Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis

[ridermelanie]

Hi there! I was diagnosed with posterior tibial tendinitis mid-March after FINALLY getting a referral to a podiatrist at Kaiser. My left foot has been swollen and painful around the inner ankle bone and foot bone. I was cycling a lot last summer and completed my first 100-mile ride in June. A few weeks later, the pain got worse. I pretty much ignored it and kept riding, although shorter distances. I broke my wrist in October while hiking and had to quit riding for months. I thought that would help my foot settle down, but it continued to hurt and swell. I asked my doc a couple different times for a referral and once I got in, I got slapped with "the boot." I am now hobbling around in this gigantic Frankenstein-like boot that is supposed to rest my foot (podiatrist threatened to put me in a hard cast, but I wouldn't have been able to ice or move my ankle). I am not even allowed to walk my dogs. I can't do lower body weight training at the gym because it will engage my calf (which is where the tendon inserts). I am doing physical therapy, but it is very slow going as I am waiting to get in to a sports medicine doc who makes custom orthotics (out-of-pocket expense). I don't see him until April 13. I am terrified of what he is going to say. I am missing all the spring bike rides I signed up for. I am depressed. I have done a lot of research online, and it all says the same thing: It is very common in women over 50 (happens 4 times more often to women), especially if you have extra weight on your frame (and I did. In Weight Watchers now). It usually only happens to one foot. They are not sure why. If you look up exercises for this lovely ailment, calf stretches are a very common one. Tight calves aggravate the tendon. Of course, I never did the right amount of stretching after these rides. I am very good about icing now. I actually enjoy that "frozen" feeling. It certainly helps with the swelling! I see the PT again on April 5. Has your arch fallen on the foot with the problem? This is very common. My foot is somewhat misshapen now, and I've looked at pictures online of what happens when you don't take care of it. Absolutely horrifying! I am with you on this journey, and it has been especially cruel as I was just cleared a few weeks ago for my wrist. Got back on my bike once and then got referral to podiatrist who shut me right down.

[ny biker]

I completely forgot about this thread, and never bothered to search the forum before I posted recently about the flare-up with the tendon that I had surgery on all those years ago. I just spent four weeks with the ankle boot. I was allowed to take it off to drive and at night, otherwise I wore it all day. The deets are in this thread.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=55911

Today was day one without the boot. I guess it was okay. Just walking around the office, slowly and mindfully. Haven't decided yet if I will pay for custom orthotics or just wear Superfeet. Taking it one day at a time.

[Catrin]

If it helps your deliberations on the custom orthotics. I've lots of issues with my feet and ankles, though different from yours. Have had ankle surgery (ligament repair + a heel osteotomy), micro-tears in my achilles (antibiotic related), very high arches, arthritis, etc. I've used across the counter supports, including Superfeet, and have had custom orthotics twice. The first attempt (a few years back) were not true orthotics, they were just very expensive arch supports and did no good rather than to support the podiatrist.

My second attempt, just last fall, has been nothing short of a miracle. These are orthotics in the true sense of the word - in they help to actually realign my feet so that my feet hit the ground properly. There is no arch support in the usual sense of the term, though that is also addressed in correcting my stride. It took a few months to adjust to them, I won't lie about that. Once I adjusted to them? It has been fantastic. ALL of my pain from various sources is just...gone. My major metatarsal arthritis, plantar fascitis, ankle pain, everything - gone (outside of occasional twinges from the arthritis). Even my calluses from almost 60 years of walking with such high arches are gone - and they were significant.

If it's in your budget, I would seriously consider it. That being said. WHO makes them is just as important as anything. Unlike many I've heard of, my podiatrist doesn't agree with just making one - he prescribes a pair and this pair actually cost me just a little less than the expensive arch support (one only) from 2006 or so that lasted an entire 6 months. Frankly I would have never believed that having this level of success from this pair of floppy things that go in my shoes was possible, and I was skeptical when I first saw them. They confuse shoe sales staff as they don't look like the arch supports they are used to seeing - they do all of their adjustment in the hind-foot - at least for me they do.

[Pax]

This is my new fun issue due to gait changes from my knee replacement. Having wicked valgus on the right leg for a long time made me walk a certain way, now that it's gone everything is realigning and changing. Wouldn't be much of an issue if I was young and bendy, but since I'm not it feels like something new/different crops up every month.

Doc says very little point to custom orthotics at this point as the changes will continue for a while. Thankfully, wearing my OluKai Ohana flip flops makes my feet feel just about perfect, and it's getting warm enough to wear them more often. Best things EVER!

[Catrin]

This is my new fun issue due to gait changes from my knee replacement. Having wicked valgus on the right leg for a long time made me walk a certain way, now that it's gone everything is realigning and changing. Wouldn't be much of an issue if I was young and bendy, but since I'm not it feels like something new/different crops up every month.

Doc says very little point to custom orthotics at this point as the changes will continue for a while. Thankfully, wearing my OluKai Ohana flip flops makes my feet feel just about perfect, and it's getting warm enough to wear them more often. Best things EVER!

That makes sense, better to wait until things calm down. I do think that my bad shin splints from the 10 mile hike last October was, in part, because it came just after I started using the new orthotics and I hadn't yet realized that my body would take some time to adjust to them. I can't say I wasn't warned that it might take some time, I just didn't believe him, not really

[Pax]

That makes sense, better to wait until things calm down. I do think that my bad shin splints from the 10 mile hike last October was, in part, because it came just after I started using the new orthotics and I hadn't yet realized that my body would take some time to adjust to them. I can't say I wasn't warned that it might take some time, I just didn't believe him, not really

Totally get that, whenever my doc tells me "this will probably happen", I assume he means to someone else.

[shootingstar]

If it helps your deliberations on the custom orthotics. I've lots of issues with my feet and ankles, though different from yours. Have had ankle surgery (ligament repair + a heel osteotomy), micro-tears in my achilles (antibiotic related), very high arches, arthritis, etc. I've used across the counter supports, including Superfeet, and have had custom orthotics twice. The first attempt (a few years back) were not true orthotics, they were just very expensive arch supports and did no good rather than to support the podiatrist.

My second attempt, just last fall, has been nothing short of a miracle. These are orthotics in the true sense of the word - in they help to actually realign my feet so that my feet hit the ground properly. There is no arch support in the usual sense of the term, though that is also addressed in correcting my stride. It took a few months to adjust to them, I won't lie about that. Once I adjusted to them? It has been fantastic. ALL of my pain from various sources is just...gone. My major metatarsal arthritis, plantar fascitis, ankle pain, everything - gone (outside of occasional twinges from the arthritis). Even my calluses from almost 60 years of walking with such high arches are gone - and they were significant.

If it's in your budget, I would seriously consider it. That being said. WHO makes them is just as important as anything. Unlike many I've heard of, my podiatrist doesn't agree with just making one - he prescribes a pair and this pair actually cost me just a little less than the expensive arch support (one only) from 2006 or so that lasted an entire 6 months. Frankly I would have never believed that having this level of success from this pair of floppy things that go in my shoes was possible, and I was skeptical when I first saw them. They confuse shoe sales staff as they don't look like the arch supports they are used to seeing - they do all of their adjustment in the hind-foot - at least for me they do.

Could you take a photo of this set, Catrin? Am curious..

[Catrin]

I do have the photos Shootingstar, just having a problem getting them uploaded. Hopefully will solve by Monday night!