If you’ve had nagging foot and ankle pain along the outer edge of your foot, you may have peroneal tendinitis. The peroneal tendons help stabilize and balance your foot and ankle, and it’s easy to irritate them. Most people develop peroneal tendinitis from repetitive movements and overuse, but it can also show up quickly with a traumatic injury like a sprain.
The pain from peroneal tendinitis can be intense, but physical therapy can provide relief in as little as one session. This article describes seven physical therapy treatments that are often helpful for patients with peroneal tendinitis.
How do physical therapy treatments help with peroneal tendinitis?
Some physical therapy treatments help by promoting proper movement and flexibility in your peroneal tendon and ankle joint. This helps relieve stiffness and pain pretty quickly. Others increase blood flow to the specific area where you’re feeling pain, which helps your body heal. Finally, in the last stages of treatment, you can strengthen the muscles and tissue surrounding your peroneal tendons to even out any imbalances and make them more resilient. Your therapist may recommend some lifestyle adjustments, like a change in footwear, to help reduce stress.
7 physical therapy treatments and why they’re helpful for peroneal tendinitis
If you have symptoms of peroneal tendinitis, it’s important to see a licensed professional for diagnostic testing. This condition in particular is commonly misdiagnosed as other foot and ankle problems. When left untreated, it’s possible to develop a mass or a nodule, and your tendon can tear or become dislocated.
At Forever Fit clinics, we use a wide array of physical tests and technology to get a clear picture of how your foot and ankle are functioning. We also ask good questions and listen carefully to get an understanding of your pain and the activities that make it worse. The information we gain from these assessments is our basis for creating your individual treatment plan.
Your physical therapist may include any of these techniques as part of your personalized treatment plan:
- Kinesiology taping — This technique helps provide support while partially immobilizing your peroneal tendon. Your PT will position strong fabric adhesive tape on your foot or ankle that stays on for up to a week or more. This will keep it in place while it heals.
- The Graston Technique® — To apply firm and even pressure to knots of tension in your foot, your PT may use a set of stainless steel tools. The Graston Technique is an approach that uses a specific brand of tools.
- Strengthening exercises — To support your ankle joint and even out any imbalances adding stress, your PT will guide you through some strengthening exercises. You’ll follow a specific progression to strengthen your weak spots while avoiding further injury.
- Balancing exercises — Weak ankles can cause balance issues, and an injury can cause you to walk with an uneven gait, or stride. When you’re compensating for an injury on one side, you can start to feel pain in other parts of your body. Your PT will help you keep things even with balancing exercises.
- Joint mobilization — This is a manual technique, which means your physical therapist will use their hands to manipulate joints in your foot and ankle. This helps improve your mobility and takes lateral or sideways stress off your ankle.
- Total Motion Release® — Total Motion Release is a program that exercises the parts of your body that aren’t in pain. This creates balance and alignment to help you heal without aggravating your injury.
- Lifestyle changes — Wearing flat shoes, especially flip-flops, can put a lot of stress on your feet. Your PT may recommend temporary changes like different footwear or inserts to reduce stress while your foot heals.
Find relief for peroneal tendinitis at Forever Fit
Peroneal tendinitis can quickly become a more serious problem if it continues without treatment. If you’ve tried some home remedies like ice, rest and stretching and your pain hasn’t gone away, it may be time to see a professional.
At Forever Fit, we use holistic and evidence-based treatments to help naturally relieve pain. We don’t rely on opioids, surgery or other harsh medical treatments. We work with our patients to agree on an approach that supports their all-around health.
Did you know that physical therapy is often covered by insurance? Get in touch with us today to find out if we accept your specific insurance carrier.
Ready to take a more effective approach to treating your peroneal tendinitis? See if there’s a Forever Fit location near you.