Pain in the foot and ankle can affect gait quality, the ability to ascend and descend stairs, and make completion of activities of daily living difficult. It can be caused by a number of factors that will be discussed in this article.
Common Foot & Ankle Pathologies
Ankle pain can be caused by injury, overuse, range of motion limitations, and a number of other factors. One of the most common ankle injuries is an ankle inversion sprain. This occurs when the ankle rolls such that the foot is underneath the body when walking or running. When this happens, a significant amount of stress is placed through the ankle which essentially stretches the structures on the outside of the ankle beyond their capacity. This can lead to swelling, pain with motion, limited range of motion, and instability when standing or walking. The degree to which these deficits occur is related to the degree of injury to the ligaments in the ankle and whether there is muscular injury as well.
Peroneal tendonitis is another condition that can cause ankle pain. This can occur after experiencing an inversion ankle sprain due to overstretching of the muscle but can also occur as the result of overuse from running, sports, or walking for exercise. Pain from this condition can span from the ankle to just below the knee on the outer surface of the lower leg. Irritation of the peroneal muscles can cause pain with end range inversion, resisted eversion and simply with walking or stair negotiation.
If the pain is located more on the bottom of the foot or in the heel, plantar fasciitis may be a more likely culprit. This condition is characterized by irritation of the plantar fascia; a soft tissue structure that spans from the heel to the metatarsal heads (base of toes). This condition typically will present with higher levels of pain in the morning which will decrease after walking for a period of time. Limitations in dorsiflexion range of motion are common to see with this condition which can make ascending and descending stairs difficult. The plantar fascia may also become irritated further with excess ambulatory activity; so pain may return at the end of a busy day.
These three conditions are common in a wide age range and can significantly limit one’s ability to walk, engage in recreational exercise, perform stair negotiation, or simply complete activities of daily living.
Physical Therapy Treatment
Identification of the cause of pain is important because the treatment approach for each of these conditions is different. A physical therapist has the ability to perform special testing and strength and mobility assessments to identify which structures contribute to the functional limitations. Once this is done, the therapist can target these structures using exercises specifically tailored to the presenting deficits to restore functionality and decrease limiting symptoms.
If you or someone you know is limited by ankle pain, physical therapy can provide relief. Call Respire Physical Therapy today at 703-671-1871 or click here to schedule an evaluation with a Physical Therapist today. Don’t let foot and ankle pain get in the way of your life!
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