Physical Therapy for Foot and Ankle Pain

Although the foot and ankle are a small part of the body, we rely heavily on them for movement, which means foot and ankle pain can significantly impact mobility and daily life. Our feet and ankles are very dynamic and complicated structures with 28 bones, over 30 joints, and over 100 muscles. When you stop to think about the highly intricate structure and the great number of loads we require of our feet and ankles (3 to 6 times our bodyweight loads through the leg when walking and 8 to 11 times when running), it is quite amazing that we go so often without pain or injury! 

Treating Foot and Ankle Pain

Foot or ankle pain may be triggered by a ligament sprain or muscle strain, stress fracture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation, bursitis, plantar fasciitis, bone spurs, or other mechanisms of injury. The most common ankle injury by far is the inversion ankle sprain. In fact, the American Physical Therapy Association reports that of all sports injuries in America, 45% are ankle sprains.

Because there are so many potential causes, it is essential to have foot and ankle pain properly evaluated by a physical therapist. At Bull Dawg, our physical therapists will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine the underlying source of your foot and ankle pain and create a personalized treatment plan to reduce pain, improve strength and motion, and avoid re-injury. Treatment options vary based on the mechanism of injury but may include:

  • Soft Tissue Massage

  • Manual Therapy 

  • Neuromuscular Activities

  • Mobilization Techniques

  • Therapeutic Exercise

  • Orthotist evaluation (available through an outside provider)

  • Modalities for pain relief