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Epidemiology
The prevalence of Achilles tendinitis fluctuates greatly among different ages and groups of people. However Achilles tendinitis is most commonly found in older individuals aged 30-40. A study was conducted in 1981 on recreational and competitive runners and what type of injury were they most likely to suffer from. Out of the 232 runners, 25 of them complained that their Achilles was bother them, totaling 11% of the runners.

A study conducted in the city of Oulu found that a peak incidence of 18 injured Achilles occurred in 1994 and was highest in the male group aged 30-39. The study also found that 90% of the injuries occurred while playing a sport.

Risk factors include participating in a sport or activity that involves running, jumping, bounding, and change of speed. Although Achilles tendinitis is mainly diagnosed in runners it does occur in basketball, volleyball, dancing, gymnasts and other athletes as well. Other risk factors include gender, age, sex, improper stretching, overuse, and conditions which the individual may be born with. Congenital conditions occur when an individual’s legs rotate abnormally which in turn causes the lower extremities to over stretch and contract, this puts stress on the Achilles tendon and will eventually cause Achilles tendinitis.

The costs for Achilles tendinitis include ice, bags and elastic wrap. If the individual had a white collar job and they were required to be physically active in their everyday life, a visco-elastic Achilles sleeve could help provide pressure and support to reduce pain and increase stabilization. Runner’s Remedy has a sleeve available on Amazon called the Runner’s Remedy Achilles Tendonitis Sleeve for 26 dollars. There are also specific shoes made primarily to help reduce the pain and load on the Achilles tendon called rocker shoes. The costs of these shoes range from 40-110 dollars depending on the quality of the shoe.