first few steps in the morning or after exercise, early treatment can make a big difference. You can book an appointment online today to start your recovery.

How Osteopathy Can Help

Your osteopath will assess not only the Achilles tendon itself, but also your foot, ankle, and lower limb mechanics to identify where excessive load is occurring. Treatment aims to reduce pain, improve flexibility, and strengthen the tendon progressively.

Treatment may include:

  • Soft tissue massage – to release tension through the calf and lower leg muscles

  • Joint mobilisation – to improve ankle and foot mechanics

  • Myofascial release – to enhance circulation and reduce stiffness

  • Muscle Energy Techniques (MET) – to correct imbalance between the calf muscles

  • Gait and footwear advice – to optimise load distribution during walking and running

Individualised Exercise Rehabilitation

Long-term recovery from Achilles tendinopathy relies on restoring strength, control, and tissue capacity. At Osteopathic Movement, we create tailored exercise rehabilitation programs specific to your goals, sport, and activity level.

Your program may include:

  • Eccentric and isometric loading exercises to rebuild tendon resilience

  • Calf and foot strengthening to improve stability and propulsion

  • Balance and proprioceptive training to reduce re-injury risk

  • Gradual return-to-run or activity plans to safely rebuild performance

We guide you through each stage of rehabilitation, ensuring you progress safely and achieve durable results beyond symptom relief.

Begin Your Recovery Today

Our goal is to help you return to running, sport, and daily activity without pain or limitation — and with stronger, more resilient tendons than before.

Book Now