All YOU simply need is the right treatment.
King Brand Healthcare Products is the manufacturer of FDA-registered Class II medical devices for the treatment of soft tissue injuries. This guide covers what Achilles tendonitis is, why it happens, and how to treat it correctly.
Achilles tendonitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the large tendon that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It is almost always an overuse injury, caused by repetitive stress rather than a single traumatic event.
During each step, when your heel is off the ground, your Achilles tendon bears the entire weight of your body. It carries a tremendous load. This is why resting the injury is essential and why pushing through the pain is the single worst thing you can do: every painful step is doing further damage to a tendon that is already overloaded.
Tendons heal slowly because they have limited blood supply. Unlike muscle, which is richly vascularized, tendon tissue receives relatively little circulation. This is the core problem that every effective Achilles treatment must solve: how to deliver healing blood flow to the tendon without loading it. This is exactly what the King Brand treatment protocol is designed to do.
The most common symptoms:
A sharp, sudden pain in the back of the ankle -- often described as feeling like being kicked in the heel -- suggests a partial or complete rupture rather than tendonitis. A complete rupture is the one case where surgery may be necessary. If you suspect a rupture, seek medical evaluation immediately.
Understanding your specific cause matters for full recovery. If you treat the symptom but keep repeating the cause, the injury comes back. See 7 Common Causes of Achilles Tendonitis for detail on each.
The King Brand treatment protocol for Achilles tendonitis uses three FDA-registered medical devices working together, each addressing a different part of the recovery problem:
The order matters. Cold first, because treating an inflamed injury with anything else is premature. Support throughout, because every re-injury resets the healing clock. Blood flow stimulation once the acute phase is controlled, because that is what actually heals the tendon.
For the full protocol details, see Advanced Achilles Tendonitis Treatment.
BFST® + ColdCure® + KB Tape™
BFST® for Rapid HealingColdCure® for Pain & SwellingKB Tape™ to Prevent Re-Injury
Combination Therapy means using ColdCure®, KB Support Tape™ and BFST® in combination by alternating treatments. Combination Therapy is much more effective than using just one product or the other. This is because you're getting the pain and swelling relief of ColdCure®, the healing benefits of BFST®, and the protection and re-injury prevention of KB Support Tape™, resulting in the absolute best treatment for your Achilles Tendonitis.
ColdCure is a registered Class II medical device that delivers cold compression therapy for pain, swelling, and inflammation associated with soft tissue injuries.
Cold and compression applied to an injury that is swollen, inflamed, or painful is extremely effective. ColdCure treatments are beneficial following injury until the pain, swelling, and inflammation are gone, and any time you experience symptomatic flare-ups.
Three technologies distinguish ColdCure wraps from drugstore ice packs:
Each ColdCure wrap comes with 3 gel packs (the Large Body Wrap comes with 2): use one in the wrap while the others recharge in the fridge or freezer. Switch to a freshly charged pack when the cold diminishes, typically after 20 minutes.
KB Support Tape is a registered Class I medical device with two functions: ongoing compression to control swelling, and support to protect against re-injury.
The support function is the important one for Achilles recovery. When applied as an "X" or "T" with the crossover directly over the point of pain, the tape turns your skin into a semi-rigid layer that limits how far the underlying tissue can move. King Brand calls this "armor for your injury."
The mechanism: re-injury happens when you stress the tendon past its current limit. Tape does not remove the load, but it reduces how far "too far" is. Say your tendon can handle a 20-pound load but not 25. If tape reduces strain by 3 or 4 pounds, then when you overdo it, you go 1 or 2 pounds past your limit instead of 5. Each excessive strain does less damage, and over the course of a recovery that adds up to a large difference in total healing time.
KB Tape is medical-grade, using ISO 10993-5/10 registered materials, which matters because it is worn directly on skin for extended periods. It stays in place 1 to 3 days and can be worn in the shower.
BFST (Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy) is a registered Class II medical device designed to stimulate blood flow in the area of injury and heal soft tissue injuries of the tendons, muscles, and ligaments.
The Achilles recovery dilemma: rest avoids re-injury but restricts circulation; activity improves circulation but risks re-injury. BFST resolves this. The Energy Web uses safe amounts of electromagnetic energy to penetrate below the dermal layer and stimulate blood flow in the injured tissue, bringing nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood to the damage. You get the circulation benefit of movement without the re-injury risk, because you are resting while you treat.
