Ankle/Foot Pain
Dr. Nathan Prissel, PT, DPT
CEO & Owner of Liberty Physical Therapy
Ankle/Foot Pain Making It Hard to Walk, Run, Jump, Descend Stairs, or Do Daily Tasks?
Does this apply to you?
- You hoped that the pain would ease after a week or so, but it has persisted.
- You've already tried ice, heating pads, and TENS units at home, but they weren't effective?
- Two massages didn't help, and the pain returned a few days later?
- Have you attempted physical therapy before, and it didn't help?
- So you've concluded that skipping the unpleasant tasks will keep you healthy?
Long-Term Solutions Are Our Specialty.
- Arthritis
- Ankle Sprain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Posterior Tibial Tendinopathy
- Achilles Tendinopathy
- Midfoot Pain
- Morton's Neuroma
The Most Frequent of Its Causes
- Impaired Mechanics: Joint stiffness or diminished muscle flexibility leads to restricted range of motion; weakness and muscle imbalance contribute to impaired joint stability.
- Injuries: are the result of a sudden impact or stress that is placed on the tissue.
- Chronic compensations: a previous injury or fear of future harm may force an individual to avoid exercising in certain muscle groups, while simultaneously overusing other tissues. This can lead to chronic compensations.
Liberty Physical Therapy and Performance Approach
- Breaking the pain cycle requires educating patients, using manual therapy, and improving tissue mobility.
- Improve the mechanics of the area's joints, muscles, and nerves when doing daily functional jobs as well as exercising/participating in sports.
- Load the tissue to enhance strength, power, and endurance so that it is ready to meet any demands without risk of reinjury.
Ankle and Foot Treatments
- Bracing, taping, and massage can all help to lessen tissue irritation.
- Stretching, cupping, dry needling, and instrument-assisted mobilization can all be used to increase tissue mobility.
- To lessen uneven ankle forces, improve core, hip, and knee control.
- Calf and intrinsic foot muscles should be strengthened.
- Regain full range of motion and enhance joint hydration
- Become more adept in single-limb control and balance.
- Activities that are functional and plyometric should advance (jumping, running, cutting, squatting, climbing)
- Boost your aerobic and endurance fitness.
- Discuss options for proper footwear.
Important Ideas to Know
1. Tissues recover. Although the body is designed to heal itself, sometimes it gets trapped in the inflammatory stage of tissue repair and need aid to move on to the recovery stage.
2. The results of x-ray and MRI imaging are usually unrelated to the true cause of discomfort. Imaging makes it possible for tissue damage without discomfort or functional limitations. It is also possible to suffer pain that does not show up clearly on imaging, which is frequently brought on by oversensitive nerve tissue.
3. Although soreness following exercise is undesirable, it is not always cause for alarm. The system must be overloaded in order to experience true strength enhancements, which causes micro-damage. That tissue thickens and strengthens during the healing process. In order to evaluate whether the tissue is prepared to handle more load, whether it should continue at its current level, or whether training intensity should be reduced until the tissue is more ready, one should use soreness as a gauge.
4. It is almost always possible to resume prior or desired activities with the right instruction, proper mechanics, and moderate tissue loading.
Start Right Now!
You don’t have to give up your favorite game because of issues that can be resolved.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nathan Prissel, PT, DPT, CEO
Owner of Liberty Physical Therapy
What Other People Just Like You Are Saying About Liberty Physical Therapy & Performance in South Metro
