• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • New? Start Here!

RunToTheFinish

Online Running Coach for All Paces, All Ages

  • Training
    • Beginner Half Marathon Training
    • Sub Two Half Marathon Training
    • Marathon Training
    • New Runner Tips
    • Low Heart Rate Training
    • Group Run Coaching
    • Nutrition for Runners
  • Running Injuries
  • Gear Reviews
  • Work Together
    • Virtual Run Club
    • 1-1 Coaching
    • Brand Partnerships
  • Courses
    • Book
    • IT Band Solution
    • LHR Training Plans
  • Blog

Posterior Tibial Tendonitis Recovery Plan

8shares

Pain on the inside of your ankle near the ankle bone could be caused by posterior tibial tendonitis. Before jumping to any worst case scenario conclusions, let’s see how your symptoms line up.

Symptoms of posterior tibial tendonitis:

  • Ankle swelling (largely on the inside)
  • Pain on the inside of your ankle (possibly some up in to the calf)
  • Inability to walk on toes without pain
  • Flattening of the arch and ankle rolling in (if left untreated)

Unfortunately this is another running injury that occurs from too much, too fast and too soon.

Overuse.

But that also means, there are usually steps we can take to correct it and prevent posterior tibial tendon dysfunction from occurring in the future.

What is Posterior Tibial Tendonitis?

Your posterior tibial tendon is designed to help maintain the structure of the arch in your foot and stability while you move. It runs from your instep to up along your ankle bone and connects deep in your calf muscle.

If that sounds important, it is!Posterior Tibial Tendonitis Running

Each step you take requires a lot of muscles to work together to keep your foot from rolling inward, your arch from collapsing under the weight and your knee aligned.

This tiny little tendon is under a lot of pressure to keep your ankle locked and ready to spring on each step.

Thus when you abuse it by doing too much too soon, it becomes inflamed.

If this doesn’t sound like you, but you have pain, a few other causes of ankle pain while running:

  • Sprained Ankle
  • Achilles tendonitis
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Stress fracture
  • Peroneal Tendonitis – pain on the outside of the ankle (so the opposite of this injury)

What is the Treatment for Posterior Tibial Tendonitis?

You’ve heard me say work on your hip strength a million times, but I’m going to say it again. Before I get in to that, let’s start with some of the pain management things you can do.

YOU SHOULD SEE A DR FOR THIS.

This is an injury that left untreated can turn in to something bigger. Following are steps and exercises for non-surgical recovery of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction.

  • Stop running if you are having SHARP pain
  • Only use ice to inhibit pain, otherwise use heat to loosen tight muscles
  • Don’t take anti-inflammatory drugs and run
  • Use compression socks (my favorites)
  • Foam roll calves and bottom of foot to help release tension up the leg
  • Calf stretches
  • Change shoes or considering a running orthotic – to support the arch
  • Try taping the ankle to provide more support while healing

Can you still run with posterior tibial tendonitis?

This is one of the few times I’m going to say no. The downside to pushing this injury is potential surgery and you’d much rather a few weeks off than months.

Focus on what you can do to continue progressing as a runner while allowing this tendon to repair.

  • Best cross training for runners – Ideas to get you started
  • Focus on all the upper body and core workouts you want to
  • Focus on anti-inflammatory eating and herbs that will help the body recover

How long is recovery from posterior tibial tendonitis?

Depending on when you stop running and start the recovery process it could be a few weeks to a few months. Again, this is not an injury to try running through it will get much worse.

Focus as noted on what you CAN DO.

Listen as someone who had a knee injury that took 8 months to get to surgery, I’m very well aware you want to run. But can also promise the time you put in to those other areas will help you come back stronger and quicker.

Posterior Tibial Tendonitis Exercises

Once you’ve gone from immense pain to ready for some movement, there are a few exercises that will via strength and stretching. A visit to a Physical Therapist is a great place to get a treatment plan! Many of these moves have fancier names, but I just want you to understand what they are and do them!

As usual, we aren’t focused just on the tendon. We need to strengthen everything around it to provide enough support.

Resistance Band – In, Out, Up and Down
Start doing this daily.
Even twice daily, build up to 50 reps per movement

Exercises for posterior tibial tendonitis

Loop a resistance band around a post and then you’ll do 3 different movements. Continue increasing the intesnity of your band to progress

  • Around your instep you’ll rotate foot inward against resistance
  • Around the outside of your foot you’ll rotate outward against resistance
  • Around the top of your foot (across the laces) flex foot towards you against resistance

Great set of durable bands!! <<– these are what my PT uses and I have.

