Peroneal Tendinopathy
What is an ankle sprain/ankle pain?
Peroneal Tendinopathy refers to inflammation to the tendons running at the outer part of your ankle bone and side of the foot. These tendons provide ankle stability during weight bearing and during activities such as walking and running. They also play a role in preventing ankle sprains and supporting your arch.
Peroneal Tendinopathy is usually the result of overstrain and overuse. Poor footwear, faulty training methods, or even sudden traumatic injuries involving lateral movements or torsion, may cause the tendons to become inflamed. A history of ankle sprains or injury may increase the probability of developing peroneal tendonitis. Certain foot postures – such as high arches can also predispose individuals to developing peroneal tendonitis.
What will I experience?
Individuals with peroneal tendonitis often present with:
- Pain, that gets worse with physical activity
- Occasional swelling and warmth at posterolateral aspect of the ankle, and course of the peroneal tendons
- Stiffness or soreness when moving the ankle around
- Instability in the ankle when weight bearing
How can we help you?
In the short term, temporary relief can come in the form of PEACE & LOVE:
P – Protect and avoid aggravating movements for 3 days. Do not stop moving!
E – Elevate the limb higher than your heart to help reduce tissue swelling
A – Avoid anti-inflammatories since it may be detrimental to tissue healing
C – Compression seems to reduce swelling and improve quality of life
E – Educate on the benefits of an active approach to recovery
&
L – Load as soon as symptoms allow for normal activities
O – Optimism will likely enhance the likelihood of an optimal recovery
V – Vascularisation through aerobic exercise will improve function and reduces the need for pain medications
E – Exercises will help restore mobility, strength and proprioception early after injury
Our Podiatrist will be able to perform a full musculoskeletal and biomechanics assessment of your feet to identify if your foot posture or structure is a contributing factor to this overuse injury. If any underlying biomechanical abnormalities are detected, customised orthotics can be used to manage this condition, by correcting the foot posture, offloading strain on tendons and preventing the chance of recurrence. Using appropriate and supportive footwear can also help to reduce strain on your peroneal tendons. Your Podiatrist will be able to recommend footwear that suits your activity levels.
The importance of functional rehabilitation cannot be underestimated with peroneal tendinopathy. If strength and flexibility is compromised without appropriate physical rehabilitation, the injury may get worse and result in either chronic pain or instability of the ankles.