Peroneal Tendonitis, Outer Ankle Pain Treatment & Prevention

Outer ankle pain is one of the most common orthopedic conditions in the US. If you are having ankle pain, you are not alone. According to a study, the prevalence of ankle pain is around 12%. Ankle pain can be due to injuries to the inner and outer ankle. Most of the time, we encounter outer ankle pain. This can be due to many reasons, including peroneal tendonitis, ankle sprain, and fracture of the ankle joint.

You might be wondering what are some of these terms? Don’t worry; we will explain everything. Continue reading to get to know some of the causes of outer ankle pain and how outer ankle pain can be treated and prevented through PowerStep orthotics.

Causes

1. Ankle sprains involve injuries to the tendons and ligaments stabilizing your ankle joint. A commonly injured ligament is the lateral collateral ligament. This ligament is present on the outer ankle. So, injury to this ligament causes outer ankle pain. Ankle inversion, or the ankle rolling under the foot, occurs when the bones on the ankle joint are displaced, putting a stretch on the ligament. The ligaments may also be torn.

2. Peroneal tendonitis – tendonitis refers to inflammation or swelling of the tendon. Tendons are strong, tensile tissues that attach the muscles to bone. They are crucial in movement around any joint. Usually, repeated movements and use of the tendons without adequate rest lead to tendonitis, such as peroneal tendonitis. The peroneal ligament attaches the leg muscles to the foot's outer side. It spans the ankle and causes eversion of the foot. Eversion of the foot or over-pronation simply means tilting your sole away from the midline. Injury to the peroneal tendon, usually due to overuse, causes peroneal tendonitis and subsequent outer ankle pain.

3. Misalignment of feet – people have certain foot shapes, e.g., flat feet, specific postures, or body types. At times, abnormal posture or placing of the foot leads to a constant strain on the ankle joint and ankle pain.

Ankle Pain Treatment and Prevention

Luckily, most cases of outer ankle pain are not due to fractures, and they are treatable. Ankle pain treatment in these cases doesn’t require surgeries or complex procedures. A simple ankle treatment option is using orthotics. Orthotics are specially designed insoles that provide support to your feet. They can also be used to prevent and treat ankle pain, especially outer ankle pain and foot-associated pain, like plantar fasciitis.

Our PowerStep Orthotics are a clinically proven insole that helps patients recover from foot pain, sole pain, outer ankle pain, and peroneal tendonitis. PowerStep orthotics incorporate a semi-rigid, self-supporting shell in between targeted cushioning layers to give firm support to the feet. This can help relieve the tension and align your feet properly, decreasing stress and impingement of the Peroneal tendons. The correct alignment of your feet is a great way to reduce strain on the ankle and prevent peroneal tendonitis. Fortunately for us, these are not just claims. PowerStep orthotics has been clinically tested and found to greatly reduce foot-associated pain and improve foot alignment.

If you are suffering from nagging ankle pain and you want a safe and non-invasive solution, get yourself a PowerStep Pinnacle Orthotic Insole. These orthotics are designed according to your needs and help reduce foot and ankle problems like outer ankle pain and peroneal tendonitis. Happy walking!

Sources:

1. Melanson, S. W., & Shuman, V. L. (2021). Acute Ankle Sprain. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.>
2. Murray, C., Marshall, M., Rathod, T., Bowen, C. J., Menz, H. B., & Roddy, E. (2018). Population prevalence and distribution of ankle pain and symptomatic radiographic ankle osteoarthritis in community dwelling older adults: a systematic review and cross-sectional study. PLoS One, 13(4), e0193662.
3. Frank, A. L., Charette, R. S., & Groen, K. (2020). Ankle dislocation.