Almost no matter where you go around the world, people play soccer. It’s the sport that pulls people together and requires both skill and endurance. It also requires strong ankles to keep up. When you’re struggling with something like peroneal tendinitis, the beautiful game doesn’t feel so beautiful anymore. Peroneal tendon problems are typically overuse injuries that only get worse with time. Whether you play pick-up soccer games or are on a regular team, this is one problem you shouldn’t try to play through.
The peroneal tendons run along the outside of your ankle and behind the bony bump there, connecting muscles to the outside of your foot. These little tendons are crucial for helping stabilize the ankle. In a sport like soccer, which involves sudden changes in direction and significant stress on your ankle joints, they are particularly important. It’s all too easy to strain or overwork them and develop peroneal tendinitis, making it quite painful to run around the field.
Fortunately, treating inflammation and swelling in these tendons isn’t as difficult as you might think, and the sooner you deal with the problem, the sooner you can get back to playing soccer without pain. Here are a few ways to take offense against peroneal tendinitis:
- Rest – You probably don’t want to hear this, but rest is the most important thing you can do for your ankle. Take a break, limit home much time you spend on your feet, and avoid straining your lower limbs until the pain goes away.
- Ice – Apply cold packs to the outside of your ankle several times a day. This reduces inflammation and swelling around the tendons.
- Strengthen – Physical therapy exercises to build up power in your tendons and helps condition them for the stress of soccer, which can help protect your ankles in the long run.
- Check cleats – Make sure your cleats fit properly and support you correctly. Poorly fitted cleats could be putting extra strain on your lower limbs and contributing to your pain.
