Peroneal Tendon pain...or what?

I get this off-and-on. Last Spring I recall this being an issue, then it eventually resolved itself, mostly after I got some cleats with a built-in varus wedge. The pain is on the outside of my right foot...same area where I had some peroneal tendonitis years ago from running. What solved that issue was going to a more flexible shoe, but I can't really do that for cycling.

Lately it's been bugging me again. I tried moving my cleats further out on my shoes. They are slightly behind the ball of my foot, too. Might there be a better placement for them?

I am riding with Sidi Dominators on my road bike, if that gives a frame of reference.

Anyone...Bueller...? ;)

More than likely you have a dorsiflexion limitation at the ankle joint.

(the varus wedge helping also makes me think that, along with the current symptom)

This is the same joint limitation that is also often responsible for plantar fasciitis, sometimes involved in knee issues and over-pronation and externally rotated feet.

It's a common human condition.

If you've got a PT handy, ask them to check your range and to teach you how to mobilize your own ankle into dorsiflexion. (it looks vaguely like a standing calf stretch, but is completely different) You do that 10 times every 2 hours until the symptoms have been gone for a full week.

If you don't have one handy, I can try to describe it. But I can't diagnose over the internet, you are best off with a real-live face-to-face PT.

This makes sense...I tend to plantar-flex when I pedal, too. Any knee issues I have ever had are also limited to my right knee (every chronic, niggling running issue has always been on my right side, as a matter of fact). Thanks for that input, Knotted...that gives me an idea of what the issue could be. Is it possible that my right side has more limitation than my left?

The crazy thing...I badly sprained my left ankle this past Summer and I still don't have the ROM that I had pre-injury, but running on snow still bothers my right knee, not my left. Cycling doesn't bother my left side at all, just the right. Even after acute injury the only thing goofy on my left side is the healing ankle. Right side has never had any sort of acute injury and is still my chronically whiney side. ;)

Ooh, this is interesting. I just found this short PT video where a guy shows a method to help mobilize the ankle. When he describes the pain/issue with flexibility after a sprain that is EXACTLY what I experience on my left side:
link
This looks like something that could benefit both my sore-footed right side and stiff-ankled left side. What's your take on this method he demonstrates?

That's not the way I teach, but it will work.

It's a bit needlessly complicated, and he's using it as a way to speed up a normal mob rather than a pure mob of its own.

Plus, it is in a non-functional position.

As an adjunct to the normal mob, it is fine. But I'd try the normal mob first.

Gonna go see if I can find it on Youtube....

Ahhh...OK. I really perked-up when he mentioned the post-sprain thing, since that is exactly the thing I've been dealing with on my left side. At least I know that my issue is "normal."

Well, Youtube and I just aren't meshing today.

Here's the basic dorsiflexion mob:

Stand like you would for a calf stretch (kind of a lunge, gonna mob the ankle that is back)

Turn the back foot inwards slightly (pigeon-toe)

"Squat" (bend both knees, as far as you go) while keeping both heels on the floor.

This isn't a stretch, so you may feel NOTHING.

Do about 10 times, about every 2 hours. May as well do both ankles, since you sound like both are sticky.

You may notice a difference right away, might not notice anything for a week or so. Stop if it makes you worse afterwards!

I'm going to try that...it sounds like good stuff on paper (monitor, heh), at the very least.

I'm watching this, too...

Feet about hip width apart, side to side? Or closer? Do I worry about knee alignment? If I *do* feel a stretch (high dorsolateral ankle, which I think is the peroneal area?), am I doing it wrong?

Naw, if you feel a stretch you're not doing anything wrong. You just found something that is a bit tight.

The goal with the mob is to move some of the little-booger-bones of the ankle, and get them unstuck from each other.

I always caution folks not to get fixated on the idea of feeling a stretch, cuz sometimes you just don't. A lot of times the idea of the dorsiflexion mob gets morphed into a calf stretch, and you end up with things like night-splints and people thinking they have to keep their knees straight all night, or folks doing massive amounts of calf-stretches (knee straight) as though the achilles tendon were tight, when actually it isn't.

Limitations from tight muscles can be easily confused with limitations caused by a stuck goober in the joint itself, and vice versa.

It's ok to feel a stretch, I just emphasize that one doesn't NEED to feel a stretch in the corresponding muscle when dealing with a joint limitation.

ETA: hip width, always pay attention to knee alignment, slight pigeon-toe to prevent falling into pronation during dorsiflexion