With the constant impact of running, you may start to experience the pain of peroneal tendonitis. Why do you have this pain around your ankles and what can you do to get rid of it?
Stretching and strengthening are the common treatment techniques among most soft tissue injuries, but muscle scraping may be the missing piece to your recovery.
This article will lead you through the causes of and the best treatments for peroneal tendonitis.
What is peroneal tendonitis?
Generally, tendonitis is the inflammation or degeneration of the tendon of a muscle, causing pain and dysfunction. Peroneal tendonitis is common in running, especially endurance training, due to the constant stress on the foot and ankle. Instability of the ankles leads to a lot of lateral force, which needs to be counteracted by the peroneal muscles1.
Overuse of the tendons of the peroneal muscles, and rubbing on the ankle bone, causes the tendons to become inflamed. Muscle scraping, based on the gua sha technique, promotes new blood flow in the area and creates an ideal healing environment for soft tissue injuries.
The basics of scraping
- Scrape each section for about 30 seconds, or until you see lots of petechiae appear, whichever comes first. Petechiae is the appearance of bright red spots on the skin, due to the breaking of small blood vessels.
- If you experience lots of petechiae, give wait at least 48 hours between sessions to prevent bruising.
- If you don’t experience petechiae, it is safe to scrape every day.
- Scrape before a workout to passively warm up your muscles, after a workout to prevent stiffness, or anytime throughout the day when you want to relieve pain or tension.
- Use moderate pressure, you should not just be lightly rubbing the tool against your skin, but it also should not be painful.
How do I scrape for peroneal tendonitis?
When scraping for peroneal tendonitis, you want to make sure that you are hitting the entire muscle and tendon.
Using the concave edge of the Echo, scrape along the entire outside of your lower leg from below the knee, down to the ankle.
To scrape the tendons, use the corner of the tool to target behind the ankle bone and into the side of the foot.
Strengthening
Strengthening your tissues allows them to tolerate higher forces, and therefore less likely to be irritated or injured by the constant forces while running. Perform these exercises 3-4 times per week, giving yourself at least 24 hours between sessions to allow your muscles to recover.
Calf Raises
To target the peroneal muscles, perform calf raises with your toes pointed outwards. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
Eversion with Band
Place the band around your feet. Using one foot as the anchor, turn the other foot outwards, hold for 3 seconds, then slowly come back to the starting position. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions on each foot.
Stretching
Stretching prevents tension and stiffness, especially after working out. Hold each position for 30 seconds on each side, performing at least once a day.
Gastrocnemius Stretch
Soleus Stretch
Peroneal Stretch
Massage can also be a very effective way to provide relief for peroneal tendonitis pain. Check out another one of our blogs for information on how to massage at home!
Conclusion
Peroneal tendonitis is a very common injury from running or other weight-bearing activities. As there’s no one-off solution to this injury, a well-rounded treatment plan is the best way to return to your sport without pain.
Sidekick can supply all of the tools necessary to carry out this treatment plan. Order yourself an Echo Muscle Scraper and a pack of glute bands and get back to running pain-free!
Ariana Purificati Fune
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