Physiotherapy treatment for Ankle tendonitis

Foot & ankle tendonitis which is also known as tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon in the foot & ankle joint.
Your ankle joint is one of the most common joints for developing tendonitis because it is the most common use of the joint.

It occurs due to infection in the ankle joint, rheumatic disease, and ankle sprain.
This tendonitis is produced by pain as a first sign, localized swelling & stiffness.
After diagnosis doctor is advised to RICE principle, Pain medication.
When the pain is not relieved after primary treatment then the doctor is advised to do physiotherapy exercises.

Table of Contents

What is Physiotherapy treatment for ankle tendonitis?

When this pain is not relieved after the home treatment & pain medication then the doctor has advised physiotherapy treatment to release the pain.

Physiotherapy treatment is help you relieve pain, swelling, spam & tightness of the muscle.

The physiotherapy treatment includes massage, electrotherapy treatment & exercise therapy.

Massage:

When the trigger & tender points are present in the pain area physiotherapist is advised to massage therapy release to these tender points.
Massage is applied with the help of the oil & applied for 5 -10 minutes.
Massage is applied 3 times per day at home.

You are used to various types of massage such as:
Trigger point massage
Deep tissue massage
Swedish massage

Electrotherapy treatment:

After the RICE principle, pain medication & massage if the syndrome muscle pain is not relieved then used Electrotherapy treatment for releasing this pain.

To relive the swellings, spams & pain physiotherapist is advised to you electrotherapy treatment.
In electrotherapy, the treatment therapist is used to many machines.

When the trigger & tender points are present therapists are advised & to apply US = ultrasound therapy for the release of syndrome pain.
This treatment is applied with the help of gel & applies for 5 to 10 minutes on the area of pain.
This therapy helps you release pain & swelling.

Reduce to pain physiotherapist is applied to SWD = short wave diathermy, IFT = Interferential Therapy, TENS = Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on the area of pain.
SWD = Short wave diathermy is hot therapy for release to spams on the area of muscle pain.
IFT = Interferential Therapy & TENS = Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is applied with the help of gel & electrodes on the area of muscle pain.
This therapy is applied for 10 minutes to the area of muscle pain.

Exercise therapy for ankle tendonitis :

After following the RICE principle for the 2- 3 days at home & primary treatment & the help of pain medication, you feel released from the pain.

When you feel too comfortable & release from your muscle pain then the physiotherapist is advised to you exercise therapy reduce to muscle weakness & tightness.

The exercise therapy for muscle pain includes stretching & strengthening exercises.

Stretching exercise helps to relieve muscle tightness as well as strengthening exercise is help you relieve muscle weakness.

Stretching exercise:

After the follow of electrotherapy for 2-3 days for release to muscle pain by the physiotherapist then the therapist is advised to stretch for release to muscle tightness.
This stretching is applied when your pain is released & when you feel comfortable.

Towel stretch
Standing calf stretch
Plantar fascia stretch
Standing soleus stretch
Achilles stretch
Band stretch
Cross leg ankle stretch
Plantar fascia stretch
Deep calf stretch

Towel stretch:

This stretching exercise requires a bath & pool towel.

You are sitting on the ground with your feet straight out in front.
Then take the towel & wrap it around the toes of one foot.
Try to gently pull back till a stretch runs from the bottom of the foot up to the back of the lower leg.
Hold this stretching position for 30–60 seconds.
Perform to the other leg &repeat.
You are performing this exercise 2–3 times on each side.

Standing calf stretch:

This stretching exercise requires a sturdy closed door & a blank wall.

You are standing facing the wall or door.
First place the palms against the door which is slightly higher than the shoulder joint.
Try to step back into a split stance.
Must be keeping both feet flat on the ground with the toes pointing forward.
Then slowly lean forward & bend the front knee joint to feel a stretch in the lower part of the back leg.
Hold this stretching position for up to 30 seconds.
When you are not feeling the stretch, you can try bending the back knee joint slightly while pushing the heel into the floor.
You are performing this exercise 2–3 times on each side in 1 session & 3 sessions per day.

