Has anyone ever had tendonitis in ankle?

R

Reese777

Cathlete
Hello,

I went to the doc today for an Xray of my left ankle because the last few times I've gone running my left ankle has hurt on the inside, right above the ankle "knot" bone. I wanted to rule out a stress fracture. The xray came back okay, and the doc suggested it was tendonitis (sp?) in the area and to ice it. She also suggested physical therapy and a sports inquiry to make sure my form is correct, that I'm using the right shoes, etc. (That last one is a doozy...I've had two podiatrists tell me shoes type means nothing...can you believe that?)

I'm just wondering if anyone out there has experienced this and how long it took you to recover - what exercise you were able to do in the mean time that didn't make things worse! Not being able to work out is like being caged...especially now that I'm trying to start back into a regular workout routine.

:(
 
Oh, no, Reese! Sorry to hear about your injury!

You should definitely see an orthopedist or sports medicine doctor. I had achilles tendonitis - different from yours but I imagine treatment would be similar - and went to a sports medicine specialist, who examined me, analyzed my gait, etc. I was told to use ice and NSAIDs, change up my running shoes, and hate to tell you but ultimately, I was forced to rest.

I'm surprised that two podiatrists told you the shoes do not matter. Dealing with my injury led me finally to a running specialty store, where I explained my problem and ran in front of them. I was fitted with a neutral shoe that has worked well for me ever since. I also use a SuperFeet insert which helps as well.

You might also look into trigger point therapy...I discovered it after having my bout with AT and now I look out for knots that develop in certain areas of my calves. Massage (using either a foam roller, the Stick, or your hands/knees) in addition to stretching can help prevent injuries like these.

While you are healing, the best exercise, I'm guessing, would probably be swimming or running in the pool, if you have access.

Best of luck! I hope the healing is quick!
Cathy :)

"I always loved running...You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."
-Jesse Owens
 
Not the same probably but I had tendonitis in the achilles tendon. I stayed in denial for three months and sometimes hobbled my way through classes. I finally went to the doctor and they sent me to physical therapy, I think I had six sessions or so two, three times per week. In addition they had me do stretches in my legs especially the calf area. They told me that I really need to stretch more and I also think at the time I was doing alot of spinning and I think I had my seat to far up causing pressure on my achilles. I always make a conscious effort to stretch and make sure my bike is correct position and yes shoes do matter to IMO.
 
Cathy,

Do you have (or have you ever experienced) tightness in your calves? I'm thinking this is one of my biggest problems. I've nursed plantar problems for a long while - ice, ultra sound usually keeps that at bay, but this ankle issue is new. I'll have more to report when I get in for an evaluation. I know my arches are okay because my chiropractor was trying to push these really expensive arch supports that are custom made and he had me stand on a new scanner he's purchased recently. It was actually funny because he was expecting part of my arches to be collapsed and my feet were nearly "perfect" based on his comparison. (I was so laughing inside...haha).

It's very very frustrating though because I want to workout, but when you constantly deal with pain that makes walking hard, it makes me feel trapped! then the last thing you want to do is rest!! ARRGH! x(
 
Reese,
Yes! Tight calves are an ongoing problem for me...Not so much now b/c my mileage is low, but when I'm running more, I have to work on the trigger points more. When I developed AT, I was not stretching faithfully after every run and I stubbornly ran through pain. Not good! I know it's frustrating, but you need to respond conservatively now, or it will make it worse.

I looked this up in The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook. There are several trigger points which could be causing pain on the *inside* of the ankle...if these muscles are tight, they are likely pulling on your tendon...Try these two spots. If it's tender when you put pressure there, then you know you've hit a trigger point:

~the gastrocnemius muscle - just a bit below your knee - the meatiest part - toward the inside of the leg
~the inside edge of your calf (same side as the ankle pain) - about midway up - just behind the tibia bone

Once I find a trigger point in my calf, I like to cross one leg over the other and use my knee to massage and get in there deep.

This was *not* part of my medical treatment, BTW - it's something I heard about on the Runner's World forums some years ago, and that - along with smarter training - has been the only thing that has kept the tendonitis at bay.

Cathy :)
 
I've been watching this thread, because I have similar pain, only on the outside of my ankle. I didn't intend to hijack this thread, but would appreciate any advice. Thank You!!
 
Hi-
If you are getting pain on the outside of the ankle, you could have trigger points in any of the three peroneous muscles, which are located on the outside of the lower leg. They attach to the fibula bone. The peroneus longus is featured on the previously-mentioned book's homepage: http://www.triggerpointbook.com/ This one is the longest and largest of three peroneus muscles and is more prone to trigger points. If you click on the link, you can view a diagram of exactly where to look for the trigger point.

The peroneus brevis is about a third of the way up the leg from the ankle. If you've got a trigger point here, the pain might extend along the outer side of your foot. And then there's peroneus tertius, which is just above the ankle. According to the book, you would feel pain just above the ankle toward the front of the foot with every step.

I know it may be hard to pinpoint the trigger points without the benefit of the diagrams in the book, but you can feel these muscles contract when you lift the outer edge of your foot at the same time as you lift the front of the foot.

To work through these trigger points, you could also use a tennis ball. Lie on your side and roll your leg over the ball.

HTH - Good luck!
~Cathy http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/4.gif
(formerly seeking_guns)

"Man who runs behind car gets exhausted. Man who runs in front of car gets tired." -Source unknown
 
Thank you Cathy, for responding so quickly. I am going to try the massage illustrated in the example. It is as though that picture was drawn for me. I have had multiple x-rays, a bone scan, and an MRI to determine that nothing is broken or torn. Activity as tolereted was the bottom line, and I don't even want to total up the out of pocket $$.

Thanks Again, T :)
 
Just a little warning here - just because the initial x-ray didn't show signs of a stress fracture, it doesn't mean that you don't have one. In fact, most of the time, stress fractures do NOT show up on an x-ray until they're healed (unless the fracture is pretty big).

I have one in my shin. It did not show up on x-ray, but the orthopedist said to treat it as a fracture to be safe. He told me to avoid all impact for 6 weeks, and then to come back for a re-check. Sure enough, the x-ray then showed where the bone had healed.

And if you DO have a stress fracture, let me give you another warning. BE CAREFUL when you work back into regular workouts. The doc gave me the okay, and I started slowly into my old routines. But then the high impact started bothering it again. I have to be very, very careful... I expect I should probably take an extended break. Sigh.
 
I have had this type of running injury before. Any problems I might have from running always show up somewhere in my left leg and I think I've made it through one marathon training cycle without any issues. When I was plagued with the problem you describe I took an entire week off from running and used an elliptical at the gym instead. After that week I was fine to run again but replaced 2 to 3 runs a week with the elliptical to cut down on the impact. That was all it took to take care of that particular problem. Now, if only PF were that easy......

You mention that you are trying to start back into a regular routine so I am assuming that you are just picking back up with running or maybe even just now starting a running program. Perhaps you have done too much too soon and simply backing off for a bit will take care of your aches and pains.
 
"You mention that you are trying to start back into a regular routine so I am assuming that you are just picking back up with running or maybe even just now starting a running program. Perhaps you have done too much too soon and simply backing off for a bit will take care of your aches and pains."

I'm thinking you may be right. I have been in a funk lately with my exercise and diet - its like I pushed myself really hard for so long that my body decided it was time for a break - even if I didn't like it! (And then I went on a junk fest...<<sigh>>). It was two weeks ago that I went back to the park three different nights in one week...I ran my normal route which was 4 laps, totally 5.2 miles. That's not a great deal of weekly mileage, but maybe because I hadn't been at it for a while I just wore my ankles out. I don't think my shoes are right though, although the irony is, my PF troubles have been less with these shoes. It's like a trade off sometimes...an annoying one, huh?

:D
 
Don't be too hard on yourself and keep your eye on the big picture!!!

I'm in a somewhat similar situation as you are. This is what I have been dealing with.... In October I ran an marathon, PR'd and qualified to run Boston. Two weeks later my brother who had been battling cancer died. To satisfy the overpowering need to keep my focus on *something* I ran another marathon 8 weeks after the first one. Once all that was done I shifted my focus to finally feeling the loss through holiday treat eating and gained 8 lbs! Even though I should have given myself a break from running I continued, even as PF started to develop.

I've not run since Feb 12th but am working my way back there. I've gotten some good care from my podiatrist who had me switch from neutral to stability shoes although he says I might eventually get back into the neutral shoes. The extra weight is gone and until today I have used my exercise bike exclusively for cardio. (today I used my elliptical for 30 minutes!!! Whoohoo!!!)

Through all of this I have really found that the most important aspect is attitude!!! It is so important to be positive and to find what your body is up for at the time and go with that. I don't know if I can put into words how very much I have missed running but on the flip side I've added additional ways to my routine to remain fit until I am back out there again.

So, what type of shoes are you currently wearing and when did you switch in relation to your ankle problem?
 
i've had the exact same problem and it ended up migrating further up.
it was originally mis-diagnosed as a stress fracture, then years later when i was running found out it was posterior tibial tendonitis. saw a sports PT, did (and still do) strengthening excerises for my ankle, toes and calves, got orthotics and shoes for over-pronators. and ice usually 2x/day for twenty minutes at a time when i feel it flaring up.
 
Do you feel that the PT helped you with the exercises? I tried running last night and I couldn't get half way through my normal run...it's very deflating. I'm seriously thinking about an exercise bike, but right now I don't have the cash freed up to buy one! They are really expensive, but it will be worth it when i can finally get one. I don't think it will hurt my ankle as much and I'll still be able to get my cardio in. I have a PT assessment coming up this week, so maybe they'll be able to help me.
 
Well, I'm in awe that you could run two marathons. I am more of a 5K person.....:)

I changed my shoes from Reebok DMX's (I have about 5 pairs of those - I used these for months because they did well with my plantar problems, but I thought I needed more arch support). I switched to a pair of Nike's (don't know the name) and they felt great on my feet, and actually stopped the PF trouble but then my ankles started hurting...it seemed to come on all of a sudden. It is very frustrating.
 
the PT made all the difference. i first saw an orthoepedic doctor and he referred me to a PT who ran boston marathons himself (they were all in the same building). he looked at my gait, took measurements, i suffered through several weeks of painful massage to that area (if you're like me any kind of touch hurts. this was intense massage), and he also did something w/ an electric meter thing. can't be too helpful on that one - it was a while ago. but it was all part of the healing. and he also had me doing strengthening exercises on my own 3x/day w/ a lot of stretching of the calf and achilles. he had me stop all impact activity during that time - it was 1-2 months. that was hard. but he cast my feet, had orthotics made, recommended a running shoe. he also had me switch to a more supportive shoe just for daily wear - birkenstocks. i was devastated (sorry, they are not cute) but i was so desperate to keep running. as long as i follow what i'm supposed to everything is fine. if i slack off on the strengthening for my ankles, spend a day wearing unsupportive shoes ... it starts flaring up. then i just ice it, go back to being a good girl, and it's all good!

hope this helps. it's a lot of info.
 
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