If there’s one part of the body that gets us through our days, it’s our feet and ankles. While we might not pay them much attention on a good day, it’s when pain flairs up that we realize how dependent we are on these parts of us. Tendonitis of the foot and ankle is unpleasant and challenging to withstand, but luckily treatment is easier than many realize.

The human body is a miraculous thing; it carries us through the decades of our lives, resiliently recovering from the wear and tear we put it through. Yet, sometimes our body doesn’t feel so miraculous in those moments when that wear and tear finally catches up to us and causes injury or illness.

We use our bodies for so much of daily life, yet the body parts that often go unthanked become the center of attention when they aren’t at their peak. Our feet and ankles are two parts of the body that can cause us serious difficulty if they sustain harm. Yet, injuring these body parts isn’t uncommon at all. Naturally, with body parts we use to carry our weight and balance ourselves as we go through our world, the occasional injury isn’t surprising, though it is unpleasant.

If you’re struggling with foot and ankle pain, you may have developed tendonitis of the foot and ankle. This common and treatable condition can be challenging, but there are innovative options for managing that challenge. Here’s what you should know about these conditions.

What is Peroneal Tendonitis and Achilles Tendonitis?

First thing first, it’s important to know exactly what body parts are causing your discomfort in the feet and ankles.

In the case of Peroneal Tendonitis, the tendons being referred to—called peroneal tendons—lay alongside each other on the lower leg bone and behind the rounded bump on your ankle. This condition can be caused by the kind of repetitive ankle motion that often occurs in exercise, such as running and weight-lifting.

In this condition, the tendons become inflamed, causing them to swell. This swelling causes the tendons to rub against the bone and create friction, which can feel as uncomfortable as it sounds.

Achilles Tendonitis is somewhat different though very similar in other regards. Just like Peroneal Tendonitis, it’s often caused by repetitive physical activity, such as running. However, as the name suggests, this condition is related to the Achilles tendon, which attaches your heel bone to your calf muscle. When this tendon becomes inflamed through overuse, it causes the same kind of painful inflammation as Peroneal Tendonitis.

Treatments for Peroneal and Achilles Tendonitis

If you’re dealing with the difficulty of either Peroneal or Achilles Tendonitis, you’re likely looking for as quick of a solution as possible to mitigate your discomfort. If you’re feeling pain in the back of your ankle, when turning your foot, or at the back of your heel, as well as swelling and an increased warmth in the skin over these areas, you likely have Peroneal or Achilles Tendonitis.

It’s important to have doctors like the specialists at MidAmerica Orthopaedics examine your injury as soon as possible. There’s a risk that your injury can worsen and become more serious without the proper treatment.

While resting and staying off the injured foot and ankle is important, there are other treatment options that can produce a faster and more robust recovery. One such treatment that many people are receiving for these difficult injuries is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy?

If you’re not familiar with this procedure, it may sound like an unusual approach to what has normally been treated with bed rest and ibuprofen. Yet, PRP therapy is a popular option for obvious reasons—it’s quick, easy, safe, and highly effective.

Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy is simple; a doctor draws your blood and uses a centrifuge that separates the blood into plasma and platelets. A mixture of the two is created and injected into the area of your body in need of healing.

What makes this procedure such a powerful tool is the expedited healing it offers. PRP therapy invokes your immune system, prepping healing and removing damaged cells. Stem cells then multiply and powerfully repair the damaged tissue.

The best part? The procedure is quick and you can go home right afterward with your body’s healing mechanisms supercharged.

Where to Receive Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

Many people are turning to PRP therapy to increase their body’s healing time and effectiveness so they can get back to their daily lives without sacrificing their body’s wellbeing. If you’re suffering from Peroneal Tendonitis or Achilles Tendonitis, contact us at MidAmerica Orthopaedics for Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy to kickstart your healing process so you can take care of your body and keep living the active life you love.