Even minor injuries of your foot or ankle can cause a huge disruption to your daily life, especially when your job depends on your mobility. Whether you recently became injured or have been dealing with chronic pain that other treatments haven’t succeeded in reliable relief, our physical therapists can help.
Causes of foot and ankle pain
Foot and ankle pain includes any pain, acute or chronic, that affects the foot or ankle, including:
- Heel pain
- Toe pain
- Arch pain
- Tingling or burning sensations
There are as many causes of foot and ankle pain as you can imagine, and just because you aren’t aware of any recent injury doesn’t mean you can’t seek treatment for the pain you’re experiencing. Other causes besides injury that can lead to ankle or foot pain include:
- Achilles tendon rupture/strain
- Bone spurs
- Bursitis
- Tendinitis
- Bone break or fracture
Additional symptoms of foot or ankle problems
When your foot or ankle is in pain, it’s an obvious sign to seek treatment. But if you’ve been living in a mild amount of discomfort for a while, you might have gotten used to the “check engine” light of this symptom. If you experience any of these symptoms in addition to general foot pain, it’s probably time to talk to a doctor or physical therapist who can help you find a way to relieve them:
- Ankle tenderness
- Pain during certain movements or stretches
- Difficulty walking
- Weakness
- Joint stiffness
- Swelling
Sometimes the pain and other symptoms can be treated on their own with rest, elevation, ice, heat, and/or compression over the course of a few days or weeks. When your pain does not resolve within a few weeks, however, it’s always a good idea to seek help from a medical professional.
How physical therapy can help heal foot pain
Some foot injuries are best treated at the source of the pain, by setting a cast over a broken foot or ankle bone, for example. Other causes of pain, however, are best treated by a more holistic approach to your health, including physical therapy to strengthen your joints and muscles surrounding the ankle.
Our physical therapists use interventions that might include:
- Gait and balance analysis
- Manual physical therapy
- Personalized exercise and stretching plan
- Massage
- Posture training
Our goal is to listen to your symptoms, evaluate your needs, and develop a plan with you to get you on the road to recovery quickly and sustainably.
To learn more about our approach and your treatment options, start a conversation with our team by calling a clinic location near you or requesting an appointment online today.