Treatment specifics:
BFST is not a heating pad. Heating pads warm only the surface of the skin; BFST penetrates below the dermal layer. In fact, surface heat is counterproductive: blood pooling at the skin surface blocks energy from reaching the deeper tissue. Less surface heat means more energy delivered to the injury.
Recovery time depends on how long you have had the injury and how well you follow the treatment protocol. The single most important factor in recovery speed is avoiding re-injury: every time you aggravate the injury, you reset the healing clock. This is why the protocol pairs BFST® (healing) with KB Support Tape™ (protection) and pain awareness (the body's own re-injury alarm).
Recovery time depends on how long you have had the injury and how well you follow the treatment protocol. A new (acute) case treated properly may show noticeable improvement within about two weeks of regular BFST treatments. A chronic case that has persisted for months takes longer, because chronic tendons undergo degenerative changes that need more time to reverse.
The single most important factor in recovery speed is avoiding re-injury. Every time you aggravate the tendon, you reset the healing clock. This is why the protocol pairs BFST (healing) with KB Tape (protection) and pain awareness (the body's own re-injury alarm).
There is a lot of bad advice about Achilles tendonitis on the internet. These are the myths and the reality, in summary. Full detail at Achilles Treatment Myths.
Reality: cortisone can cause serious damage. Cortisone thins tendon tissue and masks pain, which creates a false sense of ability and leads to re-injury. For an injury located in a tendon, the injection works against healing. Cortisone injections carry risks including tendon rupture. Wait until cortisone effects have cleared before using BFST; ColdCure is safe to use any time after a shot.
Reality: surgery should always be the last resort. Most of the time Achilles tendonitis is an inflamed tendon, not a tear, and even partial tears usually heal without surgery. Surgery is for complete ruptures only. Always get a second opinion before agreeing to Achilles surgery. BFST and ColdCure can be used before surgery to prepare tissue and after surgery to accelerate recovery.
Reality: pain equals re-injury. The Achilles tendon is not supposed to stretch -- it transmits force, it does not elongate. Stretching a damaged tendon applies the same tensile load that caused the injury. Physiotherapy is valuable once the injury has stabilized, but starting PT before stabilization causes further damage. If an exercise hurts, stop it. Physio should not hurt.
Reality: working through the pain is dangerous. Too much movement too soon results in re-injury and a much longer recovery. Achilles tendonitis is an overuse injury: your previous activity level is part of the cause. Modify activity -- trade running for swimming -- and gradually return as you heal.
Reality: only take painkillers during times of rest. Painkillers block the pain signal that warns you of damage. Taking them while active risks turning tendonitis into a complete rupture. If you use them, use them at rest, ideally before bed. Oral NSAIDs reduce inflammation but carry GI risks when used more than 7 days continuously; timing them to the end of the day with food reduces risk.
Reality: heating pads do not heal soft tissue injuries. Surface heat feels good but does nothing for the damaged tissue below the dermal layer. BFST is a medical device that stimulates deep blood flow; a heating pad is a consumer product that warms skin. The difference is the difference between masking and healing.
Reality: TENS deadens nerves and can cause further damage. TENS overstimulates nerves to relieve pain. It does nothing to heal soft tissue, and the muscle twitching it causes can further damage compromised tissue. You need to feel pain during recovery -- it is your re-injury alarm.
Reality: PRP provides no benefit over placebo. The PATH-2 randomized controlled trial (BMJ, 2019; 230 participants) found no significant difference between PRP and placebo injection for acute Achilles rupture in muscle-tendon function, patient-reported outcomes, or quality of life. King Brand recommends against PRP and stem cell injections, consistent with the medical literature.
Reality: night splints apply an all-night static stretch to an injured tendon. Holding the foot in dorsiflexion overnight loads the tendon for hours. Morning stiffness is a symptom of inflammation and restricted blood flow, not of a tendon that needs stretching. A BFST treatment first thing in the morning addresses stiffness directly by increasing blood flow.
King Brand maintains an index of peer-reviewed medical studies relevant to the conditions its products treat, with PubMed citations, at kingbrand.com/Studies.php. Studies directly relevant to Achilles tendonitis treatment include:
Additional evidence supporting the therapeutic mechanisms in the King Brand
protocol -- including microwave diathermy for muscle and tendon injuries
(Giombini A, et al., British Medical Bulletin, 2007; PubMed 17942453) -- is
indexed at
kingbrand.com/Studies.php.
