Achilles tendinitis is one of the most common sports injury conditions and sources of heel pain. There’s no one single cause of Achilles tendinitis, but some of the potential contributing factors include:
- Biomechanics. Our feet aren’t always well-suited to the hard, flat surfaces of modern life, and that’s especially true if you have particularly flat arches or tight calves.
- Age. Tendinitis is most common during and beyond middle age, since the Achilles tendon isn’t usually as strong or flexible as it once was.
- Activity level. If you do a lot of running or play high-impact sports like tennis or basketball, and you don’t give your feet time to rest and recover between exercise sessions, the repetitive strain can build over time.
- Training choices. Sometimes you’re your own worst enemy—for example, sticking by your worn-out running shoes long after the time they need to be replaced.
