Take a Step Towards Healing: the Power of Physical Therapy for Foot and Ankle Treatment

Your feet and ankles have over 158 pieces (bones, joints, ligaments) that must work together to provide stability, support, and our ability to move in various directions. Our feet, ankles and lower legs are essential to our daily lives and their health is paramount to our happiness and productivity. Given the amount of use and abuse the average person puts on them, an injury or pain can disrupt life. The complexity of our feet and ankles contributes to their role in weight-bearing, balance, and mobility.

What is mobility?

Mobility = strength + flexibility

Ankle mobility is the amount of motion in your ankle joint. As we age, loss of flexibility in our feet and ankles becomes a reality. Poor mobility and flexibility prevent you from adequately moving and can create problems throughout your body.  Limping, gait change (how you walk), or posture change can affect your knees, hips, and back.

What causes us to lose ankle mobility?

Some events that cause us to lose ankle mobility are:

Aging process

Extended sitting/non-use

Injury or trauma

Old injuries (not healed properly)

Incorrect/compensated movements

An injury to one area of the 158+ puzzle often affects another part of our body because our feet and ankles depend on each other to function normally. However, this is where physical therapy can be beneficial, helping to manage pain, promote healing, and, most importantly, prevent future re-injury.

COMMON TYPES OF FOOT AND ANKLE PROBLEMS

PT is highly effective because we focus on targeting the root causes of your discomfort rather than simply chasing the symptoms. Some of the most common foot and ankle injuries we see are:

• Plantar Fasciitis – When there is inflammation and strain of the flat band of the tissue connecting a person’s heel bone to their toes, it is known as plantar fasciitis. People with this diagnosis complain of heel and/or arch pain due to the band (known as the plantar fascia) becoming weak, swollen, or otherwise irritated.
• Sprains & Strains – There are MANY ligaments and muscles in the feet and ankles. Injuries to these typically occur due to repeated stress or acute injuries/accidents.
• Bunion – This is a bony bump found at the base of the big toe joint. It can cause the big toe to turn towards the second toe, resulting in both pain and difficulty walking correctly.
• Achilles Tendonitis – Occurs when the Achilles tendon (on the back side of the ankle) becomes inflamed and painful.
• Achilles Rupture – When the Achilles tendon is wholly separated or torn, it is considered an Achilles rupture.  This typically happens due to a sudden, forceful action in the calf area.
• Ankle Fractures – This is when one or more of the bones in the ankle are broken due to trauma.
• Metatarsalgia – When someone is experiencing pain and inflammation in the forefoot (front of foot) – usually due to overuse – it is considered metatarsalgia.
• Foot and Ankle Stress Fractures – Stress fractures are tiny breaks in the bone that usually occur because of repetitive stress to the area.
• Turf Toe – This occurs when an individual sustains a sprain to the ligaments of the big toe joint. It is pretty common among professional athletes.
• Post-operative conditions- Bunionectomy, Achilles tendon repair, Fracture Fixation, Great toe replacement, and more.

WE CAN HELP YOUR FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN 

Ankle and foot injuries are widespread and many people don’t seek help for them. We are here to help you ensure your body’s foundation is solid and you have a lifetime of movement! Your physical therapist is an expert in understanding why your feet or ankles may be hurting and knowing what treatments will be helpful.