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Treatment for foot tendonitis
Body Part:
Foot
Equipment:
Mini Foam Roller
Level:
Beginner
Tendons for the Long Run: A 6-Minute Treatment for Foot Tendonitis
If you have foot tendonitis, one or more of your foot tendons has become inflamed. Although moving your foot hurts, the right kind of activity can help your injured tendon. Studies have shown that complete immobilization can have negative consequences.1) We’ve developed a 6-minute routine to ease the swelling and stiffness in your foot. All you need is our Mini Foam Roller. If you don’t have our tool, try using a rolling pin. If you want to start exercising, jump to our video and follow along. Keep reading to learn more about foot tendonitis and foot tendons.
What is Foot Tendonitis?
Our feet are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 tendons. Tendons are soft connective tissue consisting primarily of water and collagen that allow our joints to move.2) Besides helping with movement, our foot tendons keep us balanced. Foot tendonitis occurs if any of these tendons become irritated or inflamed.
What Causes Foot Tendonitis?
Foot tendonitis is an overuse injury—the condition results from performing the same movements over and over or overstretching the tendon. Foot tendonitis is common among ballet dancers, athletes, and people who exercise regularly, especially if the sport or exercise requires running or jumping. Foot tendonitis may develop from a foot or ankle injury.
You May Be at Risk of Developing Foot Tendonitis If You:
- have diabetes, arthritis, or gout.
- have flat feet or high foot arches.
- are overweight.
- start exercising intensely after a long break.
Symptoms of Foot Tendonitis Are:
- pain along the tendon or at the point where the tendon attaches to the bone,
- the area around the tendon is red, swollen, or warm,
- pain that decreases when you rest your foot but flares up when you move it,
- the tendon feels stiff when you wake up in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
The Most Common Types of Foot Tendonitis Are:
Peroneal tendonitis. The peroneal tendons are located behind the outer ankle bone. Each foot has two peroneal tendons which run side by side. One is attached to the outside edge of the midfoot, the other near the inner area of the foot arch. The peroneal tendons stabilize our feet, help them make an outward motion, and protect against sprains. Peroneal tendonitis causes ankle pain.
Extensor tendonitis. The extensor tendons run along the tops of our feet, connecting the front leg bones to our toes. The extensors help us flex our toes and lift them off the ground. Extensor tendonitis causes pain on the top of the foot.
Posterior tibial tendonitis (posterior tibial tendon dysfunction). The posterior tibial tendon attaches the calf muscles to the foot bones. The posterior tibials support the inside arches of our feet. Posterior tendonitis causes pain on the inside of the foot and ankle.
Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. The Achilles pulls our heels off of the ground so we can stand on our toes. Achilles tendonitis is often caused by excessive sport, exercise, or training on an inappropriate surface.3) You may develop tendonitis in your Achilles if you have tight calves or have begun wearing a pair of new shoes. Achilles tendonitis causes pain at the back of the leg or above the heel.
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Exercise 1: Toe Flexion
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
- Place your affected foot on top of your opposite leg just above the knee.
- Cover your toes with your hand and pull them towards your heel.
- You’ll feel a stretch along the top of your foot.
- On each exhale, increase the intensity of your stretch by pulling your toes closer to your heel.
- Hold for 2 minutes.
- Finish and repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 3: Sole Foam Roll Massage
For this exercise, you’ll need our Mini Foam Roller.
- Stand with the Mini Foam Roller in front of your affected foot.
- Grip the Mini Foam Roller with your toes. Apply as much force as you can and slowly roll along the sole of your foot in the direction of your heel.
- Roll for at least 2 minutes.
- When you reach the edge of your heel, you’re done.
- Repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Routine is the Key to Relief.
Perform our treatment for foot tendon pain 6 days a week and leave 1 day for rest. When the pain and swelling in your foot become less intense, you can adjust your exercise frequency.
Give your foot time to heal. Take a break from whatever activity brought on your foot tendonitis.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Cook J. L. (2018). Ten treatments to avoid in patients with lower limb tendon pain. British journal of sports medicine, 52(14), 882. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099045.
- ↑2 Hayes, A., Easton, K., Devanoboyina, P.T., Wu, Jian-Ping., Kirk, T.B., Lloyd, D. (2019). A review of methods to measure tendon dimensions. Journal of Orthopedic Surgery and Research. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- ↑3 Simpson, M. R., & Howard, T. M. (2009). Tendinopathies of the foot and ankle. American family physician, 80(10), 1107–1114.
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