“I was walking along the sidewalk, stepped off of a curb too hard and heard a pop.”

“I jumped to make the shot and when I came down, I felt excruciating pain.”

“I don’t remember injuring myself but now I have pain, I’m having trouble lifting my foot and my foot is bruised.”

All of these stories can be tendon injuries, often ruptures where the tendon tears across and the two ends separate due to the pull of the muscle. Although not as common as tendonitis, tendon injuries have become more frequent due to the increase in both frequency and intensity of sports in the US population. The following is a short list of possible signs and symptoms of tendon injury. You need not have experienced all of them to have a tendon injury.

• Moderate to severe pain with dynamic actions/muscle use
• Loss of strength in a particular movement, such as lifting the foot or standing on tiptoes
• Swelling, especially in a linear pattern across the foot or ankle
• A bulge, usually at the end of the tendon further from the toes
• Bruising, usually not at the site of injury but toward the bottom of the foot

To help your podiatrist diagnose and treat you, clearly explain what led to the injury. Explain the timing of the weakness in movement. Inform your doctor if you have been taking any fluoroquinolone antibiotics for an illness or been given steroid injections near the site of injury because they have been associated with tendon ruptures.

Your podiatrist may suggest that you spend time in a walking boot or you may need surgery, depending on the level of injury. Either way, you will be in good hands. Tendon injuries are not the end of activity but the beginning of a road to recovery.

Please visit our website for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with us at our Columbus or Gahanna office