Symptoms: Signs of an Achilles tendon injury
In a chronic tendinopathy either your Achilles tendon itself or the area where the tendon enters the bone will be painful. Wear-related Achilles tendon injuries are accompanied by pain when initiating movement, this means there will be more pain when starting an activity. Once your tendon has “warmed up”, the pain will decrease. For this reason, your tendon may hurt more again after sports.
Insertional tendonitis and Haglund’s deformity almost always cause conflicts with your footwear due to chronic Achilles tendon inflammation. The bony ledge on the heel bone presses against the insertion point of the tendon, which is most painful when wearing closed shoes. With a partial or complete rupture, those affected report a feeling of severe “stabbing” pain, they can no longer stand on their tiptoes and sports are completely out of the question.
Chronic Achilles tendon changes often involve a thickening of the middle section of the tendon. If your tendon is ruptured, you will be able to feel a dent.