I have posterior tib tendinitis in my lower right shin and it\'s been limiting my volume/training for the past month or so. I\'ve heard that if you run on this for a while it can progress to a stress fracture, is this true or not? and, if it has progressed to a stress fracture, how can I tell? Lastly, if anyone has had posterior tib tendinitis, please share some tips as to how to deal with it. thanks.
push your thumb right into the tendon on your upper shin, right next to the tib, and run the thumb all the way down to your foot. probably easiest with some massage oil.
The best way to tell if you have a tibial stress fracture is to ice the area - both bone and soft tissue - for at least 20 minutes. Once the area is frozen, try pressing around the area with your fingers. If you feel pain while pressing on the bone - you most likely have a stress fracture. Ice can numb any feeling in soft tissue, however it can not mask the pain from a structural weak spot in your bone.
Only one way to tell for sure. GET A FRICKIN' BONE SCAN! An x-ray didn't detect mine at first. Got a bone scan two weeks later (at this point I hadn't been training for about 3 weeks) and sure enough it was fractured.
PS- Lunch dates with girls who are 4'5 simply isn't permissible..
i had a pulled hamstring tendon in a similar area (the tendon wraps around the knee at its lower extreme, so it was right at the top of my tibia... who knew?)and i kept running on it, leading to a fractured tibia. i would definitely stay off of it and in the meantime get a bone scan or mri (only severe fractures coughMINEcough will show on x-rays) to rule out any bigger problems.
I had PTT in the exact same place two years ago, with similar symptoms. Rest/cutting back on mileage, icing, etc. didn't seem to do much. The athletic trainer thought that my arch was starting to fall and was putting a strain on the tendon. Basically, I just needed arch supports.
The first day I got my arch taped, the pain was instantly gone. Eventually I progressed to using an ankle brace and then got orthotics. Haven't had a problem since.
At first I was afraid it was a stress fracture, but when I got ultrasound on it I had no pain, so I was pretty sure I was okay. The trainer never said a word about it progressing to a stress fracture, so I'm not sure if that's a strong possibility or not.
I know how frustrating it was, so I hope you have a similar success story!