High school sports are winding up for the year, but if your teen has a sports injury, he or she may be dealing with it for a while yet. One example might be an inflammation in the tendons behind the outer ankle bone, which can result from overuse, an ankle sprain, or an ongoing issue with high arches or tight or weak calf muscles.

The condition causes pain and swelling that is worse with activity and can limit movement. We want you to know how to treat peroneal tendinitis so your son or daughter heals well and can enjoy summer activities here in Houston.

It is good for your teen to take a break from sports for periods of time so that the damage caused by activity can be repaired. Rest means stopping the activity that caused the issue. If your teen continues playing, the tissues can be constantly re-injured and the problem will become chronic.

Other things your teen can do are to ice the injury, wear a compression bandage, and elevate the foot as often as possible. A severe injury may benefit from a walking boot that immobilizes (rests) the joint for a few weeks. We may also prescribe anti-inflammatory pain meds to get your teen over the worst of the problem.

Sometimes physical therapy such as heat or cold treatments and ultrasound can be used to speed healing. As the pain gets better, strengthening and stretching exercises can help to recondition the tendons and prevent future damage. Custom orthotics or taping the feet into a better alignment can also bring relief and prevent a recurrence.

The goal of these treatments is to get rid of the inflammation, swelling and pain and allow your teen to resume normal activities. When starting out again, he or she should go slowly and modify training levels to reduce stress on the tendons.

If these conservative treatment methods don’t bring the relief your child needs, we will discuss whether surgery on the tendons may be necessary. We’ll make sure you have all the information you need so you and your teen can make the best decision.

Call Parker Foot & Ankle in Houston at (281) 497-2850 and set up a time to come in so we can evaluate the problem and get started on treatment. The sooner you do, the quicker and easier recovery will be, so call or contact us online today.