TENDON & LIGAMENT INJURIES
Tendon & Ligament Injuries in Billings, MT
Acute tears and chronic injuries. Board-certified foot and ankle surgeons. Full surgical capability when needed. In-house physical therapy for recovery.
(406) 256-0077Acute injury? Same-day appointments may be available.
Call (406) 256-0077 to check availability, or see our urgent care page for details.
Tendon and Ligament Injuries Can Be Acute or Chronic
If you feel a pop or a tear, we will work you in. But chronic injuries matter too, and the right treatment depends on what is actually happening in the tissue.
Our board-certified foot and ankle surgeons treat the full range of tendons and ligaments in the foot and ankle: Achilles, posterior tibial tendon, peroneal tendons, plantar fascia, lateral ankle ligaments, deltoid ligament, and others. Surgical capability is in-house when needed, at Northern Rocky Surgery Center. Recovery is handled by our in-house physical therapy team.
Serving Montana Since 1988
Our board-certified surgeons treat tendon and ligament injuries across the full spectrum: acute tears, chronic tendinopathy, sprains, and complex revision cases.
Acute and Chronic Care
Acute injuries get same-day and next-day appointments. Chronic injuries that have not resolved with three to four weeks of self-treatment get a real exam and a real plan.
Full Surgical Capability
When surgery is the right answer, our board-certified surgeons perform repairs and reconstructions at Northern Rocky Surgery Center. When it is not the right answer, we tell you that.
In-House Physical Therapy
Recovery is done at our practice. Your surgeon and therapist communicate directly. No fragmented care, no handoffs across separate systems.
Our Treatment Approach
Most people who get a tendon or ligament injury follow internet advice and end up fine, because most people who treat their symptoms will heal. But when it has been more than three or four weeks and you are still hurting, reading the symptoms is not enough. The internet is mainly full of symptom treatment.
When we treat an injury at Rimrock Podiatry, we are doing three things at once.
1. Control the Stress and Strain on the Injured Tissue
An injured tendon or ligament cannot heal under the same load that injured it. We figure out what is loading the tissue too much, what is loading it not enough, and how to bring those into balance for healing.
2. Maximize the Healing Potential
Tissue heals when the conditions are right. We increase the body's capacity to heal the injury through targeted treatment, modalities, mechanical support, and a progression that meets the tissue where it actually is.
3. Manage Your Symptoms
Symptom management matters, but it is one of three things, not the only thing. We address pain and function while the tissue is healing, not as a substitute for healing it.
Pain-Free Is Not Healed; Healed Is Not Strong
Tendons and ligaments take time to remodel. Returning to activity when pain resolves (but before strength is restored) is the single most common cause of re-injury and chronic problems. With chronic injuries, recurrence rates are high. We help you plot a course so the injury does not come back.
Acute vs. Chronic: When to Come In
Acute Injuries
If you felt a pop, a tear, a snap, a sudden sharp pain, or you rolled your ankle and cannot put weight on it, that is an acute injury. Call us. We will work you in. The first 24 to 72 hours of an acute tendon or ligament injury are when the most important treatment decisions get made.
Common acute injuries we treat: Achilles ruptures, peroneal tendon tears, posterior tibial tendon ruptures, lateral ankle ligament tears, high ankle sprains, plantar fascia tears.
Chronic Injuries
If you have been hurting for more than three or four weeks and it is not getting better, that is when symptom-only treatment has run out. Chronic tendon and ligament problems do not usually resolve with more rest, more ice, or more stretching. They need an exam, an accurate diagnosis, and a plan that addresses why the tissue has not healed.
Common chronic injuries we treat: chronic Achilles tendinopathy, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, peroneal tendinopathy, chronic plantar fasciitis, chronic ankle instability after recurrent sprains.
You Cannot Know What You Have From Internet Research
Symptoms overlap. A pain on the outside of the ankle could be peroneal tendinopathy, lateral ligament instability, a stress fracture, sinus tarsi syndrome, or several other things, each treated differently. The exam is what tells you what you actually have. That is the part the internet cannot do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an acute and chronic tendon or ligament injury?
An acute injury is a sudden event (a pop, a tear, a sprain) that has a clear moment of onset. A chronic injury has built up over weeks, months, or longer through overuse, repetitive stress, or an unresolved acute injury. We treat both, but the timing matters. If you felt a pop or a tear, call us and we will work you in. If you have been hurting for more than three or four weeks and it is not getting better, that is also when to come in.
Which tendons and ligaments do you treat?
We treat the full range of foot and ankle tendons and ligaments: Achilles, posterior tibial tendon, peroneal tendons, plantar fascia, lateral ankle ligaments, deltoid ligament, anterior tibial tendon, and others. Whatever the injury, the assessment is the same: figure out what is actually happening, then treat it correctly.
Why has internet treatment not fixed my injury?
The internet is mainly full of symptom treatment. Most people who get a ligament or tendon injury follow internet advice and end up fine, because most people who treat their symptoms will heal on their own. But when it has been more than three or four weeks and you are still hurting, reading the symptoms is not enough. You cannot know what you actually have from internet research. You need an exam.
What does treatment at Rimrock involve?
We do three things at once: control the stress and strain on the injured tissue, maximize the healing potential, and manage your symptoms. We balance the load and the rest the tissue needs to heal, while increasing the potential for healing. With chronic injuries, we also help you plot a course forward, because recurrence rates are high without a real plan.
How soon can I be seen for an acute tendon or ligament injury?
We prioritize same-day and next-day appointments for acute injuries. Call (406) 256-0077 and tell us what happened. The sooner an acute tendon or ligament injury is evaluated, the better your treatment options.
Related Conditions
Questions? Call us at (406) 256-0077.