“I am suffering from anterior tibial tendinitis. Should I quit my job?”
I have a severe pain in my foot for the last one month. I am 28 years old and the doctor has detected my problem to be anterior tibial tendinitis. My job requires me to stand for nearly 12 hours a day and with this condition it is very painful. Will I have to quit my job or is there an alternative?
26 Answers
It is much better for your body to stand on your feet all day and then it is to sit on your butt all day. Don’t quit your job! You’ll be healthier in the long run. Find a good massage therapist and have them do deep tissue work on your anterior tibialis muscles. As a chiropractor I have done this for many people and it has worked very well. Good luck!
Chiropractors who have training in extremity adjusting have seen success with areas of tendinitis. The tendinitis can be caused by the subluxation of the tibio-fibula joint, thus putting pressure on the tendon to work harder, to hold the two bones in proximity.
Try custom made orthotics in your shoes. This will help releive pressure in your feet, knees , hips and low back.
Your job should be able to accommodate you if not get an doctors order requiring light duty. Your job should give you a desk position per dr orders or cut your work hours.
I would try different avenues, especially if it's a job you need for livelihood instead of quitting..
Your diagnosis is inflammation of the tendon. Estim, ultrasound in the area should help in time to heal the tendon.
Your job should be able to accommodate you if not get an doctors order requiring light duty. Your job should give you a desk position per dr orders or cut your work hours.
I would try different avenues, especially if it's a job you need for livelihood instead of quitting..
Your diagnosis is inflammation of the tendon. Estim, ultrasound in the area should help in time to heal the tendon.
Not if you have just won the Lotto or have a tree that grows money on it! All kidding aside, my answer to you would be absolutely not. First of all, with the limited amount of information that was provided, I'm not completely sure that this diagnosis is correct.
1) My question to you is, where is the exact location of your pain your pain?
2) Is your pain located at the FRONT PORTION of your ankle?
3) Did the pain arise gradually over time or or was the onset of your pain more sudden? Does any activity with prolonged weightbearing always bring on the pain?
4) What are the factors that bring on the pain? What have you done to find relief?
5) Have you ever experienced any similar incidence prior to this episode?
6) Is it affecting only one side or is it affecting both sides?
7) Is the pain localized to one specific area of the foot or does it radiate to another area causing a generalized pain and tenderness?
8) In your own words, how would you characterize the pain that you are experiencing? This is a very important question because the different foot disorders all have their specific character of pain.
9) Does it hurt when you attempt to flex your foot upward towards your shin?
10) Have you noticed any signs of acute inflammation? Redness, painful to touch, warmth over the area of involvement and swelling.
These are some of the more important questions that I would ascertain prior to arriving at any definitive diagnosis. Certainly I would have a small list of differential diagnosis as a possibility, which would include:
1) Plantar Fasciitis
2) Tibialis Anterior strain
3) Achilles Tendonitis
4) Premature Degenerative Joint Disease of the Foot
5) Posterior Tibial Tendonitis vs. Anterior Tibial Tendonitis
After ruling out all of the other common causes of foot and ankle pain in which I would rule in only one to arrive at a definitive diagnosis, depending on which one it is, then I would plan and treat the condition accordingly.
Let's just say that the diagnosis of Anterior Tibial Tendonitis is correct for education sake. Understanding the fact that patients with "high arched" feet are more prone to suffer from this particular condition then a custom foot orthotic would certainly serve to benefit you to find relief. If that is not sufficient then a walking boot is the next option.
If, however, neither of these options are helpful, then a Podiatric consult or a Surgical consult would be warranted for sure.
1) My question to you is, where is the exact location of your pain your pain?
2) Is your pain located at the FRONT PORTION of your ankle?
3) Did the pain arise gradually over time or or was the onset of your pain more sudden? Does any activity with prolonged weightbearing always bring on the pain?
4) What are the factors that bring on the pain? What have you done to find relief?
5) Have you ever experienced any similar incidence prior to this episode?
6) Is it affecting only one side or is it affecting both sides?
7) Is the pain localized to one specific area of the foot or does it radiate to another area causing a generalized pain and tenderness?
8) In your own words, how would you characterize the pain that you are experiencing? This is a very important question because the different foot disorders all have their specific character of pain.
9) Does it hurt when you attempt to flex your foot upward towards your shin?
10) Have you noticed any signs of acute inflammation? Redness, painful to touch, warmth over the area of involvement and swelling.
These are some of the more important questions that I would ascertain prior to arriving at any definitive diagnosis. Certainly I would have a small list of differential diagnosis as a possibility, which would include:
1) Plantar Fasciitis
2) Tibialis Anterior strain
3) Achilles Tendonitis
4) Premature Degenerative Joint Disease of the Foot
5) Posterior Tibial Tendonitis vs. Anterior Tibial Tendonitis
After ruling out all of the other common causes of foot and ankle pain in which I would rule in only one to arrive at a definitive diagnosis, depending on which one it is, then I would plan and treat the condition accordingly.
Let's just say that the diagnosis of Anterior Tibial Tendonitis is correct for education sake. Understanding the fact that patients with "high arched" feet are more prone to suffer from this particular condition then a custom foot orthotic would certainly serve to benefit you to find relief. If that is not sufficient then a walking boot is the next option.
If, however, neither of these options are helpful, then a Podiatric consult or a Surgical consult would be warranted for sure.
More than likely your tibia is misaligned. I've seen patients with similar complaints and gotten good results by adjusting the tibia and areas of the knee and foot.