Plantar fascia stretch:

You need to sit on a chair for this stretch & also require either a foam roller, tennis ball & food can.

You are sitting on the chair & place the foam roller, tennis ball & food can under your one foot.
Try to roll the foot back & forth over the object for 1 minute.
Then perform the same exercise on the other foot.
Try to cross one leg over the other & hold the big toe of the crossed leg.
Then gently pull it toward the body.
Hold this stretching exercise for 30–45 seconds.
Then perform the opposite legs over & repeat this movement.
You can repeat this exercise 5–10 times in 1 session & 3 sessions per day.

Standing soleus stretch:

You stand a few feet away from a wall & face the wall.
Place your affected leg back with your heel on the floor.
Try to bring your other leg forward or toward the wall.
Turn your affected foot slightly inward toward the other leg.
Must keep your other leg forward & slightly bend that knee joint.
Try to lean into the wall till you feel a stretch on your affected leg.
Hold this stretching exercise for 30 seconds & repeat 3 times.

Achilles stretch:

Start this stretching by standing near a wall & other support, like a chair, with your hands on the wall at eye level.
First, place your left leg a step behind your right leg.
Try to keep your left heel on the floor & bend your right knee joint till you feel a stretch in your left leg.
Then bend your back knee joint bent slightly to stretch your Achilles tendon.
Hold this stretching position for 30 seconds & repeating it 3 times on each leg.

Band stretch:

For this stretching, you use a band or strap.

For inward towel stretch:

You are sitting with your towel & band around your left foot.
Then firmly hold each end of the towel with your hands.
Try to slowly turn your ankle joint inward, like as you are facing the sole of your foot to the right side.
Pull up with the right-hand side of the towel to deepen the stretch.
Repeat this exercise on the other side.
Hold this stretching position for 30 seconds & repeat 3 times.

For outward towel stretch:

You are sitting with your towel & band around your left foot.
Then firmly hold each end of the towel with your hands.
At this time try to slowly turn your ankle joint outward, such you are facing the sole of your foot to the left side.
Then pull up with the left-hand side of your towel to deepen the stretch.
Repeat this exercise on the other side.
Hold this stretching position for 30 seconds & repeat 3 times.

Cross leg ankle stretch:

You are sitting comfortably with your left leg crossed over your right knee joint.
Try to hold your right foot with your hands.
Then use your right hand to bend your left toes & ankle downward, such that you are pointing your toes.
You feel this stretch on the front of your ankle joint & your foot.
Hold this stretching position for 30 seconds & repeat 3 times.

Plantar fascia stretches:

First and puts your foot on top of a rounded object.
With the light pressure, roll the arch of your foot back & forth over the object for a few minutes.
Repeat this exercise 10-20 times.

Deep calf stretch:

You are standing on a step with your heel hanging off the edge.
You want to hold onto something for support.
Try to allow your heels to drop towards the floor.
You are feeling a stretch in the calf muscles & Achilles tendon.
Hold this stretching position for 30 seconds.
Repeat 3 times.

Strengthening Exercises:

After the follow of Electrotherapy & massage for 2 -3 days to release this pain by the physiotherapist then the therapist is advised to you do strengthening exercises for muscle weakness.
This strengthening exercise is always advised when you feel to release pain & when you feel comfortable.

This all-strengthening exercise helps you with muscle weakness & pain.

Heel raises
Ankle flexion
Eversion and inversion
Ankle circles
Chair Pose
Towel pickup
Seated foot & heel raise exercise
Toe bend exercise
Big toe lift and hold
Heel Slides
Ankle Rotations
Towel and tissue scrunches
Elastic band push
Elastic band pull

Heel raises:

This stretching exercise requires a chair, countertop & table which are necessary for this exercise.

You are standing behind the chair, countertop, or table & hold it for support.
Try to rise onto the toes & hold the position for 5–10 seconds.
When you let go of the support & lower the heels down slowly.
If necessary, when you do lower down must keep holding the support for balance.
You can repeat this exercise 5–10 times in 1 session & 3 sessions per day.

Ankle flexion:

For this exercise ankle flexion, you require a resistance band.

You are sitting upright on the floor.
First, place the resistance band around the ball of one foot & extend that leg out in front.
Try to point the toes on the extended leg away from the body.
Then slowly flex the ankle joint by pulling the toes toward the shin.
Repeat the movement up to 10 times in 1 session & 3 sessions per day.

Eversion and inversion:

You are sitting on a chair with the affected leg crossed over your other knee joint.
First, hold the bottom of the foot with your hand.
Try to slowly tilt the sole of your foot toward the floor.
Hold this exercise position for 10 seconds & pull your foot toward you.
Tilting the foot to the ceiling.
You can repeat this exercise 5–10 times in 1 session & 3 sessions per day.

Ankle circles:

This ankle circles exercise helps with range of motion – ROM.

You are performing this exercise either a sitting & lying position:
Start this exercise by turning your ankle joint around slowly in circles to the left, then the right side.
You may even find it easier to exercise & try drawing the alphabet in the air with your foot.
Then lead with your big toe.
Must keep your movements small & focus on only using your foot or ankle joint, not your entire leg.
For the ankle circles, try doing 10 in each direction with each foot.
When you are doing the alphabet, complete 2 sets of this exercise on each foot.

Chair Pose:

You are standing tall in tadasana.
Inhale as your raise both of your arms overhead & palms inward.
As you exhale bend both of your knee joints slightly working toward getting your thighs parallel with the ground.
Place your torso should make a right angle with the tops of your thighs.
Try to hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Hold this stretching position for 30 seconds & repeat 3 times.

Towel pickup:

First, place a towel on the floor in front of your chair.
With your heel on the ground & pick up the towel by grabbing it with your toes.
Repeat this exercise 10-20 times.
This exercise is improved by adding a small weight to the towel.

The seated foot & heel raise exercise:

Start with your feet flat on the floor.
Try to raise both heels off the floor.
You are held for a few seconds before placing your heels back on the floor.
Then raise your toes off the floor & hold for a few seconds before returning them to the floor.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Toe bend exercise:

First, place your heels on the floor with your toes pointing in the air in front of you.
Then bend your toes downwards & hold for a few seconds & relax.
Try to bend your toes upwards & hold for a few seconds before relaxing.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Big toe lift and hold:

First, place your feet on the floor & lift only your big toe.
Must be keeping the other toes on the floor.
Hold this exercise for a few seconds.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Heel Slides:

You are lying on the floor.
First, slide your right heel up towards your buttocks as far as comfortable then slide back down.
Repeat this exercise 10 times with each leg.

Ankle Rotations:

You are in the supine position.
Try to raise your foot about 20 inches off the floor.
Then with your toe upward & rotate the foot to the left or back to the right.
Hold this exercise position for 10 seconds & return to starting position.
Repeat this exercise 20 times for each leg

Towel and tissue scrunch:

First, place a small towel on the floor in front of you while you are sitting in a hard chair.
With your shoes & socks off then gently grab the towel with your toes.
Then scrunch up & count to 5.
Then release the towel & repeat this exercise.
Do this exercise 8 to 10 times

Elastic band push:

This exercise is a variation of the towel stretch, but with performance to resistance.
You are sitting on the floor.
Try to prop up your ankle joint with a rolled-up towel & swimming noodle to keep your heel off the floor.
First, place the elastic band around the ball of your foot & hold the two ends.
Then slowly push your ankle joint forward like you are pointing your toe
Repeat this exercise 10 times.
If do not use the band when you feel any pain & your ankle joint feels wobbly.