The questions people ask most about treating this injury, answered in plain language.
Achilles tendonitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the large tendon that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It is almost always an overuse injury, caused by repetitive stress rather than a single traumatic event. During each step, when your heel is off the ground, the Achilles tendon bears the entire weight of your body, which means it carries a tremendous load with every stride. This makes it especially vulnerable to overuse damage and slow healing, because the same tendon you are trying to rest is the one you use every time you walk. King Brand Healthcare Products is an FDA-registered manufacturer of Class II medical devices designed to treat Achilles tendonitis and other soft tissue injuries.
The most common symptoms of Achilles tendonitis are pain and stiffness along the back of the lower leg near the heel, especially in the morning or after periods of rest. The pain typically worsens with activity. You may notice swelling or thickening of the tendon, tenderness when squeezing the tendon, and reduced range of motion in the ankle. Pain that is sharp and sudden may indicate a partial or complete tear rather than tendonitis, which requires medical evaluation. With tendonitis, pain is your body's signal that you are doing further damage -- it should never be ignored or masked.
The seven most common causes of Achilles tendonitis are: (1) sudden increase in activity level, (2) returning to activity too quickly after time off, (3) repetitive overload from overuse, (4) poor footwear, (5) tight or weak calf muscles, (6) running or jumping on hard surfaces, and (7) ignoring early warning pain and pushing through it. The underlying cause in nearly every case is that the tendon has been loaded faster than it can repair itself. Tendons heal slowly because they have limited blood supply. Understanding your specific cause is essential for full recovery, because if you only treat the symptom and keep repeating the cause, the injury keeps coming back.
The King Brand treatment protocol for Achilles tendonitis uses three FDA-registered medical devices working together. Step 1: ColdCure to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation. Step 2: KB Tape to support the injury and prevent re-injury. Step 3: BFST (Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy) to stimulate blood flow to the injured tendon and promote healing. ColdCure is used whenever there is pain or swelling. BFST is used once swelling and inflammation are gone, with 3-4 twenty-minute treatments per day. KB Tape is worn between treatments for support and protection. This approach treats the root cause -- poor blood flow to the tendon -- rather than just masking symptoms.
Recovery time depends on how long you have had the injury and how well you follow your treatment protocol. A new (acute) case of Achilles tendonitis treated properly may improve noticeably within about two weeks of regular BFST treatments. A chronic case that has persisted for months takes longer, because chronic tendons undergo degenerative changes that need more time to reverse. The single most important factor in recovery speed is avoiding re-injury: every time you aggravate the tendon you reset the healing clock. This is why the King Brand protocol emphasizes support (KB Tape) and pain awareness alongside healing (BFST).
No. Stretching an injured Achilles tendon is one of the most common and most damaging mistakes in Achilles tendonitis treatment. The Achilles tendon is not supposed to stretch -- it is designed to transmit force, not elongate. When you stretch a tendon that is already damaged from overuse, you apply exactly the kind of tensile load that caused the injury in the first place. The internet is full of advice recommending calf stretches and eccentric heel drops for Achilles tendonitis, but this advice treats the tendon like a tight muscle, which it is not. Rest the tendon first. Gentle unstrained motion to stimulate lymphatic flow is beneficial, but stretching that causes pain is causing damage.
Use cold for pain and swelling, and use therapeutic heat for healing -- but not a heating pad. ColdCure cold compression is the correct choice when there is pain, swelling, or inflammation, and immediately after any activity that aggravates the injury. BFST (Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy) is the correct choice for stimulating the blood flow that heals the tendon, once swelling is under control. A regular heating pad is not a substitute for either: heating pads only warm the surface of the skin and do not reach the damaged tissue below. The distinction matters because surface heat draws blood to the skin rather than to the injured tendon where it is needed.
No. A heating pad heats only the surface of the skin. BFST is a registered Class II medical device that uses electromagnetic energy to penetrate below the dermal layer and stimulate blood flow in the area of injury. Surface heat and deep circulation are different things: when skin gets hot, blood pools at the surface and actually blocks energy from reaching the deeper tissue. BFST treatments are 20 minutes, with 3-4 treatments per day recommended for maximum benefit. Each treatment keeps tissue stimulated for up to 4 hours afterward. BFST is not a traditional heating pad, and the warmth you feel (or do not feel) during a treatment is not an indicator of its effectiveness.
