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Saturday, March 1, 2014

Saturday's Exercise of the Week: Eccentric Strengthening of the Achilles Tendon





The video below shows how I love to teach my patients eccentric strengthening of the achilles tendon. Eccentric strengthening is when the tendon is lengthening at the same time you are contracting it. Concentric strengthening is the classical toe raise where the tendon is shortening while strengthening. It is vitally important to strengthen a muscle/tendon complex both concentrically and eccentrically. I hate eccentric strengthening where the heel is lowered below the front of the foot, like off a stair. This is okay at times with healthy tendons I am sure, but I am treating patients with achilles problems already, and that position is a very vulnerable place for the achilles and can cause injury. 






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Thank you very much for leaving a comment. Due to my time restraints, some comments may not be answered.I will answer questions that I feel will help the community as a whole.. I can only answer medical questions in a general form. No specific answers can be given. Please consult a podiatrist, therapist, orthopedist, or sports medicine physician in your area for specific questions.