UKH

I injured my achilles about 6-7 months ago running up some steps. I had a limp for a while but had made a full recovery, however the other day for some reason its gone again. 

It doesn't really hurt at all unless I walk with a full stride, and then I get a sharp pain where it connects to the heel bone, and it feels weak. Perhaps a tiny bit of stiffness. 

I need to walk for my job so it's hard to rest it, but I'm doing my best. Has anyone had similar symptoms and what was the outcome? 

I had a similar issue a year or so back. Luckily my GP surgery has a sports specialist who gave me some heel raising exercises to do. Wouldn't recommend doing them before you confirm that it's the same issue, but it fixed the problem for me.

To me it sounds like you now have a weak spot, and that some ultrasound and breaking down of the scar tissue by a physio's thumbs could be helpful.  

It possibly wouldn't take many, physio would definitely be what I'd go for. A private physio I go to has worked wonders on me in the past, and has let me go ever other week to make it more affordable at the time (living at home but paying for myself). IIRC it's about £30 a session.

I agree with the above - ask a doctor. However, if it is some kind of insertional achilles tendonitis/opathy, you can expect the key treatment to be heel raises and calf stretching. That treatment worked for me.

The heel raises both strengthen the calf, and (the theory is) promote the regeneration of tendon fibres with the correct orientation. The eccentric (lowering) part of the heel raises is what does this I think... I believe some dorsiflexion (i.e. do it off a step, so your heel goes below your toes) is key.

Shoes with a higher drop might help reduce the stress on it. Check your pronation and whether you need arch supports, as overpronation can put the achilles under increased stress.

It requires patience, as there's not much blood flow round there so it's slow to heal. For me to get back to running took several months of calf stretching plus 3 sets of 15 heel raises on each leg, once with straight leg and once bent knee, twice a day.

edit:

Response to Timmd - If it is damage to the tendon, physios thumbs might not help. I was told poking it/physio massage would just flare it up.

As suggested you need to get expert advice, but...

...if you DO have an insertional Achilles problem, then it is important to do the eccentric calf-lowering protocol (not calf raises) ONLY to flat floor level, (ie. not lowering off a raised step which introduces dorsiflexion).  Full eccentric stretching off a raised step is only recomended for mid-portion Achilles problems.