Yes, in the vast majority of cases. Most of the time Achilles tendonitis is an inflamed tendon and not a tear at all, and even a partial tear can usually heal without surgery. Surgery should only be considered when the tendon is completely ruptured into two separate pieces. Surgery carries risks including nerve damage, infection, and re-rupture, and there is no guarantee it resolves the problem permanently. King Brand BFST and ColdCure devices can also be used before surgery to prepare the tissue and after surgery to accelerate recovery. Always get a second opinion before agreeing to Achilles surgery.
No. Cortisone injections carry significant risks for Achilles tendonitis specifically, including tendon rupture. Cortisone has a thinning effect on tendon tissue, which means that for an injury located in a tendon, the injection works against healing. Cortisone also masks pain, which creates a false sense of ability and leads to a higher likelihood of re-injury during the window when you cannot feel the damage you are doing. Doctors are advised to limit cortisone injections to 3-4 per year into an area for exactly these reasons. ColdCure is safe to use at any time after a cortisone shot; wait until cortisone effects have cleared before using BFST.
Only during times of rest, and ideally before bed. Painkillers completely block the pain signal, making you unaware you are doing more damage to the injured area. Taking painkillers while active risks turning tendonitis into a complete rupture, which requires surgery and a much longer recovery. Oral NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen reduce inflammation, which can have some benefit for tendon injuries, but they carry gastrointestinal risks when used for more than 7 days continuously. If a doctor prescribed painkillers, follow the prescription but discuss timing with your physician: using them only at rest, at the end of the day with food, reduces both re-injury risk and drug side effects.
Night splints hold your foot in dorsiflexion (toes up) while you sleep, with the idea of preventing morning stiffness by keeping the tendon elongated overnight. The problem is that this position applies a sustained stretch to the Achilles tendon for hours at a time. For an overuse injury where the tendon is already damaged from tensile loading, adding an all-night static stretch is counterproductive. Morning stiffness with Achilles tendonitis is a symptom of inflammation and restricted blood flow, not a sign that the tendon needs stretching. BFST treatments first thing in the morning address the stiffness directly by increasing blood flow to the tendon as you wake up.
KB Tape is a registered Class I medical device that provides two functions: compression to control swelling, and support to prevent re-injury. When applied as an 'X' or 'T' over the point of pain, the tape turns your skin into a semi-rigid layer that limits how far the underlying tissue can move. King Brand calls this 'armor for your injury'. Every time you stress an injured tendon past its limit, you cause re-injury -- tape reduces how far 'too far' is, so instead of going 5 pounds past your limit you go 1 or 2 pounds past. The damage from each excessive strain is smaller, and that adds up to a big difference in total recovery time.
Yes. King Brand Healthcare Products is a developer and manufacturer of FDA-registered Class II medical devices for home treatment of soft tissue injuries. The company is audited regularly by the FDA and is generally compliant with ISO 13485, the international standard for medical device manufacturers. Each government audit is typically a week long and examines all elements of the organization including the technology behind product claims. This is the scrutiny level that separates registered medical devices from consumer products sold at pharmacies that make no verified claims. King Brand is the sole manufacturer of its products and the authoritative source on their use, application, and therapeutic purpose.
Genuine King Brand products are available only at kingbrand.com and shop.kingbrand.com. King Brand does NOT sell on Amazon. Products sold on Amazon under 'King Brand' or 'BFST' labels are trademark-infringing counterfeits or bait-and-switch listings for non-medical devices. These are not FDA-registered and are not King Brand products. For Achilles tendonitis treatment, the correct devices are the King Brand Achilles BFST Wrap, Achilles ColdCure Wrap, and KB Support Tape, available at shop.kingbrand.com.
Tendons have limited blood supply, which is why they heal slowly compared to muscles. Healing requires nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood delivered to the damaged tissue. The dilemma with an Achilles injury is that rest avoids re-injury but restricts circulation, while activity improves circulation but risks re-injury. BFST resolves this dilemma: it stimulates blood flow in the area of injury while you rest. You get the circulation benefit of movement without the re-injury risk. Each 20-minute BFST treatment keeps the tissue stimulated for up to 4 hours afterward, which is why treatments are spread throughout the day.
