Our Services / Tendonitis

What is tendinitis?

Tendinitis refers to inflammation of a tendon, a tough band of connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone. Tendinitis can affect any of your foot and ankle tendons. It can develop in the extensor tendons that run across the top of your foot or the peroneal and posterior tibial tendons in your ankles.

Peroneal tendons stabilize your foot and ankle, and the posterior tibial tendon supports your arch. These tendons are particularly vulnerable to tendinitis from overuse. However, the Achilles tendon is one of the most common sources of tendinitis and frequently causes foot and ankle pain.

Pain that gets worse when you use the affected tendon is the main symptom of tendinitis. You might experience some swelling or thickening of the tendon, and your foot or ankle can feel weak or unstable.

What causes tendinitis?

Tendinitis most often develops from repetitive stress. If you regularly perform the same activities, particularly ones that place a lot of strain on the tendon, it can trigger tendinitis.

The condition can also occur if you suddenly increase the intensity or length of your exercise routine. This is more likely if you have additional problems like tight calf muscles that pull on the Achilles tendon.

Without treatment, tendinitis can cause tendinopathy. This is the breakdown of the tendon, causing it to become hard, thickened, and scarred.

How is tendinitis treated?

Dr. Hansen generally starts by using treatments that don’t involve surgery when treating tendinitis. Your treatment program can include:

• Rest
• Immobilization
• Bracing
• Custom-fitted orthotics
• Physical therapy
• Extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT)
• Steroid injections

It’s possible to treat damaged tendons using conservative treatments. Dr. Hansen has excellent success in helping patients find a solution to tendinitis that doesn’t involve surgery. However, if the tendon is severely damaged, you’ll probably need that operation.

What might tendinitis surgery involve?

In some cases, Dr. Hansen will repair a torn tendon by stitching the damaged ends together.

If the tendon is too severely damaged to repair, he could use a graft — a piece of tendon taken from another part of your body or a donor. Dr. Hansen reattaches the tendon to the bone using the graft. In time, new tissue grows to make a healthy tendon.

If you have symptoms of tendinitis, get prompt treatment by calling Hansen Foot & Ankle today. You can also book an appointment online.