For many fitness enthusiasts, running on a treadmill is a great alternative to running outside: Injury-prone people have the luxury of a soft, almost bouncy surface, and runners who live in places with harsh winters need not worry about icy roads and frigid temperatures. Nevertheless, the same injuries that befall those who run outdoors can strike treadmill aficionados, including injuries to the ankle.
Posterior Tibial Tendinitis
Your posterior tibial tendons support the arches of your feet. This tendon runs along the inside of your leg, passes behind and below the medial malleolus and attaches to the navicular bone. With overuse, the tendon may become inflamed. Most runners who suffer posterior tibial tendonitis have flat feet and overpronate. Treatment includes icing the ankle, stretching, anti-inflammatory drugs and wearing rigid, supportive shoes. Orthotics may provide relief. The treadmill is level, so you should confine your running to the indoors until healing is complete.
Achilles Tendinitis
The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It is a very strong tendon but is nonetheless frequently injured. If you have the treadmill belt set at an unusually high speed or do a lot of your running with the deck set at a high percent grade, you increase your risk of Achilles tendinitis.Treatment includes rest, stretching and strengthening exercises, anti-inflammatory medications, heel inserts for your shoes and in severe cases an immobilizing boot.
Peroneal Tendinitis
The two peroneal tendons that run along the outside of the ankle under the lateral malleolus stabilize the foot laterally during walking or running. The pain of this injury is usually dull or achy in character. There may be a small lump in the region. The pain is usually most severe in your ankle, but you may also feel soreness the arch of the foot. According to Northcoast Footcare, wearing worn-out shoes, which many treadmill runners try to get away with, is a common causes of peroneal tendinitis. Treatment consists of icing and stretching.
Tenosynovitis
Ankle tenosynovitis is an inflammation of the fascia surrounding the various tendons passing down through the joint en route to the foot. In runners, it most often occurs as a result of overtraining, although infection and trauma can also cause tenosynovitis. Cardinal symptoms include pain when you flex or extend the foot and reddening of the skin in the area of the affected tendon. Anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone injections, immobilization of the joint and sometimes surgery are the usual treatments of choice.
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