Tendonitis Specialist

What causes tendonitis?

Tendonitis, or inflammation of your tendon, often stems from overuse from your job or sporting activities. Some of the most common causes of tendonitis — including Achilles tendonitis in your calf or posterior tibial tendonitis in your inner ankle — include:

• Overly tight or inflexible calf muscles
• Training on hills or an uneven surface
• Chronic inflammation, as with arthritis
• Rapid increases in speed, as with sprinting
• Abnormal foot structure, including flatfoot
• Infrequent training or poor warmups, which is common with weekend warriors

It’s also possible to suffer from tendonitis if you’ve had it in the past, or had a prior ankle injury, especially if you have never had it properly treated.

When should I see a podiatrist for tendonitis?

Because tendonitis is likely going to worsen, especially if you can’t stay off your feet to give the tendon a rest, it’s important to schedule an exam at Worman Foot & Ankle Associates as soon as you start feeling discomfort. Dr. Worman encourages you to have an evaluation if you experience:

• Tenderness or swelling
• Recurring localized pain
• Sluggishness in your leg
• Pain that improves with rest
• Limited range-of-motion in your foot or ankle
• Stiffness that subsides as the tendon warms up with activity

At Worman Foot & Ankle Associates, you can receive any essential X-rays or ultrasounds right in the office, so you can often get diagnosed on the spot and start treatment quickly.

Which tendonitis treatment is best?

Your tendonitis treatment plan incorporates several different solutions that are designed to relieve your current discomfort, while simultaneously promoting soft tissue healing and strengthening. Dr. Worman may suggest any of the following tendonitis therapies.

• Massage therapy
• Physical therapy
• Custom orthotics
• Strengthening exercises
• Compression bandaging
• Therapeutic ultrasound
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Temporarily switching to a different exercise, like swimming, to relieve tendon strain

In serious cases of tendonitis, Dr. Worman may recommend surgery. Tendonitis surgery is sometimes necessary to remove fibrous tissues and repair any tears in the affected tendon. No matter which treatment is right for you, even if you need surgery, you can expect comprehensive care at Worman Foot & Ankle Associates.

Before your tendonitis pain affects you another day, contact Worman Foot & Ankle Associates to get started on treatment. Schedule your tendonitis evaluation online or over the phone.