Imagine you’re running. As you push off the ground, you can feel your Achilles straining and pulling. Maybe it’s been sore for a while now and you just haven’t gotten around to dealing with it. Your next stride lands and you roll through your foot to push off again, when—pop! Suddenly you’re not running anymore! An Achilles tendon rupture is a painful injury that can sideline you for a long time. Worse, without the right treatment, it may never fully heal. That’s why getting the right care right away for a ruptured Achilles is so important.

Your Achilles tendon is the biggest tendon in your body, but enough strain can tear or snap it. This is most common if you’ve been neglecting your Achilles. Issues like tendonitis weaken and stiffen it, increasing your risk for a tear under pressure. Once the tissue actually tears, you need intentional treatment to recover, and sooner rather than later.

Proper treatment for an Achilles tendon rupture often does involve surgery to reattach the torn ends of your connector. This is an important step, so don’t let fear of a procedure convince you to neglect your tendon. Your Achilles won’t heal correctly on its own, leaving you with chronic pain. You’ll also be more likely to injure it again.

Neglected ruptured Achilles are more complicated to treat, too. Conservative care and regular surgery techniques may not be effective at all. At Parker Foot & Ankle, we use a specially modified technique to handle these complicated cases—one that was pioneered here—that allows the tendon to heal smoothly.

Once you’ve completed the surgery, you’ll wear a cast or special boot for a while. Our team will monitor your progress. Once your foot is safe to move, you’ll begin physical therapy. This will help your Achilles regain function and range of motion. After your tendon is completely healed, you’ll be able to ease back into your normal activities and routines.

An Achilles tendon rupture is a pretty serious injury, but neglecting it is far worse. The right treatment the first time around can help you regain your motion and avoid a long, drawn-out recovery. Contact the tendon repair experts at Parker Foot & Ankle for an appointment today. Call our Houston office at (281) 497-2850 to reach us.