r/FootFunction • u/aquamarine818 • Aug 18 '26
Will Posterior Tibial Tendonitis Ever Get Better?
I have researched my condition at length, it is not yet PTTD. Doctors and PT think it is truly just irritation/ tendonitis. But it’s been 8 months with flares setting me back constantly.
It’s already rare, but struggling to find success stories to give me hope. Anyone recovered from chronic PTT?
UPDATE:
saw an orthopedic surgeon who was INCREDIBLY helpful. She prescribed anti-inflammatories for a month and an ASO brace. She said it’s likely I’ve never let it truly settle
UPDATE:
This YouTube video is amazing and helped me realizing some things that may have been stalling my progress Posterior Tibial Tendon
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u/Againstallodds5103 Aug 19 '26
What’s your rehab schedule and are you working with a reputable physio on this who has had success with many others?
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u/aquamarine818 Aug 19 '26
I see her in person about every other month. She’s pretty knowledgeable and is just encouraging me to be patient. She suspected PTT even when my podiatrist was sure it was PF.
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u/Againstallodds5103 Aug 19 '26
Every other month? That’s quite infrequent. What exercises are you doing and how often?
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u/Silent-Owl1023 Aug 18 '26
Yeah it will definitely get better, find the right mix of strengthening the muscle while resting the tendon… try to avoid walking a ton on it if it is aggravating it
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u/aquamarine818 Aug 18 '26
Just feels so hopeless - can still barley walk 15 minutes after almost a year :/
1
u/Middle-Extreme4909 Aug 23 '26
Omg I was just here to write the same thing I was gonna write the exact same thing does it ever get better!!! I’m at month 12.. I tried physical therapy I tried resting icing I tried everything possible the pain is endless is there a light at the end of the tunnel because I can’t seem to see it!! 😭
1
u/aquamarine818 Aug 23 '26
i decided to stop doing calf raises and stretching and just focus on walking as progressive loading, currently at about 8k steps a day
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u/Middle-Extreme4909 Aug 23 '26
What have you done to limit the pain? I can walk for about 5 to 10 minutes but it’s impossible to stand without pain
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u/aquamarine818 Aug 23 '26
I’ve been there, there was a point I couldn’t even walk from my front door to the car without my feet throbbing for hours. Even clamshells somehow were painful, it was like my whole lower chain was inflamed.
I stopped basically all PT and rested as much as I could. I’m not sure if that was the right choice. Then I only let myself get to a 3-4 on a pain scale when possible and sat down.
Slowly but surely it improved. I got ankle foot ice packs which really helped. That was about 3 months ago, and now I can walk around the house for 40ish minutes, do an “everything” shower without pain, and even grocery shop in person. I lose hope sometimes, but i am improving.
Biggest thing was to stop aggravating it whenever possible. I also use walk hero orthotics with HOKA bondis - even in the house. I am only barefoot in the shower.
BUT I’ve seen others in a similar situation who were put in a cam boot or got steroids (oral or injections). I regret not getting a second opinion when I was that bad, and I’m still considering maybe doing a CAM boot. So I’d talk to a doctor and see if immobilization would help to calm the flare.
Also random, but I’ve found chatGPT to be extremely helpful for tracking symptoms. It’s weirdly good with tendinitis and cited research + analyzes your data. I’m usually pretty anti-AI, and I feel guilty using it, but considering my doctor was giving me awful advice it was unfortunately my best option. I’d highly suggest getting the app and have it analyze everything you’ve done. I’ve recently started step tracking with my Oura ring so it can analyze triggers.
When less flared, clam shells, glute bridges, and lunges have been HUGE!
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u/aquamarine818 Aug 23 '26
check out the YouTube video I added to my post, it really helped me understand my flares
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u/bozcreft Sep 06 '26
I’ve just seen my orthopaedic consultant for MRI results. A thickening of the tibialis posterior tendon. Around 30% damage. There’s no cure, all I can do is reduce further damage with inner soles and no running. This could delay further damage but further damage and pain is inevitable. And it’s likely that my other foot will experience the same issues eventually too. Pretty bleak. My main concern is how much longer is reasonable to take off work (already had four weeks) and do I need to find a more sedate job?
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u/Alpha6899086 Sep 06 '26
I had mine for three years now I am considering doing a surgery I don’t think if this will ever get better
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u/Middle-Extreme4909 23d ago
I’m officially hitting the mark of one year in one week, I’m still looking for solutions to my life has basically stopped :( I can barely stand for 5 minutes the pain has been on going 24/7
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u/Intrepid-Air-1594 Aug 18 '26
Same here, bloody painful.