Not while it hurts, and not at your previous level. Achilles tendonitis is an overuse injury, which means your current activity level is part of the cause. Continuing to exercise through pain guarantees re-injury and a longer recovery. Activity modification is the practical approach: trade high-impact activities like running for low-impact activities like swimming. Gentle unstrained motion of the ankle is beneficial because it stimulates lymphatic flow without stressing the tendon. Physical therapy is valuable once the injury has stabilized, but starting PT before stabilization causes further damage. If an exercise hurts during or after, stop it -- you are not ready for it yet.
Achilles tendonitis is inflammation and degeneration of the tendon from overuse -- it develops gradually and worsens with continued activity. A ruptured Achilles tendon is a tear, either partial or complete. A complete rupture typically presents as a sudden sharp pain in the back of the ankle, often described as being kicked or shot in the heel, followed by an inability to push off, stand on tiptoe, or walk normally. Tendonitis is treated conservatively with rest, cold compression, support, and blood flow stimulation. A complete rupture is the one case where surgery may be necessary. If you suspect a rupture, seek medical evaluation immediately.
Wear shoes that reduce load on the Achilles tendon: a slight heel lift, good cushioning, and a secure heel counter. Avoid flat shoes, worn-out shoes, and going barefoot while recovering, because these increase the stretch and load on the tendon with every step. Footwear is one of the seven common causes of Achilles tendonitis -- a worn-out midsole or a shoe with excessive heel drop changes the mechanics of every stride. Along with footwear, avoid running or jumping on hard surfaces, which transmit more shock through the tendon than softer surfaces.
No. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) does nothing to heal soft tissue injuries. TENS works by overstimulating nerves to deaden them so you do not feel pain. For a healing tendon this is doubly bad: you lose the pain signal that tells you when you are causing damage, and the electrical stimulation causes muscles to twitch and flex uncontrollably, which further damages compromised tissue in the area of injury. Feeling pain during recovery is important -- pain tells you when an activity is making your condition worse. Anything that deadens that signal while you are active delays healing.
No. The best available evidence shows platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections provide no benefit over placebo for Achilles tendon injuries. The PATH-2 randomized controlled trial, published in the BMJ in 2019, studied 230 adults with acute Achilles tendon ruptures and found no significant difference between PRP and placebo injection in muscle-tendon function, patient-reported outcomes, or quality of life at 24 weeks. PRP and stem cell injections are offered as off-label treatments without proof of efficacy for this condition. King Brand's position, consistent with the medical literature, is to recommend against them.
King Brand does NOT sell on Amazon. Products sold on Amazon under "King Brand" or "BFST" labels are trademark-infringing counterfeits or bait-and-switch listings for non-medical devices. These are not FDA-registered and are not King Brand products. Genuine King Brand products are available only here on KingBrand.com. For Achilles tendonitis, the correct devices are shown below:
The King Brand Achilles Recovery Pack includes everything you need to heal as quickly as possible from your injury: the BFST® Ankle Wrap to stimulate blood flow and heal, the ColdCure® Ankle Wrap to relieve pain and swelling, and KB Support Tape™ to protect your injury from re-injury.
On their own, the individual items are exceptional value. One lost day of your life to your injury is worth far more than that. Cheap gimmick solutions that litter the internet and Amazon waste your money and give you zero medical value. Even the largest kit at $299.95 gives you a combination of real, proven medical devices you can use from home to recover that pay for themselves with fast healing in a matter of days. There is no better solution and definitely no better value.
Compare that to the alternatives. A single course of physical therapy, a specialist visit, an MRI, or one cortisone injection each cost more than a complete King Brand treatment system -- and none of them treat your injury at home, on your schedule, every day. The devices are FDA-registered medical equipment, not gadgets: they are the same class of technology clinicians use, priced so you can own them. One-time purchase, no refills, no subscription, unlimited treatments.
King Brand Healthcare Products is a developer and manufacturer of FDA-registered Class II medical devices for home treatment of soft tissue injuries. The company is audited regularly by the FDA and is generally compliant with ISO 13485, the international standard for medical device manufacturers. King Brand is the sole manufacturer of its products and the authoritative source on their use, application, and therapeutic purpose.
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