Foot and Ankle Pain
Want to give foot and ankle pain the boot?
Living with foot and ankle pain can affect so much. It can affect lots of activities many of us take for granted.
A loss of mobility can have a knock on effect on more than just your step count. It can affect your independence, physical and mental health. It is important to find where the issue is stemming from, so you can get back to simple activities such as a walk or run in the park, playing team sports or taking the kids to the park.
What type of foot pain do you have?
We see lots of different types of foot and ankle pain. Young patients with Sever’s Disease or often older patients with arthritic ankles. Pain on the inside of the ankle from Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction or pain on the outside from a lateral ankle sprain. What type of ankle issue have you got?
The plantar fascia is a strong, fibrous connective tissue at the sole of your foot that originates at the heelbone and connects to your toes with a role of maintaining the arch in your foot. This becomes aggravated when overused through repetitive strain and is known as Plantar Fasciitis.
Shin Splints
Shin splints causes pain in the shinbone after overloading or overusing your muscles, tendon or shin bone itself. It is most common in runners or gymnasts.
Sever’s disease
Sever’s disease occurs in children and adolescents, usually those who participate in a lot of sports that include sprinting and jumping. Swelling and irritation occurs at the heelbone due to the achilles tendon pulling on the growth plate that attaches at the heelbone.
Ankle sprain
An ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments that support your ankle are stretched beyond what they are capable of. This is very common and the severity depends on the extent that the ligaments have been stretched and how many are affected.
Treatments we recommend for foot and ankle pain
Your Head2Toe Physio will carry out a thorough assessment, looking at what you can do, what you can’t do and whether there’s anything that should be of greater concern. Most foot issues resolve if dealt with sensibly. A combination of exercise therapy and manual therapy often proves helpful. Combined with a little education on what’s happening and why, things can often improve pretty quickly. Our clinicians work well with many local podiatrists and orthopaedic surgeons, to try and help find a solution to your problem.
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Our frequently asked questions about foot and ankle pain?
The most common causes of foot pain include:
- Plantar fasciitis: This is a condition that causes inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot.
- Heel spurs: These are bony growths that can form on the heel bone.
- Metatarsalgia: This is a condition that causes pain in the ball of the foot.
- Morton’s neuroma: This is a condition that causes pain in the toes, caused by a pinched nerve.
- Arthritis: This is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints, including the joints in the feet.
At Head2Toe Physio we see lots of different types of ankle pain. Some of the most common causes of ankle pain are:
- Sprains: This is an injury to the ligaments that support the ankle joint. Sprains are usually caused by a sudden twisting or rolling of the ankle. That could be little gymnasts turning their ankle, or a more elderly patient falling.
- Strains: This is an injury to the muscles or tendons that attach to the ankle joint. Strains are usually caused by overuse or overstretching of the muscles or tendons. That could be a runner with a Tibialis Posterior Tendon Dysfunction or a footballer with a really sore Achilles Tendon.
The symptoms of foot pain can vary depending on the underlying cause. However, some common symptoms include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Numbness or tingling
- Difficulty walking or standing
The most common
The most common causes of shin pain are:
- Shin splints: This is a condition that causes inflammation of the muscles and tendons on the front of the shin. Shin splints are often caused by running or other activities that involve repetitive stress on the shins.
- Stress fractures: This is a small crack in one of the bones in the shin. Stress fractures are often caused by overuse or repetitive stress on the shins.
- Compartment syndrome: This is a condition that occurs when the pressure inside one of the compartments in the leg becomes too high. Compartment syndrome can be caused by injury, overuse, or certain medical conditions.
Home treatment options include rest, ice or heat, plus over-the-counter pain relievers. At Head2Toe Physio, dependent on what we find in your assessment, we have a number of different treatment options. These include soft tissue therapy, joint mobilisation and manipulation, exercise therapy and acupuncture.
Head2Toe Physio have been treating patients for over 20 years. We have excellent links with local podiatrists and orthopaedic consultants. After assessment, if we consider that your condition needs a surgical opinion or further investigation, we will work with our trusted colleagues to manage your condition as effectively as possible.
You’ll be pleased to hear that you can get your foot and ankle pain treated at any of our 3 clinics in Surrey and West Sussex.
At Dorking and Leatherhead, our clinics are based in sports centres with fantastic access to gym facilities and ample room to get you back up to full fitness. At Crawley, we have a modern physio clinic with our own rehab studio, all set to return you back to what you want to do, as quickly and effectively as possible.