Tennis Ball Strength
While I usually go for a PT ball, you want the slight flex of the tennis ball.

You can also do these three movements daily, start sitting and move to standing to increase pressure.

  • Place heel on ball and push down (up to 1 minute)
  • Place toes on ball and curl it towards you (1o reps)

foot strength exerciesImage from Paleo Plan.

Stair Calf Raises
Once pain subsides can start adding this in.
Daily 10-20 reps.

Standing with heel off the back of a stair, you’ll lower the heel down and then raise up on to your toes.

  • This is a single leg exercise
  • You want to go slow for full range of motion
  • Do both legs! Just do a few more on the injured side.

Heel Toe Walking
After that you can move on to doing this…exactly what it sounds like!

Raise up on your Tip Toes and walk forward 10 steps, then rock back on your heels and walk back to where you started.

Best Running Shoes for Posterior Tibial Tendonitis

In general, you’ll be looking for shoes labeled stability – you may not need to run in this type of shoe forever. If you continue adding strength to the ankle and legs, reduce ramping up mileage too quickly then you may transition to a neutral shoe.

These are useful for support during recovery and when you first start running again.

  • Asics Gel Kayano
  • New Balance 860
  • Brooks Beast
  • Nike Infinity React Flyknit
  • Saucony Hurricane
  • Hoka Arahi

Hopefully these steps help you get running again pain free.

Other ways to connect with Amandarunning coach
Instagram Daily Fun: RunToTheFinish

Facebook Community Chatter: RunToTheFinish

Sign Up to Receive a Weekly Newsletter with Top Running Tips and Laughs

8shares

Posted by amanda Categories: injury

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hudson says

    January 21, 2021 at 6:46 am

    Hi Amanda!

    Thank you for this great post :)

    I began suffering from Posterior Tibial Tendonitis about a month and a half ago (although I didn’t quite realize that this was what I had at the beginning!) After taking a full two week break from running, my foot is feeling about 95% recovered. I mostly only have some foot weakness right after waking up in the morning.

    You have mentioned in your post that you advise against running through this injury – does that mean it would be best to wait until my foot is 100% recovered to ensure that I don’t make things worse?

    Thank you!
    HB

    • amanda says

      January 21, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      Hey HB! So with most tendonitis, the recovery is really difficult if we just keep inflaming it by running. But it sounds like you did take time off! If you’re 95% probably ok to ease back in, just stop if it in any way starts to feel worse.

      • HB says

        January 22, 2021 at 7:08 am

        Thanks, Amanda!

