I Have Achilles Tendinitis and Playing Tennis Makes My Achilles Ache

Your Achilles may ache when you push off, sprint, or change direction during tennis because repeated court movement keeps stressing an already irritated Achilles tendon.

Playing tennis asks your Achilles tendon to work repeatedly as you move forward, back, and side to side. Every quick step, push-off, and change of direction places demand on the tendon, so an Achilles that is already painful or irritated can start aching as soon as those movements add up.

Achilles tendinitis can also make the tendon less comfortable when it has to repeatedly stretch and contract during activity. If the tendon is already stiff or sensitive, the repeated demands of a tennis match can make normal court movement feel more painful than it did during everyday walking.

Quick Push-Offs Make Your Achilles Work Hard

Repeated push-offs put extra demand on the Achilles tendon with every quick move around the court.

When you push away from the court to reach a ball, your calf muscles contract and the Achilles tendon helps transfer that effort into movement. With Achilles tendinitis, repeating this motion can make the tendon ache because it is being asked to handle the same demand again and again during serves, returns, sprints, and changes of direction.

The Ache Builds As You Keep Moving Around The Court

Continued tennis movement can make the Achilles more noticeable as fatigue builds.

As the match continues, repeated running and pushing off can leave your calf and Achilles working harder with less comfort. The tendon may become more painful during later points or after a long stretch of play because the same movements that felt manageable early in the match have been repeated many times.

Why Your Achilles Keeps Aching During Tennis

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 Achilles ache when I play tennis with Achilles tendinitis?

Your Achilles may ache because tennis repeatedly stresses the tendon through quick push-offs, running, and changes of direction.

Why does my Achilles hurt more later in a tennis match?

Repeated court movement can make the tendon more painful as your calf and Achilles continue working and fatigue builds.

Can tennis make Achilles tendinitis worse?

Yes. Repeated running, jumping, and push-offs can continue stressing an already irritated Achilles tendon and make symptoms more noticeable.

Why does my Achilles hurt after playing tennis?

Your Achilles may remain sore after tennis because the tendon has been repeatedly stressed throughout the match, especially during quick movements and push-offs.

Should I keep playing tennis if my Achilles aches?

If tennis consistently increases your Achilles pain, reducing the activity and having persistent or worsening symptoms evaluated can help prevent further injury.

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.