Elastic band pulls:

You are tying your resistance band around a heavy object like a desk or table leg.
You are sitting on the floor, hook your toes & upper foot into the band.
Then slowly pull your foot back towards you & return the band to a vertical position.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Foot exercise:

When occur to ankle tendonitis it also leads to weakness of the foot muscles.
So foot muscle exercise is also needed for this ankle tendonitis.

Toe raise, point, and curl
Toe splay
Toe curls
Marble pickup
Sand walking
Toe extension
Golf ball roll

Toe raise, point, and curl:

This exercise is performed in three stages & helps strengthen all parts of the feet and toes.

You are sitting up straight in a chair & your feet flat on the floor.
Must be keeping the toes on the floor & raise the heels.
Stop this exercise when only the balls of the feet remain on the ground.
Hold this exercise position for 5 seconds before lowering the heels.

For the second stage of exercise :
first, raise the heels & point the toes so that only the tips of the big & second toes are touching the floor.
Hold this exercise for 5 seconds before lowering the heels.

For the third stage of exercise :
first, raise the heels & curl the toes inward so that only the tips of the toes are touching the floor.
Hold this exercise position for 5 seconds.
Build flexibility & mobility by repeating each stage 10 times.

Toe splay:

You are sitting in a straight-backed chair, with your feet gently resting on the floor.
Try to spread the toes apart as far as possible without straining.
Hold this exercise position for 10 seconds.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Toe curls:

You are sitting up straight in a chair & your feet flat on the floor.
First, lay a small towel on the floor in front of the body & the short side facing the feet.
Then place the toes of one foot on the short side of the towel.
Then grasp the towel between the toes & pull it toward oneself.
Repeat this exercise 10 times before switching to the other foot.
To make this exercise more challenging, try weighing down the opposite end of the towel with an object.

Marble pickup:

You are sitting up straight in a chair & your feet flat on the floor.
First place an empty bowl & a bowl of 20 marbles on the floor in front of the feet.
With the use of only the toes of one foot & pick up each marble.
Then place the marble in the empty bowl.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Sand walking:

First select a beach, a volleyball court, a desert & any other location with sand.
Then remove the shoes or socks.
You are walking for as long as possible.
Try to increase the distance slowly over time to avoid overexerting the muscles in the feet & calves.

Toe extension:

You are sitting up straight in a chair & your feet flat on the floor.
First, place the left foot on the right thigh.
Try to pull the toes up toward the ankle joint.
You feel the stretching along the bottom of the foot & heel cord.
Hold this exercise for 10 seconds.
Then Massage the arch of the foot while stretching which is help ease tension & pain.
Repeat this exercise 10 times on each foot.

Golf ball roll:

You are sitting up straight in a chair & your feet flat on the floor.
First place a golf ball, another small & hardball — on the floor next to the feet.
You lay one foot on the ball & move it around.
Try to press down as hard as is comfortable.
This ball helps to massage the bottom of the foot.
Continue this exercise for 2 minutes, then repeat this exercise on the other foot.

Ankle joint balance & control exercises:

When occurring to ankle tendonitis which leads to sometimes balance is also affected.
So balance exercise is also needed for this ankle tendonitis.

Basic balance
Balance with eyes closed
Pillow balance
Pillow balance with eyes closed

Basic balance:

You are standing on your affected foot.
Try to lift the other foot off the floor behind you & maintain your balance.
Then use a countertop & chair back for support when you feel unsteady.
Try to hold this exercise position for a few seconds at first.
Then build up from this exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Balance with eyes closed:

Now you are repeating the basic balance exercise with your eyes closed.
For this exercise is much harder, because you do not have visual points of reference to help you balance.
Must be sure to use something for support.
Then again, try to work up to 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pillow balance:

First, perform this same basic balance exercise while standing position on a pillow.
Then perform for basic balance exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pillow balance with eyes closed:

This is the most challenging exercise for anyone.
First, you can hold your balance while standing on a pillow with your eyes closed position.
Must be sure to have something available for support.
Work up to 30 seconds to 1 minute.