Painful Ankle? Peroneal Tendonitis May be the Cause
Peroneal tendonosis is a presentation that is all too common in our sports Podiatry clinic. There are many risk factors that may lead to peroneal tendonitis these may include: previous injuries, foot posture, footwear choices or even certain sports with lots of side to side movements. Ankle sprains tend to be the most common cause of peroneal tendonosis as the muscle often becomes weaker, more stretched and the ankle joint loses stability. If ankle rehabilitation is adequate at the time of injury, this can reduce these risk factors. This is why treating ankle sprains aggressively is vital as soon as possible after the injury!
The peroneal muscles are a group of 3 muscles that work to protect the ankle joint from ankle sprains and also work to help with shock absorption during walking, running and sport. The peroneal muscles run along the outside of the lower leg and then through the outside of the ankle before inserting into the bones of the foot. When inflamed or problematic these tendons can often become painful, swollen, stiff or bruised. This often comes hand in hand with chronic ankle instability which is common after ankle sprains.
Treating peroneal tendonitis should involve addressing the causes and risk factors for the problem, this can include the use of orthotics, ankle braces and footwear changes as well as a comprehensive rehabilitation plan which usually consists of physical therapy in the clinic such as dry needling as well as completing exercises recommended to you by the Podiatrist at home. Peroneal tendonitis can be difficult to completely get rid of and can take time to resolve often the longer peroneal tendonitis is present for, the longer it may take to resolve.
