Just started or increased your running and now your ankles feel sore?
It could be your peroneals!
What are your peroneals?
The peroneals are a group of muscles located on the outer aspect of your lower leg. The peroneals comprise of: peroneus longus and peroneus brevis. The muscles originate at the fibula (the outer lower leg bone) and run down the outer lower leg. Near the ankle the muscle turns into tendon and wraps under the lateral malleolus (the lateral bony prominence in the ankle) and attaches into various bones in the midfoot. Peroneus brevis is the smaller of the two muscles and attaches lower down on the fibula than peroneus longus. Peroneus Brevis also lies deep to peroneus longus.
The peroneal tendons assist with moving the foot outwards. This movement is called eversion. They also help to move the ankle to point the foot down. This movement is called plantarflexion.
Eversion
Plantarflexion
Who is at risk of Peroneal pain/injury?
These muscles can be prone to injury particularly in the case of overuse. As a Physio I will commonly see people who:
- Are new to running
- Have started a new sport requiring running
- Who have increased their training volume
How is Peroneal pain treated?
The good news is the peroneals respond well to conservative therapy such as physiotherapy.
Factors that contribute to peroneal pain that your Physio will assess include:
- Running technique – A running assessment will tell us if your technique needs to be altered to decrease the load through the peroneals.
- Biomechanical assessment during other activities such as squat or lunge
- Specific testing of strength, endurance and control of the peroneals and other surrounding muscles
Is Peroneal pain something you suffer from? Book an assessment today with our experienced staff, to get you back on track with your exercise goals. To contact our team email reception@physionorth.com.au, call 47240768 or book online by clicking here.
– Renee Baker, Physiotherapist