Foot & Ankle
The human foot consists of 26 bones and 30 major joints. Over a quarter of all the bones in the body are found in the feet. Each foot takes approximately 1.5 times your body weight when walking and up to five times body weight when running.
What causes Foot and Ankle pain?
The foot and ankle is made up of multiple joints and pain can be caused by a number of different structures. There are a variety of possible reasons for a person to experience pain in this region. Pain can be caused by inflammation in the joints in the foot and ankle caused by arthritis, or from a muscle or tendon injury to the surrounding tissues. More commonly, the ligaments of the ankle can be sprained with trips, falls and sporting injuries. The onset of the pain can be a good indicator of what structures might be at fault and a thorough assessment is usually required to examine this area of the body.
What can be done to help?
Medication can be a useful first step in helping to relieve pain in the foot and ankle. This can be discussed with your GP or Pharmacist. Another early intervention which is often encouraged is Physiotherapy. A specialist assessment can give a good indication of what might help a foot and ankle problem recover. Often techniques used by Physiotherapists such as manual therapies and exercise prescription can assist in the rehabilitation process. Sometimes further assessment is required in order to establish the exact cause of the problem. This can include scans (ultrasound, MRI, X-ray) or seeing a foot and ankle specialist.
What exercises can I try?
Due to the complexity of the foot and ankle, and the variety of possible problems, it is very difficult to prescribe exercises that will help recovery in this area. We recommend seeing one of our Physiotherapist's who will be able to show you the correct exercises for your individual needs and also advise on any other treatment you might need. Often, a few simple exercises done correctly can go a long way to alleviate foot and ankle problems.
Common Foot and Ankle conditions that we treat:
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Ankle ligament sprains
- Stress fracture
Our team of Physiotherapists are all highly trained and skilled in assessment and management of foot and ankle problems. We also have a foot and ankle specialist (David Sprot) who can treat more complex cases.
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