Peroneal tendonitis occurs when the peroneal tendons become inflamed. It basically happens because of overuse of that tendons or when the friction causes the tendon to swell.
Peroneal tendonitis is particularly common in athletes and especially runners, as there is an increased load and causing friction between the tendon and bone.
Causes:
Factors that can contribute to peroneal tendonitis include:
- Overuse
- A sudden increase in training, particularly weight-bearing activities, such as walking, running, and jumping
- Improper training techniques
- Inadequate or unsupportive footwear
There are also some other issues that can increase a person’s risk of developing peroneal tendonitis:
- Higher foot arches
- Lower limb muscles and joints not working well together
- Imbalanced muscles in the lower limbs
Symptoms: Peroneal tendonitis can either be acute, meaning that it comes on suddenly; or it can be chronic, meaning that it develops over time.
In both cases, there are some common symptoms:
- Pain at the back of the ankle
- Pain that worsens during activity and lessens during rest
- Pain when turning the foot in or out
- Swelling at the back of the ankle
- Instability of the ankle when bearing weight
- The area is warm to the touch
Diagnosis:
At first the physician should discuss about the medical history to find out the point of overuse; also look for the symptoms by moving the patient’s foot and ankle into different positions and applying pressure.
Investigation:
- X-ray: To rule out arthritis.
- MRI: It is used to identify bone spurs.
- Musculoskeletal ultrasound: To check out other ligament, muscles and tendons tear.
Treatment
In chronic condition patient must concern with a physiotherapist for better solution. A physiotherapist will apply two types of treatments. They are:
Manual therapies:
Towel stretch
- Sit on the ground with the feet straight out in front.
- Take the towel and wrap it around the toes on one foot.
- Gently pull back until a stretch runs from the bottom of the foot up to the back of the lower leg.
- Hold this stretch for 30–60 seconds.
- Switch to the other leg and repeat.
Strengthening exercises:
Electrical therapies:
- UST- It is a sound wave which passes through in deep tissues and also makes a resonance that increase blood circulation and release pain.
- TENS- Electromagnetic wave that helps to reduce pain.
- HIL- Helps in deep penetration and reduce pain.
- ESWT- In case of chronic condition ESWT helps to create micro trauma and also helps in automatic healing.