You do not need a ton of equipment to treat your peroneal tendonitis. Depending on the severity of symptoms you may be able to handle the rehab process on your own.
It is possible to treat peroneal tendonitis at home with bodyweight exercises and/or a resistance band.
In this article, I will share a few exercises you can do if you have no equipment or resistance bands.
I’ll also share some important rehab principles that will help guide you along the way.
Critical Rehab Principles (how to know if what you’re doing is working)
If you don’t follow these guidelines you risk extending your rehab beyond normal time frames
- Do not push past severe pain. If you the exercise you are doing is intolerable due to pain, please, change a variable. Read this article **insert article** about how to modify your exercises if you aren’t sure how to do that.
- Low and slow. Start with lower weight, lower resistance, and slower movements, first. While you might be able to tolerate higher intensity, it’s a better idea to start slow, see how your body tolerates resistance and speed, and then progress.
- Give yourself 24-48 hours of rest between exercise sessions of the same muscle group.
- There is no “bad exercise,” only the exercise you are not prepared for. The goal of rehab is to get you back to moving freely without worrying about whether or not it’s going to hurt.
No Equipment Peroneal Tendonitis Exercises For Rehab At Home
Exercises you can do at home with no equipment whatsoever, include:
Side planks
Eversion against wall
Foot Resisted Eversion
Ankle circles
Resistance Band Exercises for Peroneal Tendon
Monster walks
Sidelying hip abduction
Resisted ankle inversion/eversion
When Should You See A Physical Therapist or Other Healthcare Provider?
If you’ve been trying to rehab this yourself for > 2 weeks and you’re not making any progress, it’s likely time to reach out to a professional.
For this type of injury, it’s best to reach out a physical therapist who is experienced with foot, ankle, and lower leg injuries.
I am biased (as I am a physical therapist), however, I know that PTs are better trained in the rehabilitation and differential diagnosis of lower leg injuries than your primary care physician, chiropractor, or podiatrist.
An orthopedic surgeon/sports medicine physician has slightly better diagnostic skills when it comes to diagnosing specific orthopedic injuries but do not have extensive training in rehabilitation.
Keep all of this in mind when you are choosing who to work with for this injury.
How To Reduce Symptoms Without Exercise
If this injury was sustained during activity, which in most cases it is, it’s still recommended to work the muscle and increase its durability. With that being said, sometimes it’s just a minor tweak that takes some TLC (tender loving care), which is what I’ll go through in this section.
Ice or Heat
Either one of these is fine. There is no difference between ice and heat. It comes down to which one feels best for you.
Ice and heat interventions are symptom modifiers and do not make meaningful cellular changes.
Massage
While massage does compress the tissue, this may be helpful for the right person. I use the principle of “test it and see,” meaning, you’re going to need to test and see what works for you.
We know that for most people finding some amount of exercise that is tolerable tends to be beneficial. But, beyond that, everyone responds differently to interventions and it’s important to find the “cocktail,” that works for you.
Foam Roller?
I typically do not recommend foam rolling for any type of tendon injury. There has been some data to suggest that compressing tendons is not ideal for healing, however, I do also have some clients who find benefit from this. Use at your own discretion.
Key Takeaways
- Peroneal tendonitis can be treated at home with or without equipment
- It’s important to follow the rehab principles listed above when trying to improve any injury or pain condition
- Symptom modifiers are not long-term fixes but can help to make symptoms tolerable while you are recovering
- If you are not improving and symptoms seem to be getting worse after 2 weeks, make an appointment to see your physical therapist. You’ll likely get in to see them much faster than your
