Today on the Doc On The Run podcast, we’re talking about how to make decisions when your MRI and doctors disagree about peroneal tendon pain.
If you are a runner with pain along the outside of your ankle or foot, a peroneal tendon injury can be confusing. These tendons cover a large area, and pain can show up from the outside of your leg all the way down under your foot.
To make things worse, MRI findings are not always reliable. Sometimes an MRI can look like there is a tear when there is not. Other times, a real tear can be missed entirely. And different doctors may interpret the exact same MRI differently.
When doctors disagree, runners are left trying to decide:
In this episode, Dr. Segler explains how to think through that confusion using a simple decision framework.
Try running and see how it responds — but track symptoms carefully during the run, that evening, and the next morning.
This guarantees an answer, but surgery should not be your first diagnostic tool.
Ultrasound allows real-time movement of the tendon. If a gap opens when stretched, that suggests a real tear.
Do NOT take ibuprofen before testing. You need accurate feedback from your body.
When MRI findings and doctor opinions conflict, you need a process—not guesswork.
If you think logically, test carefully, and gather better information, you can make a much smarter decision about whether to run, rest, or consider surgery.
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