Ankle tendonitis
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What is it? Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon – tendons are the attachment between muscles and bone. This is an overuse injury usually due to repetitive stress activities such as excessive running and jumping. Over time, the tendon composition can change causing a thickening (tendinosis).
In severe or chronic cases, micro-tearing can occur, increasing the risk of tendon rupture.
Common sites
• Achilles tendon (back of the heel)
• Flexor hallicus longus (medial ankle/ arch into the great toe)
• Posterior tibialis (medial ankle into the arch)
• Peroneals (lateral leg into the lateral ankle/ foot)
Common causes
• Overuse injury
• Environment- footwear, floor surfaces, choreography
• Muscle weakness and lack of flexibility
• Alignment/ technique- lack of heel contact with landing, rolling in during plie or landing from jumps
Symptoms
If you have tendonitis you will experience a gradual increase in pain in the affected area.
Pain is typically felt at the beginning of class.
Due to the muscle tightness that is usually associated with this injury you may experience restrictions in the depth of your plie and pain when going into releve, landing from a jump, winging or sickling the foot or with turns.
You may also experience pain with stretching.
Treatment 1) Ice after activity and lightly stretch to maintain flexibility.
2) Avoid jumps and any other activities that elicit pain (plies, releves).
3) Manual therapy, including self-massage, cross friction massage at the insertion of the tendon to release the muscles.
4) Find the source of what is causing the pain (poor technique, overtraining).
5) Eccentric (contracting the muscle as it lengthens) exercise program
6) A kinetic chain/ biomechanical examination is advised.
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