Posterior Tibial Tendonitis and Sport
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Posterior Tibial Tendonitis takes 6-12 weeks on average to heal.
In acute episodes, if they are managed correctly with offloading, non-impact exercises, and the appropriate footwear.
In longer terms cases, appropriate Physical Therapy involving strengthening exercises should heal Posterior Tibial Tendonitis within 12 weeks from the beginning of your treatment.
Related Article: PTTD: Symptoms and Rehabilitation
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis should be treated using a graded strengthening program under a physical therapist’s guidance. Adjuncts to helpful strengthening exercises include taping, stretching, an ankle brace, and orthotics.
Related Article: Best exercises for Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
If Posterior Tibial Tendonitis goes untreated and doesn’t improve within the first 2 weeks, it is unlikely to resolve completely.
In some instances, resting the tendon helps to reduce pain levels. However, as tendonitis causes a change in the structure of the tendon once increased exertion is placed on the tendon, symptoms are likely to return.
Related Article: How to treat Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
An ankle brace is helpful for pain relief for those with Posterior Tibial Tendonitis. This is a medium-term solution to pain reduction and should be used in combination with strengthening exercises as an ankle brace does not address the cause of the problem. Therefore, once it is removed, symptoms often quickly return.
Massage can be very helpful in reducing pain levels for those with Posterior Tibial Tendonitis. However, this is a very short-term solution and should not be used in isolation as a form of treatment as it does not address the cause of the problem.
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis can indirectly cause pain elsewhere in the body such as in the hip and knee. Due to the intensity of pain when exerting the tendon which is located on the inner ankle, people with the condition can subconsciously change how they walk to place less pressure on the inner ankle but this can overload the knee and the hip.
Therefore structured rehabilitation and normalizing the gait pattern under the guidance of a Physical Therapist is so important.