Achilles Tendon Pain in Glendale, AZ

Achilles tendon pain usually shows up at the back of the ankle, just above the heel: stiffness with your first steps in the morning, an ache that eases as you warm up and then returns after a run, or soreness on stairs, hills or after a long day on your feet. It affects runners and athletes, and just as often people who walk for exercise, work on their feet or are getting back into activity. At Muscle Chiropractic in Glendale, AZ, Dr. Tim Ballitch examines your tendon, calf, foot and how you move before recommending care, and tells you when you need imaging or another provider first.

Have Achilles or calf pain? Choose your visit:

• New patients who have never been seen at Muscle Chiropractic (ages 12+): Book a New Patient Visit — scheduled for about 30 minutes, including your history, exam and an adjustment when appropriate. $154.13 (credit card price). See what to expect and bring.
• Existing patients, including for a new problem: Book an Existing Patient Visit — $67 (about 15 minutes).
• Mainly interested in shockwave? If you want to know whether radial shockwave fits and need an exam first, you can book a $52.78 Shockwave Consultation (about 15 minutes) instead of a New Patient Visit. It covers your history, exam and whether you are a candidate; it does not include an adjustment or shockwave treatment.
• Questions first? Call or text 480-740-9619.

What Achilles pain can feel like

• Pain, stiffness or a tender, sometimes thickened spot in the tendon a few inches above the heel, often worst in the morning or after sitting.
• Pain that settles once you get moving, then comes back later in the day or the next morning.
• Pain with running, jumping, hills, stairs or rising up onto your toes.
• A tight or sore calf along with the tendon pain.

You may hear it called Achilles tendonitis, tendinitis or tendinopathy; they describe the same problem. Pain right where the tendon attaches to the back of the heel bone (insertional Achilles pain) behaves a little differently and is covered with other causes of heel pain on our heel pain page. Pain under the heel is more often plantar fasciitis.

Common contributors

• A jump in running distance, speed work, hills or a new sport, or returning after time off.
• Calf strength or endurance that hasn’t kept up with what you ask of it.
• Long hours standing or walking at work, or a change in shoes or surfaces.
• A previous tendon problem or injury in the leg.
• Some medicines, such as fluoroquinolone antibiotics, and some health conditions can affect tendons. Tell Dr. Tim about recent prescriptions.

What happens at your visit

• History: when it started, changes in training or work, past injuries and medications.
• Examination: where the tendon is tender, a calf-squeeze check for a tendon tear, heel raises and hops as tolerated, ankle and big-toe motion, calf strength, and how your knee, hip and stride work.
• Explanation: what Dr. Tim found, what he recommends and what to expect.
• Care, if it fits: one or more of the options below. Not everyone needs every option.

Care options Dr. Tim may use

• Load management: complete rest is usually not needed. Dr. Tim helps you adjust running, training or time on your feet so the tendon stays calm enough to recover, and may suggest a temporary heel lift.
• Corrective exercise: a progressive calf and tendon strengthening plan, such as heel raises, slow heavy calf work and holds, built up as your tendon tolerates it. This is the best-supported treatment for Achilles tendon pain.
• Soft tissue work for a tight calf: instrument-assisted soft tissue work (muscle scraping), cupping, manual release, or targeted pressure applied to selected muscle areas, when appropriate.
• Ankle and foot adjustments, by hand or with an adjusting instrument such as the ProAdjuster, when your exam shows stiff joints.
• Kinesiology taping when appropriate.
• Radial shockwave (radial pressure wave therapy) may be considered when tendon pain has lasted weeks to months despite exercise. It is used alongside your exercise plan, not instead of it, and is not right for everyone.

Soft tissue work, corrective exercise and taping are included in New Patient and Existing Patient chiropractic visits when appropriate; there is no separate fee or booking. Radial shockwave treatment is priced separately from the chiropractic visit ($103.50 for a single session, credit card price).

