How Does Tendonitis Affect Your Feet?

If you’re struggling with foot pain, tendonitis or inflammation of the tendons could be the reason. In fact, this condition, which can develop in your foot or ankle, is one of the most common causes of chronic foot pain.

The good news is that the board-certified providers at Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers provide personalized tendonitis care to ease discomfort. At our multiple locations in Mansfield and Arlington, Texas, we evaluate your feet and ankles and create customized plans to get you back on your feet again.

Here’s a closer look at how tendonitis affects your feet and how we can help end your pain.

How tendonitis triggers foot pain

You develop tendonitis when the tissue that connects your bone and muscles gets irritated or inflamed. While you can get tendonitis because of an acute injury, most cases occur because of overuse, over-training, or suddenly increasing your activity. 

Signs of tendonitis include:

• Foot pain that gets worse with exercise or physical activity
• Redness, swelling, or warmth in the foot or around the tendon
• Pain or stiffness that’s worse after rest or first thing in the morning
• Pain in the area where the affected tendon meets the bone
• Pain along the length of the affected tendon
• Noticeable thickening of the affected tendon
• Small formations of extra bone (bone spurs) near the tendon

When tendonitis causes foot pain, it’s usually because a tendon in or near the foot is involved. Your feet are small but complex body parts with many tendons, and issues with any of them can lead to ongoing discomfort. Some of the most common types of tendonitis that trigger foot pain include:

• Extensor tendonitis, affecting the tendon along the top of your foot
• Posterior tibial tendonitis, affecting the tendon on the inside (arch) of your foot
• Peroneal tendonitis, affecting the tendons that connect your mid-foot and ankle bone
• Achilles tendonitis, affecting the tendon that connects your heel and calf

Other conditions that don’t involve your tendons, like plantar fasciitis, can also cause foot pain and other similar symptoms. For that reason, if you’re experiencing foot pain, seek help from a podiatrist who can accurately diagnose your condition and recommend the best treatments for a full recovery.

Tendonitis treatments to ease your foot pain

At Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Centers, we know you want to end your foot pain as quickly as possible so you can get back to your normal activities. We share your goal, but we also want to be sure your injury heals correctly so you can avoid foot problems in the future.

That’s why our providers personalize your tendonitis treatment plan based on the nature and severity of your condition. For most patients, we begin with conservative treatments, which may include personalized plans for:

• Rest and elevation
• Heat and cold therapy
• Foot and/or ankle immobilization
• Added support using braces, splints, and/or orthotics
• Physical therapy
• Prescribed lifestyle or activity changes 

Our practice also uses two innovative therapies to help treat tendonitis and prevent recurrence: extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT) and stem cell injections:

• Noninvasive (EPAT) delivers pressure waves into inflamed tendon tissues to stimulate your body’s natural healing process and improve blood circulation
• Stem cell injections encourage the production of new tendon tissues to heal your injuries

Even if your tendon has ruptured, our providers incorporate these holistic treatments to give you the best results possible. Surgery may offer the best long-term solution for some patients with severe tendonitis or issues related to tendonitis. 

Learn more about how tendonitis affects your feet and the ways we can help by scheduling an appointment online or over the phone with a provider at one of the Arlington/Mansfield Foot & Ankle Center locations in Texas.