Heel Ankle Tendon Tears with Regenerative Treatment
Experiencing ankle pain due to an unexpected tear is very common, especially among the sportsmen and dancers. But do you take proper treatment? Are you getting permanent relief from the pain? If not, your physician may recommend surgery. However, Medical Stem Cells Clinic in the UK recommends regenerative therapy as the best alternative to treat ankle tendon tear.
Before knowing the importance of regenerative treatment, let us know what actually happens when the ankle tendon undergoes a tear.
What is ankle tendon tear?
The ankle joint is the portion where three bones, namely tibia, fibula, and talus, meet. Tendons are connective tissues that help in attaching the muscles of the lower leg to the foot and ankle bones. They usually help in joint movement.
The most crucial tendon used for walking, running, and jumping is the Achilles tendon. It connects both calf muscles and heel bone. Hence, you can raise your feet and stand up on your toes.
The posterior tibial tendon attaches your smaller calf muscles to the underneath of your foot. Hence, you can move your foot inward.
The anterior tibial tendon runs from your shin bone towards the top of your foot. Hence, you can raise your foot upward.
The peroneal tendons are a set of two tendons, that run side-by-side along the outer side of the ankle bone. They protect the foot and ankle from sprains.
An ankle tendon tear arises if all these tendons rupture due to an unexpected injury or overuse of your ankles. You will experience pain and discomfort to do activities that involve your body weight to be put on your foot.
There are three common tendon tears occur in the foot:
Tibial tendon tear
Peroneal tendon tear
Achilles tendon tear
Tibial tendon tear occurs due to an unexpected fall or its overuse. It is common among the athletes who use their ankles excessively. You may undergo pain towards the inside of the ankle where the tendon remains. Swelling may or may not occur.
Peroneal tendon tears are common among the sportsmen and dancers who use their ankles repetitively. People who wear loose-fitting shoes or inward-turned heels are at huge risk of developing peroneal tendon tears. You may experience symptoms like pain and swelling at the back of the ankle while moving the foot inwards or outwards.
Achilles tendon tear occurs when the tendon is stretched beyond its capacity. This is common among jumpers or sprinters who push off their bodies while taking a start in a race. Symptoms include sudden pain in the back of the ankle, swelling between the heel and the calf, difficulty in rising on the toes, etc.
Conventional treatment for an ankle tendon tear
Conventional methods may treat the disease by masking the symptoms temporarily. But they don’t treat the underlying cause of the disease. The conventional methods for ankle tendon tear include home treatment such as RICE (Rest, Ice therapy, Compression, and Elevation) therapy, physical therapy and activity modification. But these methods work only by restricting your movements. Administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroid injection may provide temporary relief from pain and inflammation. But if used for a longer duration, they can lead to many side effects. The last resort as conventional treatment may be surgery if the above treatment modalities fail. But surgery is invasive, painful, and involve general anaesthesia. There might be post-surgical complications like the re-rupturing of the tendon or nerve pain.
Regenerative cell therapy for an ankle tendon tear
Medical Stem Cells Clinic in London provide regenerative therapeutic options such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and cell therapy to treat ankle tendon tears. Regenerative therapies can naturally treat ankle tendon tear by enhancing the repair mechanism of the damaged tissues and regenerating the new cells. This non-surgical treatment thereby reduces pain and inflammation. As the cells are harvested from the patient’s own body, there is no risk of rejection or allergy. Hence, these minimally invasive therapies are considered as a successful ankle tendon alternative for surgery. By avoiding the painful and extensive surgical process, patients can quickly return to their normal routine lives without any risks.
For more information about the Regenerative Treatment for Ankle Tendon Tears, please feel free to refer to the website Medica stem cells. You can also contact Medica Stem Cells clinic in Ireland to learn more about PRP Treatment & types of stem cell therapies available to treat tennis elbow.