I have seen a lot of you come to see me with a diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis. Sometimes it is not that at all. This is the first in a series of other things it may be. Today you will learn about Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis.
What is Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis
Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis is where the tendon of the posterior tibialis muscle becomes inflamed. This muscle comes down from the medial (inside) of your leg and goes around the inside ankle bone to the arch of the foot.
This is the same side of your leg and foot that your big toe is on.
This muscle and its tendon are extremely important parts of your foot. They help you maintain your arch (even if it's high or flat). It helps you balance and move your ankle around as well.
When you have Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis, you will feel pain in the arch of your foot (similar to Plantar Fasciitis) where the tendon inserts into the cuboid, navicular, cuneiform bones and the metatarsal bones.
Differentiating Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis and Plantar Fasciitis
Without a proper physical examination, this is hard to do. The following is not medical advice, but may be used so you can better understand what is going on with your foot/feet.
First let's talk about what both diagnosis have in common:
Pain in the arch or your foot
Pain and/or tightness upon waking up or after extended rest (sitting, laying down, etc.)
Stiffness in the toes
Tightness in the lower leg
Here is what you will find with Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis:
Tenderness to touch in the arch of the foot about 1/3 of the way towards the toes from the heel
Tenderness on the inside of the ankle bones
Difficulty with balance
Weakness in the foot
Here is what you may notice with Plantar Fasciitis:
Tender to touch where the heel bone meets the plantar fascia
Stiffness through the whole foot
Stiffness or pain in the back of your lower leg
Treatment for Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis
Although this is painful, the conservative treatment involves strengthening of the foot and ankle musculature. Whenever you have tendinitis, eccentric and isometric strengthening is recommended
Eccentric strengthening is when you lower slowly. So if you were to get up on your tippy toes, slowly lower the heel back to the ground over 5-10 seconds
Isometric strengthening is when you fire the muscles without moving. Think about pushing your toes into the ground, but not lifting your heels.
The exercise mentioned above works the same muscles differently.
To find out more about your feet and ankles, join my Facebook group that helps people stay active with foot and ankle pain.
Comentários