Forums >Health and Nutrition>What to do with Minor Peroneal Tendon Injury?
Hello runners! I need your help... I have scoured the internet and RA forums but have not found anything specifically targeted to my situation...
I have been having pain on the outside of my right ankle since Sunday (6 days ago) that I believe is an injury to the peroneal tendon, specifically the peroneal brevis. I can walk on the foot no problem, but the spot is tender to the touch and gives me pain when changing direction to the right in particular while walking. I have full active mobility of the ankle without pain except for a little twinge when the right foot reaches approximately the 9 o'clock position in a counter clockwise ankle roll.
What caused the injury was likely that I rolled my ankle this Saturday on an extremely rough cross country course with steep uneven slops over bumpy ground hidden under long grass. Before that I had not even a hint of any injury.
I think the injury seems minor and it doesn't seem severe enough given the minor pain and the high mobility, but I don't know. Is the treatment for a muscular injury different from a tear to the tendon, and if I choose the wrong treatment I could make it worse? Unfortunately, I got an estimate of the cost from my insurance and don't have it in my budget to pay to see a sport's medicine doctor to get a diagnosis. I may have it in my budget for a session of myofascial massage for 60 minutes which I would pay out of pocket, if that would even be helpful (?).
I have tried calf stretches, toe raises, heel raises, ice, a walgreens ankle brace which is like a compression sock, and self massage using my hands or the stick to the trigger point in my leg where it hurts (massaging to only a 5 out of 10 on the discomfort scale), and have seen a little improvement, but at other times I feel like maybe I just hurt it more.
So my question is, is there anyone out there with a minor peroneal tendon injury who can advise what treatment was helpful and what was not (massage vs exercise vs stretching, none or all of the above)? I want to get back to running asap, but don't want to put myself on the sidelines even longer by starting up too early. The big 10 miler I am gearing up for is 8 weeks out and I have already been training. I wanted a new PR but I might be able to get away with 6 weeks of preparation. Could I start running now (particularly wearing the ankle brace) without too much risk of further injury or does it sound like there is something else I can do?
Yes, I struggle w this injury. I found a sports medicine guy who runs a chiropractor / physical therapy / rehab clinic. My insurance will cover so many chiropractic visits and so many rehab visits-- he bills accordingly, I pay the copay. At first he would simply use active release techniques and some stim. I wasn't supposed to run a ton so I swam and did some trail running once a week which uses different muscles. Then he took a class in needling (similar to acupuncture I guess) and that did the trick. Unfortunately I am prone to this because I have poor ankle flexibility so now I go once a month or so (sometimes more if training hard) and get needled. The needles work like active release but faster. Hope this helps. Chris
Update for anyone with similar problems: I rested my ankle for about 10 days until I didn't feel discomfort and took a tentative easy run with no issues. I used ice and ibuprofen and did stretch and self massage, though I am not sure how much that helped. Rest might have been the best thing for it. I have gotten advice to stay off of grass and trails, as it is likely vulnerable to reinjury for the next few months.
Acupuncture had occurred to me, I have never heard of needling. For now it seems like this is a one-time thing but if it becomes recurring (fingers crossed it doesn't) I will be open minded to one of those methods! Thanks!