UKC

I strained my achilles a couple of years ago, since then it's gone through 2-3 waves of healing to the point of forgetting about it and then flaring up. I am very active in work and play, and after all this time and focus on specific nutrition it still hasn't healed 100%, unlike a couple of other strains I've had, I'm guessing because of how used the achilles is. It is generally not an issue in daily life but I know I can't weight it fully and occasionally, like yesterday jumping off a log, it twinges and lets me know it's not full strength. 

I know most people will say go to a physio, it's just very expensive and I don't particularly trust them (all that "yes your left side is two inches shorter, do some stretches, now you're balanced see?"). Has anyone had what I percieve to be a long term weakening of a major tendon and come back from it? If so, how? At this point, after so long, I don't know how it will just fix itself.

Any pointers appreciated

My pointer- go see a physio!

I used to be of a similar opinion to yourself but if it gets/ keeps me healthy it's worth the cost. A good physio is crucial though. After weeks, months or in your case years now of it not getting and staying right is surely worth spending money on getting you right.

Good luck getting it back to it's best. 

Go and see a sports physio and when you are fixed do strength and conditioning all the time. You probably need to be more patient when coming back. Whereas before as a child or in your teens you can just jump back into a sport you actually do have to follow the 10% rule (in running) or build up slowly in whatever else. Also it sounds as if you need to take your work into account. I realised at one stage it was not my running, but some activities in the consulting room which were hurting me.

A good sports physio is usually passionate about getting you back out playing - It can take a few attempts and looking for personal recommendations to find the right one.

Good luck, injuries like this can be very depressing, but from your profile you are young with plenty of time to get it right and lots of reasons to do so also.

My experience of injuring the same thing, and seeing a physio, is having the physio target the injury site with thumb friction-ing to break down the scar tissue, and being given ultra sound and exercises to make it as good as new again.

I've torn a couple of ankle ligaments, on different ankles, and the one which didn't get physio treatment (as an experiment to see if they do help) still isn't quite right in being pain free but a definite weak point, while the one which got physio isn't ever thought about. I need to get round to going about the untreated one.

My subjective experience is that physio does help, and that honest ones won't just treat you too, from having just remembered going about a hamstring injury, and being told I'd be fine if I was a little bit gradual on it for a bit.

If you've focused on nutrition already, physio may be the missing ingredient. I found I could attend every other week because that was what I could afford at the time.

Totally agree with Nathan79 and Southern Steve. A physio is the way to go. I am sticking to the exercises my physio suggested and am seeing progress in both my climbing and running.

+1

If you want to age well or perform to a high standard you can't just rehab an injury, you need to prehab your body.

A good physio will tell you how 

I've read about body conditioning being helpful.

I had a long term tendon issue last year. A good physio was vital in helping me work through the strengthening routine that was necessary to get it back in full working order. You can probably do 50% or 75% of this on your own, but as you've discovered, that's quite different from the problem being 100% sorted.

Yes it costs money, but does it deliver value? Depends on the value you place on doing various activities to the fullest possible extent. Only you can answer that.

As everyone else has said, see a physio. As to that "I don't really trust them" stuff, what gives? They're health care professionals who've completed a BSc and have to maintain stringent standards to remain registered with their governing body.