The Achilles tendon is a strongfibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone. You use it whenever you point and flex your feetsuch as pushing off the ground during walkingrunning or jumping.
“As people get oldertheir tendons gradually lose their elasticity and flexibilitymaking them more susceptible to stress,” says Edward LaskowskiM.D.who specializes in sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in RochesterMinnesota.
Without protective measuresthe tendon is more likely to become inflamedespecially with overuse. This condition is called tendinitis.
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