One of the many foot conditions we see is patients complaining of having been diagnosed with Posterior Tibialis Dysfunction. The posterior tibial muscle runs down the back of the leg, across the inside of the ankle and attaches to the base of the foot. Commonly strain occurs when we overload the muscle during activity. It is a fairly common condition and at the early stages, can see successful recovery with a good management plan. Clinically we may observe patients who excessively inward load when they move. One of the signs that the Posterior Tibial muscle is under strain, is usually pain, but also function. For example it may be very difficult to perform a tip toe stand. It is more common in persons who are over 50, have excess body-mass and a flatter foot type condition. Active younger persons are also not immune to this if there is an issue in their mechanics or function.
The management plan may involve taping and strapping, gait education, awareness and help with your movement patterns so the muscle is less overloaded. Support using appropriate footwear and even using orthotics (foot arch supports). The idea behind treatment is to restore healthy foot function, improve conditioning and reduce progressive overload. With this type of condition depending on the severity we would strongly recommend working with a physiotherapist who has good experience in the condition and, in keeping in contact with your surgical orthopaedic team incase, further assessments, scans or action is required.
If you are in pain with your feet or feel that, something is not quite right, you are suffering fatigue of the feet, some soreness or a lack of performance, perhaps a Podiatry assessment is something your feet may require, in order for you to function at your optimum capacity. Podiatrists are able to treat and assess a range of musculoskeletal issues associated to the foot and lower leg. Should you feel like you wish to discover more, then please contact us at COASTAL PODIATRY
07748 142169 and info@coastalpodiatry.co.uk
01202 748 899 Sandbanks Clinic
Further Reading
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3558056
A very informative NHS paper on the Condition and its management: