49-year-old Christian McCaffrey has Achilles tendonitis, 4 weeks or more

Losing a star player would be any team’s Achilles heel, so to speak. Now, it appears the newly discovered diagnosis of Achilles tendinitis will keep San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey longer than originally expected during the preseason. What was labeled in early August as a calf strain had kept the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year out of all of the 49ers’ preseason games. But after McCaffrey was surprisingly held out of the 49ers’ Week 1 regular-season game against the New York Jets, coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Tuesday that McCaffrey also has Achilles tendonitis.

That landed McCaffrey on injured reserve, causing him to miss the 49ers’ Week 2 game with the Minnesota Vikings. This means he will have to sit out at least 4 weeks. But it could be longer as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported:

Yes, having Achilles tendonitis is no fun. In fact, no tendonitis is fun. Since the suffix “-itis” means inflammation of whatever “-itis” is attached to, tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon. A tendon is a tissue that connects muscle to bone.

And make no bones about it, your Achilles tendon is very important. If someone tells you the phrase “The largest tendon in your body” at your peril, your answer should be “What is the Achilles tendon?” Your Achilles tendon specifically connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. You shouldn’t have more than two Achilles tendons, one on each leg, assuming you’re not a caterpillar.

You use your Achilles tendon basically every time you extend your leg in any way, including lifting your heel to walk, run, jump, or lift up. This happens when the calf muscles contract and pull on the tendon and thus the heel.

Overuse or excessive stress on this tendon can lead to Achilles tendonitis. This involves a lot of running and jumping, two things soccer players do a lot. Such tendonitis can occur when your calf muscles are too tight, pulling too hard on the tendon.

The most common symptoms of Achilles tendinitis include pain, tenderness, or stiffness in the back of the lower leg, around where the Achilles tendon is located. Then you can see why this can be a little difficult to distinguish from a calf strain or calf strain.

Doctors may be able to diagnose Achilles tendonitis through a physical exam. They will push on your Achilles tendon to see if there is tenderness there. They can also have you stretch your legs and see if that causes pain. Imaging such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging can help to understand what is going on there.

The cornerstone of treatment is RICE. No, not the stuff you eat with sushi, but Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen can help reduce inflammation. You may also receive physical therapy, which consists of stretching and strengthening exercises for the Achilles tendon and its supporting structures. Orthotic devices that elevate your heel can help relieve the strain on your tendon as well.

When you have Achilles tendonitis, you don’t want to keep stressing your Achilles tendon for two reasons. One that hurts. The other is that continued use can further damage the tendon, leading to a tear or tear. This may require surgery. After all, if you can’t stretch your leg, you can’t really walk.

McCaffrey’s replacement at running back has been Georgia Tech graduate Jordan Mason, who has done a pretty good job so far. The second-string RB gained 147 yards and a touchdown against the Jets and added 100 yards and another touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. Mason will have to continue to put up more such rushing performances because McCaffrey will be out at least until San Francisco’s Oct. 10 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. In other words, Mason will have to do everything he can to make sure the run game doesn’t end up being the 49ers’ Achilles Heel.