Primary Sidebar

Filter by Category
  • Select a Category
  • 10 miler
  • 10K
  • 13.1 marathon series
  • 15K
  • 30 Day Challenge
  • 5k
  • About ME
  • Abs
  • Active Travel
  • alaska
  • Amanda Brooks
  • Arizona
  • Asics
  • Austin
  • Baltimore
  • barefoot running
  • beauty
  • Biking
  • birthday
  • bloggers
  • blogging tips
  • body fat
  • body image
  • body weight exercises
  • book reviews
  • Boston Marathon
  • breakfast
  • California
  • Camping
  • Canada
  • Caribbean
  • chicago
  • ChiRunning
  • Clean Eating
  • cold weather training
  • colorado
  • compression
  • Costa Rica
  • Crockpot
  • cross training
  • CrossFit
  • dairy free
  • dessert
  • egg free
  • electrolytes
  • emotional health
  • Europe
  • family
  • Fit Together
  • fitness gear
  • Fitness Tracker
  • fitness vacation
  • florida
  • foam roller
  • food sensitivity
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • France
  • Funny Running
  • Gift Guide
  • Gluten Free
  • GPS Watch
  • Green Smoothie
  • Guides and Tips
  • habits
  • Half Marathon
  • Hawaii
  • HBBC
  • health coach
  • healthy eating
  • Healthy Home
  • Healthy lifestyle
  • Heart Rate Training
  • HIIT workout
  • hiking
  • hiking
  • Hip Strength
  • Hoka One One
  • Holistic Health
  • Hormones
  • hydration
  • Iceland
  • injury
  • inspiration
  • instagram
  • Ireland
  • IT Band
  • IT Band Recovery
  • Jerusalem
  • key west
  • knee injury
  • Kona
  • Love
  • low heart rate training
  • Maffetone
  • main dish
  • Marathon
  • marathon training
  • marriage
  • meal planning
  • Meditation
  • Memphis
  • mental marathon training
  • Mexico
  • Miami
  • Motivation
  • New York City
  • New York City Marathon
  • New York City Marathon Training
  • NYC marathon
  • Oregon
  • Orlando
  • Palm Beach
  • Philadelphia Marathon
  • physical therapy
  • podcasts
  • Prague
  • Product Review
  • Race
  • race costume
  • race medal
  • race photo
  • race report
  • Ragnar
  • Recipe
  • recovery
  • recovery meal
  • relaxation
  • relay race
  • resolution run
  • review
  • Rock N Roll
  • run club
  • Runner's World
  • running accessories
  • running books
  • running coach
  • running form
  • running fuel
  • running gear
  • Running Group
  • running motivation
  • running music
  • Running Shoes
  • safety
  • salads
  • san diego
  • Saucony
  • Seattle
  • skin care
  • Soup
  • South Beach
  • South Carolina
  • South Florida
  • speed work
  • sports nutrition
  • Stand Up Paddle Boarding
  • Steamboat Springs
  • Strength Training
  • stretching
  • sugar reduction
  • Thanksgiving
  • trail running
  • Training Group
  • training plan
  • travel
  • travel running
  • treadmill
  • treadmill workout
  • triathlon
  • ultrarunning
  • vegan
  • Vegas
  • vegatarian
  • vegetable
  • virtual run
  • wedding
  • weight loss
  • winter
  • women's running
  • workout
  • workout motivation
  • workout schedule
  • Yoga

5 Secrets to Improve Your RUn

Start Making Quick Progress on Your Goals (I swear it's easy) no matter your current fitness level. The tips I share with the runners I coach.

Recent Posts

  • Running Workouts to Improve Speed and Stamina
  • What to Eat Before a Run | Best Pre Workout Snacks
  • Budget Friendly Workout Gear |That Fits and Works
  • Running Twice a Day | Pros and Cons
  • 30 Day Core Challenge | Abs, Glutes and Hips

Must Have Gear

Comparing GPS Watches

Best HR Monitor for Running

Best Foam Rollers

Best Running Books

Running Jackets for Every Condition

fitness partners

Please note that affiliate links {such as Amazon} may pop up on RTTF from time to time. They do not cost you anything to use, but are a huge help to support the ongoing content creation process. Click here to do your shopping!

Welcome!!

Hello runners! I’m Amanda Brooks, a certified personal trainer and running coach. I’ve been coaching over a decade and distance running since 2002. My philosophy is that running isn’t about your pace or the distance or your body. It’s about showing up for yourself, loving the process and doing it injury free!

 

online running coach

Footer

Get the Free 5 Day Better Runner Challenge

Start Making Quick Progress on Your Goals (I swear it's easy)

About Amanda Brooks

Amanda Brooks is a Certified Running Coach, Certified Personal Trainer and long time distance runner with a passion for every facet of running, which leads her to do more reading, research and running than necessary. Find all the tips, tricks and tools you need from this running coach for your best injury free running. Read More…

Popular Posts on RunToTheFinish

  • Piriformis Syndrome Exercises: Alleviating a Pain in the Butt
  • 17 Funniest Running Memes – Which One’s Do You Relate To?
  • Why Your Workout is Causing Weight Gain
  • Best Virtual Races and 11 Reasons You Need to Do One
  • T25, P90X3, PiYo – Can it Improve Your Running? Complete Comparison

runtothefinish

Amanda Brooks : Run Coach
SHARE THE ONE that resonates most with you. 🏃‍♀️🏃🏾🏃🏽‍♂️
 
It’s true, I’ll never stop talking about the warm up 😂. But right now the idea that running is HOPEFUL really strikes a chord.💜
 
We show up mile after mile always looking to what’s ahead and what’s possible.
 
