Ankle Tendonitis Treatment
Southeast Wisconsin’s Ankle Tendonitis Resources
Your ankle is among the joints most likely to experience an injury to a tendon, which connects muscle to bone. If you fall or often repeat the same movements during sports or daily activities, you may feel pain due to ankle tendon inflammation, or tendonitis.
When you suspect an ankle tendon injury, get an informed diagnosis and comprehensive treatment options from Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital. At one of our Milwaukee or Southeast Wisconsin locations, an orthopedic specialist will work with you to design an ankle tendonitis treatment plan suited to your lifestyle.
Conditions We Treat
Find skilled, compassionate care at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital for several types of ankle tendon injuries:
- Achilles tendonitis – Discomfort in the Achilles tendon, which runs upwards from the back of your heel; you may experience this condition along with bone spurs or flat foot
- Posterior tibial tendonitis – Pain in a tendon on the inner side of your ankle, just under the protruding bone; this condition contributes to flat foot
- Peroneal tendonitis – Inflammation of a tendon along the outer edge of your heel; this condition can lead to an ankle sprain
To determine the source of your pain, an orthopedic specialist will ask you to perform some simple ankle flexibility and strength exercises. An X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also may help your doctor assess the extent of your injury.
Treating Ankle Tendonitis
Your physician might recommend beginning your ankle tendonitis treatment with conservative approaches such as:
- Avoiding walking or running on hard or uneven surfaces
- Choosing low-impact or no-impact exercises, such as bicycling or swimming
- Icing your ankle three times a day for 15-20 minutes
- Keeping cushioned heel inserts in your shoes to absorb impact as you walk
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Stretching your ankle gently and regularly
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling
- Wearing a brace or boot to stabilize your joint
If these measures don’t significantly decrease your pain in two to three months, ask about extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), a brief, noninvasive procedure that may relieve your symptoms.
When surgery is your best treatment option, a skilled physician at Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital can ease your discomfort by repairing or removing inflamed tissue and eliminating any bone spurs that irritate your tendon. You may wear a splint to stabilize your ankle and use crutches to keep weight off your foot in the following weeks.
As you recover from your procedure, orthopedic rehabilitation will help you regain strength and range of motion.