Fix Your Achilles Tendon While You Sleep!
I strained my Achilles tendon more than a year ago, while trying out some new Vibram FiveFingers shoes. Since then, my Achilles tendon is tight almost every morning when I wake up. I’ve been hesitant to actively stretch it, afraid that it might make the problem worse. It hasn’t really slowed me down, but it is annoying.
A few weeks ago, I bought a Strassburg Sock to see if that would help. The Strassburg Sock was created by runner Terry Strassburg to help cure his plantar fasciitis. It is a sock that has a Velcro strap attached to the toe, which pulls the toes up and keeps the ankle flexed upward.
You wear the Strassburg Sock at night. Generally, after wearing it for a few nights, your Achilles tendonitis or your plantar fasciitis will be improved.
In an independent peer-reviewed study of 160 patients published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery in 2002, half the patients wore the sock at night for at least 6 hours and half were given a stretching regimen as initial therapy.
The results of the study were as follows:
- Average recovery time with the Strassburg Sock was 18.5 days vs. 58.6 days with the other group
- 97.8% of patients using the sock recovered within 8 weeks.
- 100% of the patients were able to wear the Strassburg Sock for a minimum of 6 hours per night
After wearing the Strassburg Sock for a few nights, my Achilles tendon is feeling better than ever. I’m not stiff in the morning and my pain is almost completely gone.
The Strassburg Sock sells for about $40. That sounds like a lot of money for a sock, but in my experience, it really works.
If you use the Strassburg Sock, it’s important to make sure that you don’t pull your toes up too much with the strap. If you place your foot flat on the floor, you should tighten the strap until your toes are about 1” off the floor. If you feel some discomfort in your toes or feet, you have the strap too tight. I did this on the first night and when I woke up in the morning, it felt like I had stubbed my toes on something hard.
Have you used the Strassburg Sock? How has it helped you? Tell me in the comments.
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