Pain and disability are two different things. Pain is very subjective so it's hard for me to advise you on whether you should quit your job because of it. I can see how standing increases the pain but it shouldn't lead to permanent damage of the muscles, arteries or joints in your lower legs. You might want to talk to your family if needed to see if you are able to quit working right now and find a job that allows you to sit more. However, if your doctor believes you can be helped with conservative care like
chiropractic or physical therapy I would try to do that route if you like the type of work you do. Also, there is a condition called compartment syndrome that happens in the lower legs and requires surgery which is usually sucessful. So make sure you know your options for treatment before leaving a job, especially if you need it and/or enjoy it.
chiropractic or physical therapy I would try to do that route if you like the type of work you do. Also, there is a condition called compartment syndrome that happens in the lower legs and requires surgery which is usually sucessful. So make sure you know your options for treatment before leaving a job, especially if you need it and/or enjoy it.
I would suggest you find a good Chiropractor who adjusts extremities and is knowledgeable in clinical nutrition. You may need a few days of limited stress on it, but I doubt you would need to quit.
No---you need serious rehab therapy----stretching and/or laser therapy and you will get better
Dr David Leonard
Dr David Leonard
Unfortunately this requires rest
I would avoid quitting your work for now. Walking down stairs or hills will be your nemesis. I would make sure you wear comfortable shoes for one thing. If you are at a specific work station, I would consider a rubber or absorbing type of a matt to have in that area to avoid cement or hard no give surface. Consider "lightly" a foam roller followed by ice. Any "itis" means inflamed. So, controlling inflammation, increasing circulation and elasticity of that muscle group will help your symptoms to dissipate and
perhaps even resolve. It's a difficult area to stretch without hurting your ankle, so the foam roller is a good alternative. Also perhaps some tissue work, massage.
Hope I helped. Got your back!
Dr. Todd Gewant
perhaps even resolve. It's a difficult area to stretch without hurting your ankle, so the foam roller is a good alternative. Also perhaps some tissue work, massage.
Hope I helped. Got your back!
Dr. Todd Gewant
Have you had an X-ray? Have you had prolo therapy? Have you taped your tibia? Graston? etc... If you answered no to all or any of these questions, then do not quit your job and allow my office to begin treating you.
I would decrease the hours or frequency of work since tendonitis of a lower extremity, in the absence of other diseases, is often due to over use, improper alignment and inflammation. I suspect that the tendonitis is actually a result of poor shoes, imbalance in pelvic alignment and in the quadricep muscles. Resting tendonitis is the first thing you should do. Other treatments can include cold laser treatments, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage.
Anterior tibial tendinitis is easily treatable. The physical therapy side should clear that up along with an adjustment or two on the foot/ankle, knee, hip & low back. Rock tape single wrap around arch, a stretch daily of that Achilles tendon, an analysis of your working biomechanics, proper foot wear, and a morning regime to prepare for a work day which is no different than going into a sporting event. Don’t dismiss powdered magnesium at night before bed. You don’t quit a standing job for this condition. I’ll be 65 & still work on my feet same hours. Get the therapy, beat it, and be proactive to prevent.
You are important to me as a person and a patient.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Phil Convertino
You are important to me as a person and a patient.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Phil Convertino
Great Question.
Do you live in the Rockford area?
You can always visit www.nextlevelhealth.com for updated info and to make an appointment with me.
Do you live in the Rockford area?
You can always visit www.nextlevelhealth.com for updated info and to make an appointment with me.
Get a check-up by a Chiropractor. They will be able to tell if a joint, bone is out of place, causing this inflammation. Whether it's out of place in the back, hip, a bone in the leg, foot or ankle. It could be anywhere in the body. A Chiropractor that uses KST will be very helpful.
You need to seek some sort of therapy before you quit your job. If it don't get better in 6 months of therapy, then maybe a job with less hours on your feet.
Ant. Tib tendinitis is associated with shin splints, so it shouldn’t hurt to stand, and shouldn’t hurt in the foot. I would get an image, could be stress fracture.
Make sure that you are icing and stretching the anterior tibialis. You may also use transverse friction massage or some myofascial work from a Chiropractor, physical therapist or massage therapist. Your job should give you the chance to sit intermittently until the tendonitis has healed.
Anterior tibial pain is better known as "shin splints" and causes pain with standing, balancing and with locomotion. There's always a cause as the anterior tibial tendinitis is not the problem, only the symptom. Always look above and below that area at the joints to see if there is a dysfunctional movement pattern or alignment issue. A simple set of orthotics for the shoes may help. Also soft tissue IASTM treatments, laser therapy, kinesio tape and movement retraining of the joints often helps quickly and easily.
Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear that you are in pain. Anterior tibial tendonitis is often a self-resolving condition. With proper care and treatment, it normally goes away on its own in 4-6 weeks. I would recommend you see a chiropractor who specializes in musculoskeletal conditions that can give you the proper treatment and advice. Regarding quitting you job, that is a personal choice, but the condition can be treated and resolved so that you can continue to work.
Talk to your doctor about getting orthotics in your shoes. Very often, this is due to malposition of the feet and just needs some extra support.
If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time you might consider asking your bosses for a cashiers mat to stand on.
If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time you might consider asking your bosses for a cashiers mat to stand on.
Quitting your job may not be necessary if you find out what’s causing it. What was your doctor’s recommendation for it?
Wow! A job like yours can aggravate tendinitis but before quitting, find a doctor to manage your condition and ask him/her to work with your employer to find a solution to keep you working while your tendinitis heals.
Are you currently under therapy for this condition?
A good supporting shoe could be a trendous help as well as orthotics. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, class IV cold laser therapy, and chiropractic are worth trying. Sometimes the best results are incorporating all.
Yes, there are alternatives. It can be as simple as a foot orthotic that will relieve your pain. There is PRP therapy as well. The only way to know for sure would be with a consultation at the office.
