Ankle and Foot Pain Treatment and Therapy

From your big toe to your Achilles Tendon, Foot and ankle pain, even injury is very common. Think about it, you’re on them frequently, so naturally foot problems are bound to arise. Many of you spend the bulk of your day walking, running, jumping, lifting and partaking in a wide variety of activities and/or athletics that put a hurt on your hooves. It makes sense that ankle and foot problems among the most common of ailments passing through our clinic corridors.

And while common, it can be a real pain both literally and figuratively given the fact that it can incapacitate your day to day. Thankfully, ankle and foot pain can be effectively addressed in a timely manner with treatment. From high arches, nerve damage, issues with your plantar fascia, high arches and more foot and ankle problems, we can help! But first, it is important to identify the forms and causes of the affliction.

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Common Forms of Ankle and Foot Pain

Plantar Fasciitis

You may not know this ailment by name as you do with the other injuries, but it is one of the most common sources of foot pain, with the impact felt in the bottom of your foot, mostly in your heels. Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis can root from that plantar fascia and traditionally include early morning waking pain, or soreness felt upon standing and walking after sitting for prolonged periods of time. Like achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis is commonly rooted in biomechanics as they relate to foot alignment. Because of this, Plantar Fasciitis responds very well to physiotherapy treatment.

Sprained Ankle

Everyone has suffered a sprained (aka rolled) ankle. It occurs quite often in one’s active adolescent years, and can become a recurring problem for many that maintain high levels of activity throughout life. Here’s the problem. Nine times out of ten, most sprained ankles go without treatment. Sufferers tough it out with their own treatment which may or may not include a bag of frozen peas and a Netflix session. Eventually the pain and swelling go away and they return to activity with some mild discomfort until everything appears to be normal. But the fact is, the injury probably did not heal properly.

You see, an ankle sprain involves the over-stretching or tearing of ligaments, typically the lateral ligaments on the outer ankle. Without adequate physical therapy treatment, an ankle’s true normal range, strength, stability, and function will not be realized. That’s why the problem becomes a reoccurring one.

Fractured Ankle

Fracture is certainly a much dirtier sounding word when it comes to an ankle injury. That’s because it is. The injury typically occurs the same way as a sprain and the symptoms are similar. Without a proper physiotherapist diagnosis, you may dismiss a fracture as a sprain and attempt to go on about your business, which will ultimately worsen the injury and set back your rehabilitation significantly. Don’t let this happen. A fracture can only be healed though initial immobilization (yes, the boot) and subsequent treatment.

Achilles Injury

This injury permanently sidelined the great Greek hero of the Trojan War, so imagine what it can do to your general existence without adequate treatment and therapy.

An achilles tendon rupture is the most feared, and yet unfortunately common, especially with middle-aged weekend warriors (although it can happen to almost anyone). The injury occurs during short burst actions such as jumping, pivoting, and sprinting but can most certainly occur during long distance running. Our clinic normally sees patients who have suffered an achilles rupture after bouts of basketball, football, soccer, softball, skateboarding, and all forms of racket sports. The bad news is that you will be sidelined with an achilles rupture for quite some time. The good news, is that you can achieve full recovery with the right physiotherapy team at your back, or should we say foot?

Achilles tendinopathy is another common form of injury. Born from overuse of the achilles, it is typically caused by biomechanical concerns, including issues with foot alignment and muscle imbalance. However, causation factors also include overtraining and wearing improper footwear during intense activities. Achilles tendinopathy is successfully managed with physiotherapy treatment that addresses potential biomechanical and/or training issues, while providing an effective therapeutic regime.

Foot Stress Fracture

This injury is the result of severe bruising or a small crack in the metatarsal bones, the group of five long bones in the foot which are located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. It is commonly caused by overuse and repetitive activity and frequently connected to sports and activities such as basketball, football, soccer, and high-intensity running. Diagnosis may require a metatarsal bone scan while treatment involves initial immobilization, followed by physiotherapy.

Other Forms of Foot Pain

While the key culprits are addressed above, there are many other ailments connected to foot pain that you may be experiencing. The root causes of these pains vary from overuse injuries, wearing shoes that do not fit properly, broken bones and more. These include the following: