There are a variety of soft tissues in our feet that play essential roles when we’re walking, running or simply standing upright. When a problem develops in one of these tissues, it can be a little difficult to distinguish whether the injury is a result of a muscle tear or inflammation in the tendon, as these tissues are closely related.
While treatment tends to be somewhat similar, knowing what you’re up against is always ideal. In today’s blog, we take a look at how you can learn to spot the difference between a muscle issue and tendonitis in your feet and ankles.
Muscle Or Tendon Issue?
Muscles and tendons work in close proximity to one another. In fact, tendons are what connect muscle to bone, so they work with one another to help you perform a number of actions each and every day. Tears in the muscle fibers are what you’re experiencing when you develop a muscle strain, whereas inflammation and irritation of the tendon is what ends up causing tendonitis. But how can you differentiate between the two?
It’s less about what symptoms you’re experiencing and more about where you’re experiencing symptoms, but again these two areas connect, so it still isn’t always obvious whether you’re dealing with a muscle or tendon issue. Keep reading to learn more about distinguishing between the two, or better yet, connect with a foot specialist like Dr. Silverman to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis and to get set up with a treatment plan.
With a muscle strain, the pain is felt in the muscle itself, whereas in tendonitis, discomfort is felt near where the muscle attaches to the bone. Really analyzing the location of your discomfort can help to give you an idea of which issue you’re dealing with.
The mechanism behind symptom onset can also be helpful in determining if you’re dealing with a muscle strain or tendonitis. Of the two, a muscle strain tends to be more common after acute stress, like if you overloaded your feet when pushing off or jumping. Conversely, tendonitis is more common after repetitive stress, like if you’ve gone running five days in a row, or you greatly increased your workout duration over a short period of time. Too much activity, even if it doesn’t overload the tendon in the moment, can end up leading to inflammation and irritation over time. Take a closer look at your recent activity to try and determine if acute or chronic stress lead to your discomfort, and you may be able to determine whether you’re dealing with a muscle or tendon issue.
Trying to pinpoint your condition based on symptoms alone can be difficult, because both muscle strains and tendinitis present with similar symptoms, including pain, tenderness, discomfort when moving the area and swelling.
Short-term rest is helpful for both conditions, and you may also find it wise to consider a combination of the following conservative treatments if you’re dealing with either condition:
- Icing
- Gentle range of motion exercises
- Physical therapy
- Anti-inflammatory medications