Stepping Free: Understanding and Overcoming Foot and Ankle Pain
Our feet and ankles have the important role of supporting our body weight and bearing the full impact each time we connect with the ground. They are important in maintaining balance, enabling us to run, walk, stand and a variety of other every day movements that we all take for granted - until something goes wrong.
Ankle and foot pain are common issues that can present acutely (sudden & short term) or develop into a chronic issue (long term). Acute foot and ankle injuries usually occur during everyday activities such as running, walking, during sport, or as a result of tripping or falling from a height. A common acute injury is an ankle sprain, where ligaments that provide stability to the ankle and foot are damaged, leading to swelling, pain, difficulty weight bearing and reduced balance. Chronic foot and ankle conditions may result from worn cartilage or joints, osteoarthritis, repetitive overcompensation after an injury, or learned bad habits such as poor posture or incorrect walking/running movements.
Commonly, ankle and foot injuries may make it difficult to maintain balance, cause difficulty walking or putting weight through the foot. Ankle and foot injuries despite being vitally important in providing balance, enabling us to walk, run and play sports are often rehabilitated poorly; increasing risk of subsequent injuries and limiting potential performance.
Common foot/ankle conditions: Ankle sprains, High ankle sprains (Syndesmosis), Stress fractures, Achilles tendinopathy, Tendinopathy, Neuropathic pain, Plantar fasciitis.
Less common foot/ankle conditions: Osteoarthritis of ankle, Metatarsalgia, Rheumatoid arthritis.
Rare foot/ankle conditions: Sinus tarsi syndrome, Mortons neuroma, Les franc fracture, DVT.
Treatment at Total Physiocare can be an invaluable tool in your recovery after a foot and ankle injury. We take a thorough history of your condition and work with your treating practitioner - referring you for any medical imaging if required. We systematically track and record your progress through regular outcome measures in order to ensure that we are providing the most effective treatment for your individual needs and progressing towards what your individual goals are.
While your rehabilitation plan with us will be based on your individual presentation and needs, treatments often include a combination of hands on therapy, taping, strength building and balance retraining.
For more information on specific ankle and foot conditions, please chat with one of our lovely physiotherapists!