Bartlett Foot and Ankle Tendonitis Treatment
Need treatment for tendonitis?
Tendons are the body’s way of connecting your muscles and bones for easy movement. Whether you’re playing a sport, going for a run, or even just walking along the beach, tendons help you get from A to B.
However, if you don’t give your tendons a break every once in a while, you could be in for a world of pain every time you move them around.
This is the unfortunate truth of tendonitis. If you’re experiencing swelling or severe pain every time you put pressure on your feet, keep reading to learn about treating tendonitis, and how a foot and ankle specialist can help you find the relief you need.
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What is tendonitis?
Tendons are strong cords of tissue that connect your muscles to your bones for easy mobility.
When you put these cords under constant stress, they start to form small tears and flare up, causing tendonitis. This inflammation can cause discomfort and harsh pain—even when the muscle is in a resting position.
The condition can naturally settle in a few weeks, but chronic tendinitis can be active for six weeks at a time, and cause scarring if you don’t give the tendons time to heal.
What causes tendonitis?
While there’s a wide range of causes for tendonitis, the most common ones include:
- Consistent overuse of tendons
- Running on firm surfaces
- Bone spurs on forming on heels
- Extreme overuse of muscles
- Neglecting warm-ups before rigorous physical activity
- Obesity
When should you go to get foot tendonitis treatment?
Tendonitis is a common injury that normally lasts up to three weeks, but chronic tendonitis is an entirely different story. Chronic tendonitis can lead to permanent damage to your tendon, and can eventually cause rupturing if you don’t take care of it properly.
If you have consistent pain and swelling on your ankle or heel, see your doctor about possible treatment. These symptoms are common with arthritis, fractures, and infections, so your pain could be from something different entirely.
If your pain persists after one to two weeks after checking in with your doctor, see a foot and ankle specialist immediately. Most cases of tendonitis will heal naturally, but severe tendonitis can cause significant damage without proper treatment.
What are some ways to treat chronic tendonitis without surgery?
We reserve surgery as a last resort for severe cases of tendonitis. We offer a few home remedies for curing tendonitis before recommending surgical procedures.
Non-surgical treatments for tendonitis include:
Keeping the tendon stationary
- Tendonitis often resolves itself, but constant movement can put harmful stress on the tears in the muscles. By using splints or braces on the affected areas (and by avoiding putting pressure on these tendons) you enable your body to do the healing for you.
Steroidal injections
- Steroid injections are powerful anti-inflammatory medicines that reduce swelling and put a stop to harsh discomfort. While these can be expensive, they are effective in treating tendonitis over time.
Other anti-inflammatory medications
- Over-the-counter medications can also help treat the swelling and pain that tendonitis brings to the table.
How much does surgery for chronic tendonitis cost?
If your tendonitis is in a critical state, surgery might be the only option to prevent permanent tendon damage. If that’s the case, talk over possible procedures with your foot and ankle specialist.
Between surgery costs and overnight hospital stays, the national average for achilles tendon repair is around $21,000 before copays or deductibles. Just make sure you talk with your insurance provider on every step of the procedure to avoid unnecessary costs or fees.
Stop tendonitis before it becomes an issue.
If you’re noticing pain and swelling in your tendons, you risk causing permanent damage to your body by waiting too long. With the high prices of surgery, it’s crucial that you know a foot and ankle specialist you can trust to minimize the need for a procedure.
At Bartlet Foot Center, we give you the care and attention you need to speed up your recovery. If you’re looking to keep your tendonitis from turning into a costly problem, contact us today and talk to a reliable foot and ankle specialist who’ll work to keep you out of the hospital.
