Peroneal Tendonitis Exercises

Peroneal tendonitis is a painful condition to live with. But did you know that exercising and stretching can be good for your rehabilitation? Couple this with expertly crafted shoes that are designed to improve overall support and you’ll be well on your way to feeling better.

Peroneal tendonitis is a specific type of inflammation of the tendon. While it is not all that common, it tends to result from repetitive motion among athletes. If you have peroneal tendonitis, you may experience pain when you are walking, jogging or running. This pain affects the outer part of your foot and lower leg, and is noticeable from the moment you awaken in the mornings. There may also be swelling in the ankles. 

Additional risk factors for developing peroneal tendonitis include spraining your ankles repeatedly, tightness in your calf muscles, or high arches. 

It is common for physicians to recommend physical therapy for peroneal tendonitis. As part of your therapy, you may be advised to perform certain stretches and exercises. Research shows that stretching can enhance elasticity in the tendons, which may have a beneficial effect when healing from tendon injuries. 

Now that you understand the benefits of stretches and exercises for peroneal tendonitis, let’s go over a few of the best peroneal tendonitis exercises. You may also want to take a look at the best exercises for neuropathy. 

While these exercises should be safe for you to perform, it is important to be cautious when starting out. If you feel any unusual or severe pain while you are doing them, immediately stop. You might be performing the exercise correctly, or you could simply be overdoing it. Either way, take a break, and be careful once you start up again. 

If any particular exercise is not working out for you, that is perfectly okay; you can just do the others. 

1. Sit on the floor with  your legs flat on the ground pointed out straight in front of you. 
2. Lean forward, and loop a towel around the bottom of your feet, holding onto either end of it with your hands. 
3. Pull the towel gently toward you. It will stretch your feet  toward you. Release it. Repeat as needed.

1. Stand with one foot in front of you. Lift your toes up off the ground with that foot, keeping your back foot planted firmly on the floor. The heel of your front foot should also remain in contact with the floor.
2. Lean forward carefully. Wait 30 seconds, then lean back. Repeat several times.

If you are worried about your balance, do this stretch in front of a wall or chair. 

There are a number of ways to stretch the plantar fascia, but here is an easy one using a tennis ball:

1. Seat yourself on a chair.
2. Put a tennis ball on the floor, and place your foot on top of it.
3. Roll the ball around using your foot for a few minutes. 

If you do not have a tennis ball, you can substitute another rollable object. For example, a rolling pin can work great, as can a bottle with ice in it.

Tendonitis is an inflammatory condition, so the coolness of the ice can be very soothing and may help to reduce some of the pain and swelling. You can always put other objects in the freezer for a while before use as well if you want to cool them down. 

This exercise is almost exactly like the towel stretch. But instead of using a towel, you use a resistance band. And you do not have to lean forward to reach; you can sit upright. The steps are otherwise exactly the same. You might prefer this exercise if you have difficulties leaning forward. 

1. Stand in front of a chair and hold onto the back of it.
2. Rise up on your tiptoes.
3. Lower yourself back down. Repeat as many times as suits you.

You can also do this exercise standing on the edge of a raised surface, like a curb or step, with your heels over the edge; this gives you a wider range of motion for your feet. But only do this if you will not lose your balance. 

If possible, try to do it where you have something you can hold onto—but keep in mind that may not prevent you from falling over backwards. You could have someone spot you—or just stick with doing it on flat ground to avoid this possibility. 

1. Sit in a chair. Put one foot on the floor, and raise the other up over your knee.
2. Use your hand to gently pull your toes up and back.
3. Hold for a few seconds, then release.

While you are holding your toes back, you can use your other hand to massage your arch. 

1. Find a doorway where you can lie on your back.
2. Keeping one leg flat on the floor in front of you, raise up the other along the doorframe, straightening it as you go. 
3. Once your leg is straightened (likely at around a 45 degree angle to your body), hold the position.
4. Bring your leg back down. Now, switch and do it with your other leg. Go back and forth a few times.

The gentle peroneal tendonitis exercises we discussed above do not require you to walk. As we mentioned before, you should avoid too much repetitive motion as well while you heal from peroneal tendonitis. But you are going to need to do some degree of walking just to go about your daily life. 

One thing that can help you to minimize the stress on your feet and ankles and manage your symptoms as you do is wearing suitable footwear.

We recommend Cadense Original Adaptive Shoe for men and women. These shoes feature patented variable friction technology.

What this technology does is allow you to move across obstacles without having to lift your foot up high. If your peroneal tendonitis is making it difficult for you to raise your feet while you walk, this feature will help you move in a safer and more natural way across a variety of different types of terrain.

Additionally, these shoes are designed with ample support, ensuring that they are ideal for a range of wearers with different foot shapes and arch heights. The sensation of walking in them truly does compare to walking on a cloud. Chances are high you will want to continue walking in them after your peroneal tendonitis heals.