Mercy Foot And Ankle Surgeon Dr. John Campbell Discusses Treating Achilles Tendinitis

In mid-October, Charm City is host to thousands of men and women who hit the streets for the annual Baltimore Running Festival.

Some hope to beat their personal best time while others just want to finish their race.

However, a common running injury can stop runners short. Ruth Kohl can attest to that after being diagnosed with Achilles tendinitis.

"I love the challenge," said Kohl, who began actively running five years ago. "I like the group of friends that I developed being a runner. I like the buzz around the races. It's a great community."

A year into competitive racing, Kohl worried she may have to hang up her running shoes.

"It hurt to walk," she said. "I limped. It was noticeable. People would comment on it all the time."

Achilles tendinitis is an overuse injury to the back of the heel. It's a common injury for runners.

"The more mileage you do, the more cycles of strain and stress to the tendon probably contributes," said Dr. John Campbell of The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy.

By the time Kohl went to Dr. Campbell, a foot and ankle surgeon, she already had one surgery and was determined to get at the start line once again.

"I just said, 'fix it,'" Kohl said. "I'm done with the therapy, I'm done with the boot, let's just get it fixed."

Dr. Campbell fixed it with a second operation, but said surgeries aren't always necessary and there are other options.

"Sometimes dedicated exercise such as stretching or massage techniques (can work)," Dr. Campbell said. "Often we'll have people work with a physical therapist for a length of time to see if that will make their symptoms better."

Kohl said surgery worked for her and Achilles tendinitis didn't slow her down. Now she's not just running; she's doing triathlons.

"I look forward to seeing where this takes me next," Kohl said. "I'm trying to do different races, different locations, different states for different charities. It's a great thing to do."

To view Dr. Campbell’s interview regarding Achilles tendinitis, click here.