How to treat an Achilles tendon injury

This season, one of Toronto’s most beloved guys on the court will be sitting on the sidelines. The Raptors’ mascot injured his calcaneal tendon, more commonly known as the Achilles’ tendon, during a preseason pep rally in Halifax early October.

The scene of the tragic incident.

The beloved red velociraptor, whose style, energy, and enthusiasm hasn't changed or faltered since the 90s, has a substitute in the costume for the rest of the season. But no replacement can replace the man (or woman) inside the dinosaur and the entertainment he/she brings to the court (which is often the highlight of a game).

Even the greatest can fall... but the greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Seems it might be a while until our favourite velociraptor gets up again, so we thought we'd go over the details of what went down (oh, ho ho).

Where is the Achilles’ tendon?

Unlike the Greek myth, the vulnerable spot isn’t literally just your heel. The calcaneal tendon, as it’s anatomically called, connects the muscles to the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the heel bone (calcaneus). It’s the largest, thickest, and strongest tendon in the body. Flex your calf muscles, and you’ll feel it pull on your heel.

Is the Achilles’ tendon the same thing as ACL?

Ah, the popular anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injuries. Yes, we’ve lost Kobe Bryant for a few months to an ACL injury. The 'unhappy triad' of ligaments in the knee is one of the most popular places for athletes to get injured. But no, the Achilles is a tendon – which connects muscle to the bone. Ligaments connect bones to other bones.

Also, you might have heard today, scientists just found a new body part in the human knee. Belgian physicians identified a new, fifth ligament in the knee called the anterolateral ligament (ALL). The discovery of this previously unknown ligament can help find new techniques to treat ACL injuries. Goodness, you'd have thought we'd found out every about our body now in 2013. Science never really stops, huh.

All right, so how do I treat Achilles tendon injuries?

The Achilles carries all the weight of your body (and whatever else you may be carrying), no pressure, right? To relieve some of this tension, you could apply a compression to stop the swelling.

Another technique is RICE. Not the carb-filled grain that graces your dinner plate, the one from CPR/First Aid 101 class. Although the acronym is generally referred to to treat internal bleeding, it works in the case for recovering Achilles' tendon injuries too.

Rest: Avoid putting much weight (crutches may be necessary) and decrease the amount of activity you do while letting your tendons recover.
Ice: Apply ice during the moment of impact and for a few minutes for the following days to reduce swelling and inflammation.
Compression: Wear a sports bandage around your ankle or lower leg to prevent further swelling.
Elevation: Keep your legs elevated, so the blood isn't constantly flowing down towards your leg.

For mild pain, it can help to take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminaphen (Tylenol), ibuprofen, or naproxen (Aleve). Anti-inflammatory painkillers, also called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ––such as Advil, Aleve, and Motrin– can help with the swelling as well as the pain, but ask your physician first if it is recommended; NSAIDs can risk increased bleeding as well as ulcers.

Traumeel, an over-the-counter topical ointment cream, is made from plant and mineral extracts. One elementary study has shown that Traumeel can be as effective as NSAIDs to treat musculoskeletal injuries without adverse effects. Further studies are required, however.

Dearest Raptor, wherever you are. Your injury is a devastating loss to the team. We sincerely wish you a speedy recovery.