Which one hits home for you?
.
.
.
#runningmotivation #runninginspiration #medalmonday #fitnessmemes #runningmemes #runningquotes #runnerslife #runnerlife
AVOID HITTING THE WALL (save this and review befor AVOID HITTING THE WALL (save this and review before races) -AKA  Bonking. UK friends giggle at that, but it’s a term just like fartlek.
.
It’s that painful moment when your mind tells your legs to stop and it feels like there’s nothing you can do to turn the tides. It leaves emotional scars!🥵
 
WHAT TO DO!
1️⃣Train differently - seems obvious, but consistent training that follows a plan which progressively and smartly builds your miles and strength and speed...ya it works.
 
2️⃣Fuel, fuel, fuel - force yourself to eat before races and long runs even if not hungry.
.
Starting fueling sooner than you think you need to and keep doing it. During races your body is running on more carbs and needs that steady flow of energy. 
.
🧠 Your brain functions on CARBS, stop depriving it or it will tell you to stop running. If food while running is an issue for you, checkout something like @genucan.
 
3️⃣Pacing - Stop going out too fast because you’re excited, it absolutely catches up to you. Ideal is even pacing start to finish.
 
4️⃣Pay attention to your brain. @fitzgerald.matt in How Bad Do You Want it does a great job of showing how the brain can limit performance if you don’t know what’s happening up there.
 
5️⃣Recover better - Stop over training and give your body tools to help it destress from all the work...the best one is SLEEP. I also love @resiliencecbd to help with nerves prior to a race and quality sleep during training.
 
❓❓Helpful?? Have more race day questions?? Or an epic story of hitting the wall?? I wanna know.❓❓
.
.
.
Thanks to @moxie82co for capturing this weird moment, it worked great for this post.
HIT THOSE HIPS!!! I’ve given you a couple hip mo HIT THOSE HIPS!!! I’ve given you a couple hip mobility workouts, now we add strength!
//
🥳For the next 30 days in the Virtual Run Club we’ll be going hard on all the pre-hab work for hips, glutes and abs. Because running isn’t just about the miles.
//
That’s one of the reasons I’ve been consistently doing @insidetracker bloodwork since 2015.
.
It’s helped me identify low Vitamin D causing fatigue or catch my wayyy high cortisol to embrace easy runs as key part of the process.
📌 (Save this post because the last screen has a 25% off discount code and you can get free access to the 30 Day March Challenge.)
👉LINK IN BIO FOR BOTH
✅✅✅✅
3 CORE MOVES
|||
You can use these as a progression or do all three, they’ll target the hips, glutes and core in different ways with each variation.
 
Aim for 15 reps prior to a run or do multiple rounds as part of a workout!
 
1️⃣Side Plank Kneeling Hip Raise - Really focus on your core engaging to raise up and keeping your elbow under your shoulder.
 
2️⃣Side Plank Kneeling Leg Raise - Again core should be tight to keep hips lifted, not sagging towards the ground. Then focus on your hip and glute to raise the top leg.
 
3️⃣Straight Leg Side Plank Leg Raise - Engage the core to keep hips high and press the bottom foot in to the ground to really engage your glutes. Slow and steady to remain stable while raising and lowering top leg.
❓❓❓❓
Talk to me!!!
Who’s in for 10 min a day in March?
Who’s gotten blood work to improve their health?
Who’s excited it’s almost spring?
👉👉Me to all 3! And more info in stories!
 
 
 
#runtothefinish #insidetrackerpartner
RUN DAYS ARE THE BEST DAYS😊 I had training tips RUN DAYS ARE THE BEST DAYS😊 I had training tips planned to share today, but really just wanted to say I hope you get in some miles today and they make you smile.
 
Let go of the pace.
Let go of the distance.
Let go of HR for a day.
Just run.
We GET to.
 
Where in the world are you running today?
.
I’ll be embracing one warm day before snow here in Boulder, CO.
EMOJI POLL: Round or no? ⏰ give me whole numbers EMOJI POLL: Round or no?
⏰ give me whole numbers
👍wherever I stop, it stops
🙃I don’t use no stinking watch
||
THAT’S A LIE 😂. I can’t do it. I need the round number and when I get that close to a whole number...I need it!
Follow on Instagram
Website written, managed and maintained by Amanda Brooks, a certified running coach and personal trainer. Any advice should be taken as general information and not a personalized plan. All opinions, tips and reviews are based upon her personal life experience and the experiences of those she has coached. View our full privacy and review policy.

Copyright © 2021 RunToTheFinish

Copyright © 2021 · RunToTheFinish V2 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in