Hey all,
I want to share my battles with Achilles pain and how I've beaten it back with a committed, heavy-duty Stairmaster regimen.
I'm a 50 year-old male and have been an inconsistent runner and consistent soccer player for 30 years. I have always had seriously tight calves and Achilles tendons. Although I'm generally a fast runner, I'm not flexible at all. I envy those folks that can squat flat-footed without their heels pulling up off the ground. I've dealt with heel pain all my life and have had bone spurs removed from both heels in the past with surgery - along with the corresponding Achilles reattachment for that procedure.
About two years ago, I took up a regular running program and had some great success getting healthy, dropping a lot of weight, and eventually increasing my mileage to about 45 miles a week. I had some improving half marathon times and was building for a marathon as I increased my mileage. I also was playing soccer in an adult league. I was feeling fit and healthy and confident and my foot problems seemed to finally be a thing of the past. But then the hammer fell on me and chronic Achilles pain erupted in short order on my right foot. For the next ten months I tried all sorts of programs to get back to running. I tried foam rolling, eccentric heel drops, stretching programs, and taking a month or two off. Each time I tried to start with some modest running, my heel pain immediately flared back up.
The pain for me was insertional, right above where the Achilles attaches to the heel. I could press my thumb on the area and it would hurt. When I ran, the pain would crop up with each step very quickly. The worst part was that I was limping noticeably with simple walking each time I got up from a chair or out of my car. If I ran even two or three miles at a slow pace, I would be limping the next day.
As I hit Thanksgiving last fall I was limping around, had lost my fitness from the year before, and was carrying extra weight again. I resigned myself to remedy this with surgery on my heel again after I had seen my doctor. However, I have a quality Stairmaster that I'd bought on Craigslist about ten years ago. The stairclimber has always been a go-to method for me to get a great cardio workout. I have used this equipment off and on for spells at gyms and at home for many years, but mainly as an augmentation to running or soccer. So, before I followed up on the referral my doctor had given to me for an orthopedic visit, I committed to working out an hour a day on my Stairmaster. After about four or five weeks the results became noticeable that I was moving with a great deal less pain in my heel. At about ten weeks, the pain had virtually gone away, my legs were stronger, and I was not limping at all. My conditioning was back on track and I started playing full field soccer again with no heel pain. That was a big deal for me!
I'm now a little past four months on this 7-hour-a-week Stairmaster commitment. It is a lot of hard work, but the results have really been well beyond my best expectations. I know a stairclimber can be a grind at times like any cardio equipment, it can be BORING. But, I setup my iPad and listen to music, read, watch Netflix, watch videos, etc. Some days I'm motivated and some days it is a real grind. If I cut a workout short one day then I make up the time the next day, so the numbers keep me motivated as well. Importantly, I also wear a heart rate monitor and keep my pulse at a challenging target level - not usually over the top but consistent. My fitness has been clearly improving as I've had to increase the levels on the machine to maintain the target heart rate zones. I don't use a StairMill, but a Freeclimber with independent foot pedals. This allows me to vary the step range from short and rapid to longer up and down strides. I also will work hands-free and not hold the rails to work on my balance and involve other leg muscles. As I work out, I also will vary my foot positioning on the pedals, hang my heels off the back, or work out for a spell up on the balls of my feet. I will keep things interesting by working in some tougher HIIT sessions once in a while. At times, I'll also work with some soft kettlebells for some light arm workout and this really pushes the hear rate up quickly.
I have been a lifelong Achilles heel sufferer. This rigorous stairclimber regimen has made a great difference for me without surgery or physical therapy. I believe the Stairmaster offers a focused strengthening of the muscles in the calves, and also duplicates some of the benefits of eccentric heel drop therapy.
The bottom line is that I feel great and can run without heel pain. Separately, I'm in great cardio shape, my blood pressure is under control, and I am back playing soccer without feeling I had to give up the sport because of Achilles pain.
I hope this helps someone else as well.
