This month’s FIX YOU column gives you advice on Overcoming Instep Pain:
Question: My right instep is quite painful, just below the ankle. The pain seems to go after a mile and a bit, but it sometimes feels like it’s burning and spreads up the shins.
Kelly has some great advice – Media ankle and shin pain (pain along the inside aspect of the foot or shin) is commonly related to a dysfunction of the tibialis posterior (TP) tendon due to overuse or overloading. The TP tendon can become inflamed, degenerative, torn, or, in severe cases, ruptured.
Injury to the TP tendon often occurs when a runner has poor muscle control at the pelvis and/or an overly pronated foot position, which can cause the tendon to be placed under excessive strain. Runners are most susceptible to this when increasing distance or pace too quickly, or when tackling unfamiliar and difficult terrain.
If you are suffering the symptoms of an injured TP, it is important to get your running and biomechanics assessed by a running specialist physiotherapist, as there are many factors that could be contributing to your pain.
