I Have Achilles Tendinitis and Hills Make My Heel Pain Worse

Your heel pain may become sharper or tighter on hills because uphill running makes your Achilles work harder with each push-off.

You may feel relatively comfortable on flat ground, then notice your heel starting to ache or pull as soon as you begin climbing a hill. The pain may become more obvious the steeper the hill gets, particularly when you push harder to keep your pace.

You may also notice that the pain stays around the back of your heel or lower Achilles rather than spreading throughout your foot. Once you finish the hill, your Achilles may remain sore or stiff, and the discomfort can be more noticeable when you slow down or take your first few steps afterward.

Your Heel Pain Spikes As The Hill Gets Steeper

Your Achilles can start hurting more with each uphill push-off.

You may notice a mild ache at first that becomes sharper, tighter, or more persistent as you climb. The steeper the hill feels, the harder each step can become, making the pain much easier to notice than it was on level ground.

Your Achilles Stays Sore After The Climb

The pain may linger after you reach the top and stop pushing uphill.

Your heel may feel tender or stiff when you return to flat ground, walk around, or sit down after the run. If the Achilles is already having trouble settling between workouts, the extra demand from hills can leave it more painful afterward instead of quickly returning to how it felt before the climb.

Why Your Achilles Hurts More On Hills

Your Achilles has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your Achilles feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Achilles Feel Better

Your Achilles starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does my heel pain get worse when I run uphill?

Uphill running makes each push-off more demanding, which can increase stress on an already painful Achilles tendon and worsen your heel pain.

Why does my Achilles hurt more on steeper hills?

A steeper hill requires more effort with each step, so your Achilles may become increasingly sore or tight as the climb continues.

Why does my Achilles stay sore after running hills?

The added demand from uphill running can leave your Achilles more irritated afterward, causing soreness or stiffness when you stop or walk.

Can Achilles tendinitis make uphill running painful?

Yes. Achilles tendinitis can make uphill running painful because climbing increases the demand placed on the Achilles during each step.

Should I avoid hills if they keep making my Achilles pain worse?

If hills repeatedly increase your Achilles pain, reducing the activity that aggravates it and having persistent symptoms evaluated can help prevent the problem from continuing.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.