Grab a moment and ponder one of your typical day :you wake up, get out of your bed, brush your teeth, shower, get dressed up, make breakfast and begin your commute to work, get back from work, make food and then go to sleep.
Till this point of time, how many times do you think you’ve used your foot and ankle. Uncountable, isn’t it? Now, if you are doing all this and along with pain, it can make your everyday activities become really grueling tasks. You might even find it difficult to navigate in your own home independently.
The foot injuries of a human body can be divided into 3 parts – Hindfoot injuries, Midfoot injuries and Forefoot injuries. This is one of the most oftenly used body parts and so it is not very strange that one may experience pain in their ankle and foot but the severity of pain matters. If one acknowledges pain in these parts, growing pain is not a good sign. This may prevent us from doing our daily work. So it is advised to take good care of your feet and ankle too.
SYMPTOMS/SIGNS
Some common symptoms and sign that are causing you ankle and foot pain are –
ankle swelling, bruising, redness, numbness, instability, burning pain, stiffness and one of the most common types is inability to bear weight on the affected ankle.
WHAT ARE SOME CAUSES OF FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN?
• Fallen arches
• Arthritis
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome
• Tendinitis
• Bursitis
• Fracture
• Strains and Sprains
SAY GOODBYE TO FOOT AND ANKLE PAIN WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPIES
Foot and ankle pain can occur for various reasons but can be relieved by physical therapies. It is one of the most reliable methods to cure your ailment ranging from a small pain to a severe injury. Physical therapists have specific tests to assess for stress fractures and they can guide you through the appropriate treatment depending on the affected bone. They create a personalized treatment plan to specific needs of your body condition. This may include specialized treatments like:
Plantar fascia release
Sit on a straight chair with a foot on a ball while the other on the floor and your back in a neutral position (slightly arched).
Then roll the ball under the arch of your foot from heels to toes.
Repeat the same with the other foot.
Medial reach with foot
Stand on the involved leg and glide the opposite leg directly to the side as far as possible by bending the involved knee.
Return to the initial position without touching the foot down.
Stretching calf sitting
Sit down with one leg outstretched whereas the other leg bent and place a strap around the ball of your outstretched foot and hold the ends of the strap with the help of your hands.
Pull up against the strap until you feel a stretch at the back of the leg.
Maintain the position and repeat with your other leg as well.
Apply heat or cold
It is often seen that people apply heat or cold bags to the area of foot and ankle. Applying cold helps reduce pain or swelling and applying heat may help relax the muscles and increase blood circulation. For heat or cold therapy, applications are limited to 15-20 minutes with at least a 2 hour break in between to give the skin time to recover.
Electric stimulation therapy
Like heat/cold therapy, it is also a common therapy used for pain in any part of the body. It gives out electrical impulses that block the body’s pain signals, which eventually leads to reduced pain. It can help prevent atrophy and reinforce patients with injuries.
FINAL WORDS
As you are aware of the fact that your foot and ankle are complex structures, containing 2 dozen bones approximately, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments all of which work together to provide support, balance and mobility. Due to this complicated structure that makes up your feet and ankles, pain in those areas is a common affliction. An injury to your foot or ankle can result in pain so severe that you may avoid putting your body weight down.
Your feet and ankles are one of the most complex mechanical structures of the human body that must work together in harmony in order to function at their optimal levels and physical therapies help you with this.
Don’t let foot and ankle pain diminish your quality of life any longer!