Advice - Releasing Knots in the Tibialis Anterior Muscle

rachsoderberg

A bit of a long shot here, but I figure it never hurts to ask...

For a few months now I have been battling with very tight Tibialis Anterior muscles in both legs, which can get tight to the point where walking can be uncomfortable and I can feel the tightness actually pulling my ankle if it gets REALLY bad. My running has suffered this year because my calves tighten up horribly within the first mile or two.

What I have been doing so far:
~ Turning a 26lb kettlebell upside down and resting the corner of the handle so it performs a "smash" into the tissue where it is the most tender (should be knots there). I do this at least twice a week, especially before running because this provides me with the most relief.
~ Stretching my calf and soleus muscles against a wall and on curbs. I try to do this multiple times a day and whenever I'm near stairs/curbs. I have a good amount of flexibility in my calves, they are just inexplicably tight.
~ Icing directly on the Tibialis Anterior muscle area when I have done any running or jumping in a workout in an attempt to keep the swelling down.

I have been doing my current methods for around a month now and have not seen the results I would expect to see (really I haven't seen any improvement beyond short-term relief). A therapist I work out with felt my leg and commented at the crazy number of knots; it is almost excruciating when a person presses their thumb into there and I practically jump out of my skin.

Any other advice I could try to use? Anyone dealt with this same issue before?! I'm coming into my racing season and I really hope to stop being sidelined by my calves.

cheshirecatastrophe

I have chronically tight calves, too.

What about rolling a lacrosse ball or even a spiky PF-rehab ball underneath the tight area? Rest your leg on a shiatsu massage pillow and pressing down as much as you can tolerate?

And also--how tight do you lace (or buckle if cycling) your shoes?

rachsoderberg

I'll try a lacrosse ball again, haven't done that in awhile. (will look into the shiatsu massage pillow, not sure what that is)

As for my shoes, I like them snug but not tight because my feet tend to swell a tiny bit as I work out or run.

lishie_rebooted

Were you fit for said shoes?

Compression socks/sleeves may help you as well

cheshirecatastrophe

rachsoderberg wrote: »

I'll try a lacrosse ball again, haven't done that in awhile. (will look into the shiatsu massage pillow, not sure what that is)

A massage pillow that works with little rollers that knead instead of a vibrating head. This is the one I use on my calves and feet:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008981SRY/

I mean, you can get basically the same effect from rolling a spiky or hard ball. But if you've got a pillow like that for, well, ordinary massage purposes, it works great because it does the work for you. You just rest your foot/leg on it and let gravity and the battery take it away.

rachsoderberg

lishie_rebooted wrote: »

Were you fit for said shoes?

I wasn't fit for them, I currently use the Reebok CrossFit Nanos which I've been with for a couple of years with no issues (have replaced them with the same type as they wear out) but in just the last 2-3 months this issue has come up.

Can a shoe issue suddenly come up like this?

I have a couple pairs of compression socks I use for races, might have to give them a few test runs in my workouts to see if I notice a difference!

Compression socks/sleeves may help you as well

debubbie

Have you tried going to a massage therapist that can do myofascial release? They may be able to trace the knots back to the source origin and help to give you relief. I use this type of therapy for fibromyalgia knot relief and it helps considerably.

rachsoderberg

debubbie wrote: »

Have you tried going to a massage therapist that can do myofascial release? They may be able to trace the knots back to the source origin and help to give you relief. I use this type of therapy for fibromyalgia knot relief and it helps considerably.

We attempted to, yes haha. I see my sports massage therapist every 3 months to work out various tight spots and I practically jumped off the table when I mentioned this problem and he pressed on it! My toe cramped too! He told me to ease into it on my own where I can control the pressure, but it seems to not be working (and he's out of town for another month!)

lishie_rebooted

A small portable TENS unit may be of assistance too.

And looking at those shoes, they aren't a running shoe. They're made for Crossfit which has short distance running. not longer distance which I assume you do since you mentioned race season.


Maybe find a new therapist and see them more often. It might be helpful to take Advil or something prior to the appointment so they can get itin deeper. Ive had to do it prior to grastoning with my PT. Which is another idea for you to

rachsoderberg

lishie_rebooted wrote: »

A small portable TENS unit may be of assistance too.

And looking at those shoes, they aren't a running shoe. They're made for Crossfit which has short distance running. not longer distance which I assume you do since you mentioned race season.

I actually race in a different pair of shoes - the Reebok All-Terrain Supers. (I run obstacle races!) They don't get worn often outside of trail training runs and races. The CrossFit shoes I don't use for more than a mile or two on pavement, if I need to do any longer I either switch to the All-Terrains or use a sawdust path.

I wish I could afford to see a therapist more often, I'm a full time student without employment at the moment so it's much further in between sessions than I would like.

Cherimoose

For chronically tight calves, wear a night splint, which stretches the calves while you sleep. Get one that adjusts to angles less than 90 degrees, like this:
amazon.com/Adjustable-Plantar-Fasciitis-Splint-Medium/dp/B006L8N71Y

Also transition to zero heel shoes for all footwear worn, including work shoes. The Reeboks, like most shoes, have a slightly raised heel, which activates the calves more.

rachsoderberg wrote: »

For a few months now I have been battling with very tight Tibialis Anterior muscles in both legs, which can get tight to the point where walking can be uncomfortable and I can feel the tightness actually pulling my ankle

Do you mean your tibialis posterior muscle? The tibialis anterior is an antgonist to the calves, meaning they have opposite functions, so it's uncommon for both to be tight.
Do you have any foot abnormalities, like flat arches?

meryl135

I was thinking the same thing with regards to Tib. post. vs. Tib. ant.

Also, I don't expect you to disclose any medical history on here, but since this problem has come up suddenly, and it is presenting bilaterally, I thought of Achilles tendon injury as a consequence of antibiotic use (it's usually the Achilles, which would my suspicion based on your description, but it can occur in other tendons as well - particularly those that are used often).

The antibiotics that are usually behind this injury are the Quinolone group of antibiotics, which include: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro®, Cipro XR®, Baycip®, Cetraxal®, Ciflox®, Cifran®, Ciplox®, Cyprobay®, Proquin XR ®, Quintor®), Floxo®, Gemifloxacin (Factive®), Levofloxacin (Levaquin®), Moxifloxacin (Avelox®), Norfloxacin (Noroxin®), and Ofloxacin (Floxin®). Symptoms can occur up to 3 months post-antibiotic use.

I know it's a bit of a stretch (LOL - pun totally unintended), but I have had a couple of patients subject to this. I'm a Naturopathic doctor with a focus on sports-related injuries and rehabilitation, so I might have a slightly skewed population; most research reports a rate of approximately 15 to 20 per 100,000 patients. Still worth checking out, if you had antibiotic therapy prior to the start of your calf pain.

Foamroller

In general: Whenever there are imbalances in muscles, tendons, ligaments there will be problems that might be hard to trace back to origin. Because the body tries to compensate overusing other body parts.

Might be posture problem that gives problems downstream. Right shoes/soles? See a foot doctor, imbalances in feet can also give problems.

Stronger hamstrings? Many, many people have very developed quads, forgetting the hams.

I recommend foamrolling with spiky roller and wearing compression wear after working out/sleeping. Also recommend doing balance work, wobbly ankles are not good. I do this and it helps.

Just some suggestions, try troubleshoot your way out of the problem.