Anterior Tibialis Tendonitis [Tibialis Anterior Muscle Pain Treatment]

Steroid injections for anterior tibialis tendonitis:

Do not use corticosteroid injections for this condition.

Steroid injections for ankle tendonitis can accelerate the degenerative process, make the tendon more susceptible to further injury, longer recovery time, and increase the likelihood of rupture.

Tibialis anterior tendonitis pain relief:

You can start with the RICE protocol if you have painful tibialis anterior tendonitis, top of the foot pain, or the front of the ankle.

Tibialis anterior stretches:

In the video above, we detail our favorite tibialis anterior tendonitis stretches. The #1 way to relieve tibialis anterior tendon pain with stretching is to stretch the Achilles tendon and the hamstring. We usually find that when there is a tight calf muscle or a tight hamstring, the anterior ankle and top of the foot muscles work a little bit harder. A loose and flexible leg will make your anterior muscles work less hard because they do not fight tight muscles every day.

Tibialis anterior exercises:

Our favorite tibialis anterior exercises are detailed in the treatment video above. With that being said, exercising your calf muscle and your hamstring will allow your front of the ankle muscles, like your anterior tibialis tendon, a little bit better. Strengthening your muscles and getting a biomechanical evaluation by your podiatrist can be an important first step before tibialis anterior exercises.

Tibialis anterior workout:

The anterior tibialis muscle and tibialis anterior tendon strengthening can be difficult because they are small muscles. The tibialis interior workouts we recommend include working your calf muscle and your hamstring. Once these muscles are loose and more flexible, this can take pressure off your tibialis anterior tendon and muscle, and this will make it less tender and less overworked. This is probably the best way to perform a tibialis anterior workup. Please do not focus on the small little muscle in your workouts because this is not a large muscle that should perform any major lifting, and it is more of a stabilizing muscle.

Tibialis anterior tendonitis braces:

There are many great braces for anterior tibial tendonitis. A brace can help to prevent your foot from performing an abnormal motion. One thing to watch out for with tibialis anterior tendonitis braces is to ensure it is not too tight against the anterior tibial tendon. This can cause even more irritation and bother the tendon more.

Tibialis anterior strengthening:

In our opinion, it is possible to perform tibialis anterior tendon strengthening, focusing on other supporting muscles such as the gastrocnemius thigh muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
If these muscles are loose and strengthened, the tibialis anterior tendon and muscle do not work as hard. This can lead to better function and better pain relief long-term while walking and functioning during the day.

Tibialis anterior tendonitis massage:

In the video above, we detail tibialis anterior tendinitis massages. These can be very effective for initially helping relieve tibialis anterior muscle pain and tibialis anterior tendon pain.

Tibialis anterior raises:

Tibialis anterior raises can be confused with calf raises. By strengthening and stretching the gastrocnemius or calf muscle, would take pressure off the anterior tibialis tendon. This would let it work not as hard during the day, allowing it to calm down and gradually create less inflammation in the tendon.

How to relieve a tight tibialis anterior:

The best way to relieve the tight tibialis anterior is to offloading and crosstraining the tendon. It could also help to loosen the gastrocnemius tendon and the gastrocnemius muscle tendon. If this is performed combined with good shoes and good orthotics, this can gradually relieve a tight tibialis anterior over time.

How to SPEED UP the healing time?

Shockwave therapy for anterior tibial tendonitis:

Shockwave therapy can be an effective way to help anterior tibial tendonitis treatment.

• We have had success with this relatively safe and non-invasive therapy regarding treating the foot’s tendon and soft tissue injuries.
• Shockwave therapy is very effective for chronic soft tissue injuries and foot pain.
• Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive way to speed up the healing process with great results for chronic and acute conditions.
• Learn more about shockwave therapy here!

MLS Laser Therapy:

MLS laser therapy is offered at our clinic for excellent relief of painful soft tissue injuries and chronic soft tissue pain.

• Learn more about MLS laser therapy for anterior tibial tendonitis here!

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections:

• This can be an effective treatment option for foot and ankle problems such as chronic tendonitis.

Ruptured Anterior Tibial Tendon Repair:

• Sometimes surgery may be necessary to assist in the healing of a ruptured anterior tibial tendon injury.
• Anterior Tibial Tendonitis is a common condition seen with overuse of the tendon.
• It may take a few weeks to months to improve, depending on the severity.
• Many treatment modalities can speed up the recovery process and help you return to activity sooner.
• A foot and ankle specialist can guide you in your diagnosis and recovery process.

Anterior tibialis tendon tear:

An anterior tibialis tendon rupture can be extremely difficult to repair, and this can require surgery with a trained reconstructive foot and ankle podiatrist.

• We recommend getting an evaluation if you think that you have an anterior tibialis tendon rupture.
• In our experience, these are extremely rare and are usually associated with trauma or a laceration like dropping a knife on your foot.
• It is rare to rupture it with chronic overuse, although this is possible.

Tibialis anterior tendon rupture treatment:

If you have a partial tear or tear of the anterior tibial tendon, start with protecting the tendon.
This means rest ice compression and immobilization.
One recommended step would be to see your podiatrist for evaluation. This might require an x-ray, an ultrasound, or an MRI to assess bone or tendon injuries.
Your podiatrist will likely start you out in either a cast or a walking boot.
There are three grades of tears:
A grade 1 tear of your tibialis tendon usually means that it is only a partial tear. It is possible to prevent any further damage with good protection, and surgery is likely not necessary. Next line a grade 2 tear up to 6-8 weeks of treatment and offloading. This could mean a cast or a walking boot.
This could then be followed by starting physical therapy and rehabilitation exercise.
A grade 3 rupture means that this is a full rupture of the anterior tibial tendon. This very likely would require surgery unless this is a very debilitated patient with health problems.

Anterior tibialis tendon rupture repair surgery:

This can be a very difficult surgery that would require multiple incisions. This would require an incision on the top of your foot where the anterior tibial tendon inserts and where the rupture happened. At this point, it would be necessary to find both ends of the tendon, overlap them, and use sutures to reattach them.
In some cases, using a neighboring tendon such as the extensor hallucis longus can reattach the tendon and reattach the site.
After surgery, there will be immobilization for up to 6-8 weeks. This means using a cast, a walking boot, a wheelchair, and crutches to get around.
This would then be followed by physical therapy and recovery.

Rehabilitating and injured anterior tibial tendon:

If you have undergone an injured anterior tibial tendon or surgery for anterior tibial tendons, this might require surgery.
Rehabilitation can sometimes take up to 2-3 weeks after ending immobilization to start returning to normal activity. We have seen some patients that take up to 1 year to reach the final product, even with great care.