Ankle Pain
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis and Sport
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Posterior Tibial Tendonitis recovery time?
In our experience, recovering from Posterior Tibial Tendonitis takes 6-12 weeks.
In acute Posterior Tibial Tendonitis, there can be constant and sharp pain in the inner ankle. If symptoms are managed correctly under the guidance of a Physical Therapist with offloading, taping, non-impact exercises, and the appropriate footwear, it can take 6 weeks to recover.
Chronic Posterior Tibial Tendonitis can lead to pain and dysfunction of the ankle joint with secondary injuries. It is essential to see the appropriate treatment from a Physical Therapist involving strengthening exercises, footwear advice, insoles and shockwave therapy to heal Posterior Tibial Tendonitis within 12 weeks from the beginning of your treatment.
Related Article: PTTD: Symptoms and Rehabilitation
How do you treat Posterior Tibial Tendonitis?
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis result from a overload of the Posterior Tibial Tendon resulting in inflammation and pain on the inner ankle.
Treatment should consist of 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
What happens if Posterior Tibial Tendonitis goes untreated?
If Posterior Tibial Tendonitis goes untreated and doesn’t improve within the first 2 weeks, it is likely to stay painful and to not heal.
After the acute stage of 2 weeks, some pathological changes occur within the tendon so that it is not as robust as it once was.
In some instances, resting the tendon helps to reduce pain levels. However, once increased exertion is placed on the tendon, symptoms are likely to return.
Related Article: How to treat Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
Will an ankle brace help 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 the brace is removed, symptoms often quickly return.
Does Massage help with Posterior Tibial Tendonitis?
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.
Can Posterior Tibial Tendonitis cause hip pain?
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.