In this witty and informative episode of Join The Docs, Professor Jonathan Sackier and Doctor Nigel Guest delve into the world of Achilles tendonitis. They kick off the show by tracing the condition back to its mythological roots: when Achilles was dipped in the River Styx, if his mum had done a better job, The Docs might be out of a job!

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“I didn't think I was going to play ever again.” The Docs welcome a true sporting legend, Glenn Hoddle, sharing his personal battle with tendonitis. Hoddle, known for his magical touch on the football pitch, discusses how tendonitis affected his career. With his trademark wit, he recounted the days when his tendons were more bothersome than a referee on match day. A Tottenham Hotspur legend, Glenn also played for other clubs including Monaco, then went into management at Swindon, Southampton, Wolves, his beloved Spurs and, some “other” London club and also managed the England national team. Now a TV football pundit, Glenn is delighted to join The Docs to tell his story and help others.

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The Docs then dissect the tendon itself, a topic that leads Jonathan to challenge Nigel’s perspectives on human anatomy. Talk of diagnosis  waxes and wanes from fact to a comedy routine with the duo describing  various tests and treatment, with the  role of cold vodka carefully considered.  They segue into treatments, covering how RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) has changed to  PEACE & LOVE…..And if that makes no sense, listen to Join the Docs!

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"But wait, there's more! If you call within the next ten minutes, we'll throw in a free set of crutches!" Surgical options discussion turns into a mock infomercial, with Dr. Guest pretending to sell the idea of surgery as if it were a set of steak knives.

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Do you really have to warm-up before every bit of exercise?  Professor Sackier shares a personal anecdote about the time he mistook a dance-off as a suitable warm-up and ended up doing the "robot" for a week straight due to stiffness. Doctor Guest chimes in with his own tale of using interpretive dance to explain tendonitis to a confused group of medical students.

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The conversation takes a turn to the role of general health in preventing tendonitis, with Dr. Guest suggesting that eating carrots might not help your tendons, but at least you'll see them better.

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How did that happen? Sharing personal experiences turns into a comedy of errors as they recount their most memorable tendonitis cases, including the time Dr. Guest diagnosed a case of "guitar hero wrist" and Prof. Sackier treated a "selfie elbow."

Ring, ring! The evolution of sports medicine is likened to the evolution of the mobile phone, with The Docs joking that tendon treatments used to be as big and clunky as a 1980s cell phone. They wrap up the episode with tongue-in-cheek advice on tendon care, including a suggestion to avoid activities that involve chasing mythological creatures.