As part of your treatment plan, your Podiatrist has advised that you need to stretch to increase, flexibility and reduce muscle tightness of your calf muscles and Achilles tendon.
The calf muscles are at the back of your lower leg. They are connected to your heel via the Achilles tendon. We use our calf muscles a lot and they can become tight as a result of daily activity, normal aging and some medical conditions such as diabetes.
It is normal to feel some discomfort with stretching but the stretch should not be painful. If you have new pain or your current symptoms worsen stop doing the exercises.
If your problem does not improve as you would expect with the self-care exercises, after 6-12 weeks of following the advice, you should contact a healthcare professional for advice.
This may be your GP, Pharmacist, NHS Podiatry Service or a Private Podiatrist. Please make sure your podiatrist is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and look out for the letters HCPC after their name.
Please note good compliance with daily stretching may take up to 6 – 8 weeks before the benefits are felt.
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