Foot and Ankle Pain

Symptoms:

Dull, burning, or sharp foot/ankle pain; Stiffness or difficulty moving foot or ankle; Swelling; Muscle soreness; Shin pain; Calf pain; Toe pain; Painless or painful noise (crepitus) with movement; Limping; Giving way or ankle instability; Numbness; Tingling.

Causes:

Foot and/or ankle pain can occur from physical injury such as ankle sprains during court sports, overuse injury from standing on the job full-time, lack of use, or from gradual accumulated “wear and tear” as seen in arthritis.  Improper footwear or structural conditions of the feet can contribute to gradual onset of foot pain as well.  The foot and ankle complex is just that, a complicated group of bony articulations with their respective muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc, that must work in concert with one another for pain-free function.  An imbalance in this intricate system can lead to impaired quality of weight-bearing life.  In some cases, one may experience nerve pain or numbness/tingling in the foot from a lumbar spine or sacroiliac joint condition, or localized foot/ankle pain from chemical or systemic conditions such as Gout, Diabetes, or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Related Conditions:

Arthritis; Osteoarthritis; Ankle sprain; Jones fracture; Plantar Fasciitis; Achilles tendinitis; Achilles bursitis; Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome; Posterior tibialis tendinitis; Shin splints; Morton’s neuroma; Metatarsalgia; Hallux valgus (bunion); Hallux limitus or rigidus; Tailor’s bunion (bunionette); Stress fracture; Lisfranc injury; Gout; Diabetic neuropathy; Radiculopathy; Rheumatoid Arthritis.

How Renew Physical Therapy Can Help:

A thorough subjective evaluation and biomechanical examination will be completed at the time of each patient’s initial appointment, which will include assessing existing diagnostic imaging, ie. x-rays, MRI, or determining whether further diagnostic imaging should be recommended to the patient’s referring physician.  The structural and mechanical cause of the patient’s symptoms will be established, and an appropriate individualized treatment program addressing this root cause will be designed.  We will utilize therapeutic modalities, ie. cold/heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. We will also use specialized massage, mobilization, and taping techniques, as well as therapeutic stretching/strengthening exercises to restore pain-free function.  Patient education is paramount in eliminating and preventing the return of symptoms, which will include an individualized home self-mobilization and exercise program as well as behavioral modification strategies.