So here's the thing...My left inner ankle, my posterior tibialis, muscle has been a'talking.

Not surprising after I've been gradually increasing my long runs. But it doesn't mean I'm broken. Or injured. And I wouldn't even classify it as a niggle.

It's more like a "check engine light" (but nicer because that usually means something is already busted).

But all of this has reminded me of conversations I've been having in the clinic and with you guys on instagram...

Not every twinge is an emergency. Or a reason to panic. That doesn't mean don't act on it, or don't get the medical treatment you need.

But twinges, aches, soreness, tight-pulling sensations is how our body talks to us. And that's what I was a telling a runner with repeat poster tibialis flares a few weeks ago.

And that conversation naturally flowed into how she was using theraband exercises from youtube or instagram to help and try to recover after her post tib was being a butt....again. (like the 3rd of 4th time in 3 years?)

And I haven't spoken a lot about this on instagram because I have a feeling it would make some people very, very cranky...

but because you're my running fit fam, I'm just gonna spill my hot take.

I RARELY give banded ankle exercises to my patients or runners. Because I just don't like them.

And it's because of this: when I was first out of PT school, I went to the athletic trainer for the University of Michigan football team (go blue!) for custom inserts so I could run without foot pain. And because he'd been treating for 15-20 years at that point, I took what he said to heart.

He told me to find better exercises than the silly banded ankle steamboats. (that's just what the banded ankle complex is called, don't ask me why). He challenged me to be a better PT, not a lazy one, and find exercises that were more specific to my athlete, more functional to their exact needs.

Because I bet he had seen runners, athletes, other patients who were under-treated. Meaning, in a very similar situation to this post-tib runner who kept coming back to the same banded exercises over and over again...

but WITHOUT full resolution of symptoms. This isn't to shame anyone! Not a runner, patient, your PT, no one.

This is a common mistake and problem I see just scrolling on the internet. And I wanted to address that in this week's blog post.

That's why I put together 3 tests every runner who has a niggly posterior tib/inner ankle pain should do before increasing weekly mileage so they can go into marathon training prepared for their upcoming 20 mile long run.

Because if you do all 3 of those test...and your ankle is *a little cranky*...

then honey boo boo, you have work to do.

Now of course I also provided exercises to get you started on, duh. But I felt it was important to at least touch on this, even if I wrote you a novel of an email (sorry, not sorry).

Because from personal experience and hearing from you all, long runs and high mileage are notorious for flaring up feet and ankles, especially inner ankle pain like posterior tibs.

So check that all out here and as always...

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. TLDR; inner ankle pain being a constant butt? OR worried that it your post tib might try flare up mid-fall marathon training? Literally find out in this week's blog ;)

Looking for MORE ways to work together?

• ​RUNNING RESCUE CALL: Save your run and your race. Work directly with me 1-on-1 at the first sign of an ache, niggle, or repeat running injury. We'll deep dive into the why behind your injury and create a personalized exercise program that gets you out of pain, keeps you running, and helps prepare you for race day!
• Grab my NEWEST FREE Strength resources for runners: The Calf & Achilles Cure Toolkit, made for marathoners sidelined by stiff, painful achilles and tight, injury-prone calves who want to protect their training cycle and show up to the starting line strong, pain-free, and ready to race.
• ​STRONGER FEET WORKSHOP: Losing the battle to plantar fasciitis, posterior tib pain, or reoccurring Achilles tendonitis? Not with this workshop ;)

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