Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

I've been practicing Yang style simplified short form and the first section or so of the long form (up to Right/Left Separation Kick) for just under a year now. Just recently I think I've developed some tendinitis pain in my right Achilles's heel (only my right though, not left). This has never happened to me before. It's not a sever pain, but a dull annoying pain.

Some questions:

1. Does this indicate serious posture flaws in my form, and if so, what do I need to correct?

2. Why would it only be on my right side and not both side equally? (Not that I'm complaining it's not on my left side. haha)

3. Has anyone else had a similar problem with tendinitis, and what did you do to relieve/prevent it?

Thanks for any feedback or advice!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mlot:
It's not a sever pain, but a dull annoying pain.</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Hello, mlot! I'm not your doctor--and not a health practitioner at all--so I can't really answer your questions about you. I can report my personal experience, however, if it helps:

In my first year of practicing, I ended up with patellar tendinitis, especially in my right knee. Although I was (and still am) undoubtedly doing the forms wrong in all sorts of ways, the basic cause was overuse of muscles & joints I hadn't been using this way before. In other words, I was practicing too much!

I found lots of good web sources on tendinitis, plus my physical therapist helped a lot. Getting rid of the pain involved cutting back until the inflamation went away (e.g., very high stances), anti-inflammatories, lots of ice, ultrasound treatments, massage & strengthening exercises. Good luck!


[This message has been edited by fol (edited 07-10-2008).]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by fol:
<B>
Hello, mlot! I'm not your doctor--and not a health practitioner at all--so I can't really answer your questions about you. I can report my personal experience, however, if it helps:

In my first year of practicing, I ended up with patellar tendinitis, especially in my right knee. Although I was (and still am) undoubtedly doing the forms wrong in all sorts of ways, the basic cause was overuse of muscles & joints I hadn't been using this way before. In other words, I was practicing too much!

I found lots of good web sources on tendinitis, plus my physical therapist helped a lot. Getting rid of the pain involved cutting back until the inflamation went away (e.g., very high stances), anti-inflammatories, lots of ice, ultrasound treatments, massage & strengthening exercises. Good luck!


[This message has been edited by fol (edited 07-10-2008).]</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Your personal account was reassuring. Thank you very much.

I am practicing twice a day (once morning and once evening), so I skipped one day (even though I hated missing a day) and then cut back to once a day for a the week, iced the tendon after each practice, took some anti-inflammatory medication, and it seems to be much better now. Guess I was having the same issue you had of just "overuse of muscles & joints I hadn't been using this way before". At least now I am more aware of what to do if it happens in the future.

Again, thanks for your information and personal account!