Question

How should I treat tendonitis and arthritis combined?

To Fix Achilles Problems, Don’t Discount a Change of Shoe

I was diagnosed with Achilles tendonitis, and my pain is severe in the lower right leg, as well as the pain in the ankle area of my left foot. After running I can hardly walk and the pain is severe going up and down stairs; it subsides when I don’t run.

I am a weekend runner and will be 67 in August. I run four to five miles at a time, and have been doing so since 1977. I was injured in January playing tennis with a leg cramp, and then the tendonitis showed up. I had been inactive in racquet sports for years prior to the leg cramp incident.

I went to an orthopedist who found no stress fractures or breaks in the x-ray. He prescribed physical therapy, but after five visits I stopped. I saw a friend who is a podiatrist and he said that arthritis is setting in—which seemed to coalesce with the fact that in the morning I now have lower back pain and tightness in my legs.

I run on street surfaces, and am 5’ 6”, 175 lbs. I’d love to continue my running.

David Mortgensen
Fort Pierce, FL