When to get medical care first

• A sudden “pop,” or a feeling of being kicked in the back of the leg, followed by trouble pushing off or rising on your toes. This can be an Achilles tendon tear: get medical care the same day rather than waiting for a chiropractic visit.
• Calf swelling, warmth, redness or tenderness, especially after a long trip, surgery or time in a cast: get urgent medical care. Call 911 if you also have chest pain or trouble breathing.
• A hot, red or swollen tendon or joint, or fever.
• Pain after a fall or hard landing, with bone tenderness or trouble putting weight on the foot.
• Numbness, tingling or weakness in the foot.

If your history or exam points to a problem that needs imaging, a boot, or a medical opinion, Dr. Tim will tell you and refer you.

Running and staying active

Many runners and active people can keep some activity going while the tendon recovers. Dr. Tim may use a simple guide: mild discomfort during activity that settles by the next morning is usually acceptable, while pain that builds during the run or lingers the next day is a sign to scale back. Your plan is adjusted as you improve.

What the research shows

• A 2024 clinical practice guideline on midportion Achilles tendinopathy recommends tendon-loading exercise as first-line care, advises that complete rest is not indicated, and says hands-on manual therapy may be used for mobility problems, a recommendation based mainly on expert opinion (Chimenti et al., JOSPT, 2024).
• Radial shockwave: in a trial of 75 people with long-standing midportion Achilles pain, low-energy radial shockwave and an eccentric exercise program gave similar results at 4 months, and both did better than wait-and-see (Rompe et al., Am J Sports Med, 2007). Adding radial shockwave to exercise gave better results at 4 months, but the groups no longer differed at one year (Rompe et al., Am J Sports Med, 2009). For pain at the heel attachment, a sham-controlled trial found adding radial shockwave to exercise and education was no better than sham at 12 weeks (Alsulaimani et al., Clin Rehabil, 2025).
• Focused shockwave is a different technology. In a placebo-controlled trial, line- and point-focused shockwave added to exercise did not improve function more than placebo (Gatz et al., Sports Health, 2021). Muscle Chiropractic uses radial shockwave, and results from one type do not automatically apply to the other.

In short: exercise and sensible load changes do most of the work, and shockwave is an option for some persistent cases. Results vary, and no specific result is guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

Is Achilles tendonitis the same as tendinopathy?

Yes, both describe pain in the Achilles tendon with loading. “Tendinopathy” is the newer term because long-standing tendon pain is usually not mainly inflammation.

Do I have to stop running or walking?

Usually not completely. Most people do better staying active within a tolerable level of discomfort while they build calf and tendon strength. Dr. Tim helps you decide how much is right for you.

Do I need an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI first?

Not usually. Imaging helps when the diagnosis is unclear, recovery is slow or symptoms get worse. If a tendon tear is possible, get a same-day medical evaluation.

Will shockwave fix my Achilles?

No treatment is guaranteed. Shockwave is considered for some people with persistent tendon pain, usually alongside exercise. Dr. Tim tells you whether you are a candidate after examining you; treatment is priced separately.

Do you only treat athletes?

No. We see runners and athletes, and also people who walk for exercise, work on their feet, or simply want to get around without heel and calf pain.

Which appointment should I book?

If you’re new, book a New Patient Visit. If you’ve been seen here before, book an Existing Patient Visit, even for a new problem. If you only want to find out whether shockwave fits and need an exam first, book the Shockwave Consultation.

Visit us in Glendale

Our only office is at 7155 W. Campo Bello Dr., Building B, Suite B-115, Glendale, AZ 85308, less than a mile from Arrowhead Towne Center. Patients visit us here from Glendale, nearby Peoria and across the West Valley. Directions and hours. Call or text 480-740-9619.

Related care

Heel pain · Ankle pain & sprains · Tendonitis · Shockwave therapy · Soft tissue therapy · Kinesiology taping · Sports chiropractic

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Your care plan is based on your exam.

Prices shown are credit card prices. A cash discount is available when paying at the time of service.