How to Treat Achilles Tendonitis at Home: 7 Podiatrist Backed Steps

Achilles tendonitis can often be treated at home by reducing the load on the tendon rather than resting completely, supporting the heel so the tendon works over a shorter range, and gradually rebuilding the tendon's tolerance with calf strengthening. Most cases settle with consistent self care over several weeks to a few months. The seven steps below are the ones Australian podiatrists reach for most often: manage your activity, support and slightly lift the heel, load the calf with heel raises, stretch, correct the footwear that keeps aggravating it, monitor your pain, and address the foot mechanics driving the strain. If the pain came on suddenly, is severe, or you felt a snap at the back of your ankle, stop and see a health professional straight away.

In this article

• What is Achilles tendonitis, and what causes it?
• Step 1: Reduce the load, don't stop moving completely
• Step 2: Support and slightly lift the heel
• Step 3: Load the calf with eccentric heel drops
• Step 4: Stretch the calf gently and consistently
• Step 5: Fix the footwear that keeps aggravating it
• Step 6: Monitor the pain
• Step 7: Address the foot mechanics underneath
• How long does Achilles tendonitis take to settle?
• When should you see a podiatrist or GP?
• Frequently asked questions

What is Achilles tendonitis, and what causes it?

The Achilles is the thick band at the back of your ankle connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. Achilles tendonitis is what happens when the tissue becomes irritated, thickened and painful. It is an overload problem far more often than an injury. Clinically it can be one of two types, and the distinction matters because they respond to different treatment.

Typical signs are stiffness in the first few steps of the morning, discomfort that eases as you warm up then returns worse afterwards, and tenderness when you squeeze the tendon. Read more on our Achilles tendonitis page, and if the pain sits under the heel rather than behind it, start with our heel pain page.

Step 1: Reduce the load, don't stop moving completely

Complete rest feels sensible but tends to backfire. Tendons lose capacity quickly when unloaded, so a fortnight on the couch often means the same pain returns the moment you resume normal activity. Aim for relative rest instead: cut out the things that spike your pain (hill running, sprint work, jumping, long days in flat shoes) while keeping up flat walking, cycling or swimming.

Use the 24 hour test. If an activity leaves the tendon stiffer or sorer the next morning, it was too much. Scale it back by about a third and try again in a few days.

Step 2: Support and slightly lift the heel

Raising the heel slightly shortens the working length of the Achilles, reducing the stretch and tension it absorbs with every step. It is one of the fastest ways to take the edge off daily pain while the slower rehabilitation does its job. A 2024 study of in-shoe heel-lift orthoses in people with insertional Achilles tendinopathy found reduced pain during walking immediately and improved symptom severity over the following two weeks.

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Step 3: Load the calf with isometric heel raises

Strengthening is crucial and heel raises are the most effective way to do it. Stand with your feet on the floor, push up onto your toes, then lower that heel slowly. The widely used protocol is 3 sets of 15 with the knee straight and 3 sets of 15 with the knee slightly bent, twice daily, for around 12 weeks. Mild discomfort during the exercise is expected. Sharp pain is not.

Step 4: Stretch the calf gently and consistently

Tight calves increase pull on the Achilles, so restoring ankle flexibility takes daily tension off it. Two stretches that may help: a straight leg calf stretch against a wall for the gastrocnemius, and the same position with the back knee bent for the soleus. Hold each for 30 seconds, three times per side, once or twice daily.

If your pain sits right at the heel bone (insertional), deep stretches that push the ankle far upward can make things worse. Keep the range comfortable until the tenderness settles.

Step 5: Fix the footwear that keeps aggravating it

Footwear is often the quiet culprit. Completely flat shoes, worn out trainers with collapsed midsoles, thongs and unsupportive slides all leave the Achilles working at its longest, most loaded position for hours. Hard heel counters can also press directly on an inflamed insertion point.

Choose shoes with a modest heel-to-toe drop, a firm heel that does not twist easily, and a removable liner so you can fit proper support inside. Where a full length insole will not fit, a half length option keeps the arch and heel support without crowding your toes.

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Step 6: Monitor the pain 

Ice gives short term relief after activity, roughly 15 to 20 minutes at a time, but it wont heal the tendon. Neither does a heat pack, a massage gun or a compression sleeve. Treat them as comfort tools that let you keep doing the loading work, not as the treatment itself. Track your morning stiffness as your main marker: fewer painful steps out of bed week on week is the clearest sign the tendon is responding, even if pain during activity has not shifted yet.

Step 7: Address the foot mechanics underneath

Achilles pain rarely appears in a mechanically neutral foot. Excessive inward roll at the heel creates a whipping action through the tendon as you push off, and a flatter arch lengthens the whole posterior chain. If you also get shin pain, arch fatigue or knee ache on the same side, mechanics are likely part of your picture. Our over-pronation and flat feet pages explain what to look for.

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How long does Achilles tendonitis take to settle?

Expect weeks to months, not days. Irritation caught early often calms down in 6 to 12 weeks of consistent loading and sensible footwear. Cases that have been flaring on and off for six months or more commonly take 3 to 6 months. The most common reason recovery stalls is stopping the strengthening as soon as the pain eases, so finish the full program even when you feel better.

When should you see a podiatrist or GP?

• You felt a sudden snap or pop and cannot push off. This needs urgent assessment to rule out a rupture.
• Pain has not improved after 6 to 8 weeks of consistent self care.
• There is significant swelling, redness or warmth over the tendon.
• You have a visible lump in the tendon, or pain waking you at night.
• You have diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, or have recently taken fluoroquinolone medication.

A podiatrist can confirm which type of Achilles tendonitis you have, check your calf strength and foot posture, and set the loading amount properly.

Frequently asked questions

Can you walk with Achilles tendonitis?

Yes, in most cases walking on flat ground is encouraged. Tendons need load to recover, and complete rest reduces their capacity. Wear supportive shoes, avoid hills and stairs while it is irritable, and use the 24 hour rule: if your tendon is stiffer or sorer the next morning, you may have walked too far.

Do insoles help Achilles tendonitis?

They can, particularly for insertional pain at the back of the heel. Supporting and slightly raising the heel shortens the working length of the tendon, and a stabilising heel cup limits the inward roll that pulls the tendon sideways. Research on in-shoe heel-lift orthoses has shown reduced pain during walking and improved symptoms over two weeks. Insoles work best alongside calf strengthening, not instead of it.

How long does Achilles tendonitis take to heal?

Recent cases often settle in 6 to 12 weeks with consistent loading and better footwear. Tendon tissue remodels slowly, so the best predictor of recovery is finishing the full strengthening program rather than stopping as soon as the pain eases.

Should you stretch or rest an Achilles tendon?

Neither on its own. Gentle calf stretching helps if your pain is in the midportion of the tendon, but deep stretches can aggravate insertional pain right at the heel bone. Rest reduces pain temporarily while also reducing the tendon's capacity. Progressive loading with heel raises is the treatment that strengthens the tissue.

Are heel lifts or arch support better for Achilles pain?

They do different jobs and most people benefit from both. A heel lift reduces how far the tendon is stretched at each step, which helps most with pain at the heel attachment. Arch support controls the inward roll of the rearfoot, reducing sideways strain on the tendon during push off. An orthotic insole with a contoured arch and a stabilising heel cup delivers both.