Foot and Ankle Pain

You spend an incredible amount of time on your feet every day, and if you are suffering from foot and ankle pain, your life can be greatly impacted. It can cause dread and agony when taking the stairs, walking a block to your office, or even standing in line. Foot and ankle pain can stem from a variety of different causes, but Merrimack Valley Physical Therapy can help get you back on track. Physical therapy has been proven to help with the rehabilitation of injured joints, in addition to providing relief for both acute and chronic pain. Contact Merrimack Valley Physical Therapy today to speak with a member of our team and learn more about how our services can benefit you!

How does foot and ankle pain occur?

Your feet and your ankles are complex mechanical structures that must work together in harmony in order to function at their optimal levels. The Arthritis Foundation states that the ankle joint consists of three bones that all must interact with one another correctly, along with the various connective tissues that hold the assembly of the joint together. The foot is even more complex, containing approximately two dozen bones, 30 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Because of all the complicated structures that make up your feet and ankles, pain in those areas is a very common affliction.

An injury to your foot or ankle can result in pain so severe that you avoid bearing weight through the foot. This can leave you with only two options. You could hop around, risking injury to your other foot. You could also be stuck in a chair, limiting your mobility and ability to take care of yourself. Even mild pain can cause physical limitations to your daily life and impact your daily activities.

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What causes foot and ankle pain?

Foot and ankle pain can occur suddenly due to an acute injury, or it can develop over time. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are several common causes of foot pain and ankle pain, including:

  • Strains and sprains– A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is stretched, while a sprain occurs when a ligament is stretched too far or torn.
  • Fractures – A fracture occurs from excessive force or trauma to the bone, causing it to crack or break. A fracture to the foot or ankle can result in weeks of downtime to ensure proper healing.
  • Bursitis – Bursitis occurs when the tendons rub against the “bursae” or anti-friction sacs, causing them to become irritated and inflamed.
  • Plantar fasciitis – Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation in the connective tissue on the bottom of your foot. This can occur from overuse, such as constant standing, improper posture, or unsupportive footwear.
  • Tarsal tunnel syndrome – Tarsal tunnel syndrome occurs when the tibial nerve (the nerve that runs from the ankle to the foot) becomes pinched and inflamed.
  • Arthritis – Arthritis is a common condition that affects the joints and results in pain; the most common types including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both types of arthritis can greatly impact the foot and ankle joints.
  • Fallen arches – Your foot contains several tendons that work together to form your arch. When the tendons pull together properly, your foot will form a proper arch. However, when the tendons do not pull together properly, your foot will form a very small arch or no arch at all. This is referred to as “fallen arch” or “flat foot” and can cause pain or discomfort with time.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Foot and Ankle Pain

Your foot or ankle may hurt because of an injury, repeated activity, arthritis, or irritation of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, or other tissues that support movement. Ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendinopathy are common examples, but symptoms can have several possible causes.

Your MVPT physical therapist looks at more than where it hurts. An evaluation may include how your ankle moves, how strong your foot and calf muscles are, how well you balance, and how you walk or perform the activities that matter to you. Understanding these factors helps your therapist develop a plan based on what is keeping you from moving and functioning at your best.

Yes. An ankle injury can affect more than pain. It may reduce joint mobility, weaken the surrounding muscles, change your balance, and affect proprioception, which is your body’s ability to recognize the position of the ankle without looking at it.

Your MVPT Physical Therapy physical therapist can address these changes through progressive exercise and movement training. Rehabilitation after an ankle sprain may progress from restoring mobility and basic strength to single-leg balance, running, jumping, or other activities based on your goals. At MVPT, your rehabilitation should prepare you for what you want to get back to, whether that means walking comfortably through your day or returning to competitive sports.

Repeated ankle sprains can happen when strength, mobility, balance, or joint awareness has not fully recovered after an earlier injury. The ankle may feel better during everyday activity but still lack the quick muscle responses needed when you step on uneven ground, land from a jump, or change direction.

This problem is sometimes called chronic ankle instability. Rehabilitation focuses on rebuilding the physical abilities that help the ankle respond to unexpected movement. Your expert MVPT Physical Therapy physical therapist may use strengthening, single-leg balance, and increasingly challenging functional exercises to help you regain stability and confidence in the activities you want to perform. Our goal is to help you move better, feel better, and live better.

Heel pain that is especially noticeable during your first steps after waking or after sitting is often associated with plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that supports the arch of your foot and experiences repeated load when you stand, walk, and run.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis often focuses on gradually improving how much load the foot can tolerate. Your expert MVPT Physical Therapy physical therapist may use foot and calf strengthening, mobility exercises when appropriate, and changes to activities that repeatedly increase symptoms. As your capacity improves, your care plan can progress toward longer periods of walking, running, or other activities important to you.

Yes. Your body naturally tries to avoid movements that hurt. Foot or ankle pain can cause you to shorten your stride, shift weight to the opposite side, or spend less time on the painful foot. These changes may help temporarily but can make walking less efficient if they continue.

Your physical therapist can evaluate your gait, which is the clinical term for your walking pattern, along with ankle mobility and lower-body strength. Gait training may help restore a more natural walking pattern as your symptoms improve. The goal is to help you move confidently rather than simply teaching you to avoid the painful side.

Consider an evaluation if symptoms repeatedly return, prevent you from walking or exercising normally, or have not improved as expected. Ongoing instability, weakness, or stiffness after an injury can also indicate that the foot or ankle has not fully recovered.

Your physical therapist can identify what is limiting your movement and determine whether rehabilitation may help. At MVPT, treatment is based on both the condition and your goals so progress can be measured by your ability to return to meaningful activities. A severe injury with deformity, significant swelling, or inability to bear weight requires prompt medical assessment.

How can physical therapy treat my foot and ankle pain?

Whether you are suffering from an acute injury or chronic condition in your foot or ankle, you can find relief at Merrimack Valley Physical Therapy. Our physical therapists will conduct a thorough examination to confirm what is causing your pain, and then they will create a personalized treatment plan for you. If you sustained an acute injury, it is likely that our physical therapists will prescribe a RICE treatment (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) along with specific, graded exercises to decrease swelling and optimize motion. After the initial stages of your injury, you will move on to specialized physical therapy treatments.

Comparatively, if you are suffering from a chronic condition, your treatment will not begin with RICE rather than with exercises specific to your symptoms. Our goal at Merrimack Valley Physical Therapy is to help restore you to your normal level of physical performance and prevent re-injury. Your treatment plan will typically include a combination of exercises to restore joint mobility, improve balance, and strengthen the foot and ankle muscles. We will do all we can to ease your pain and boost your circulation, which may include recommending lifestyle changes or orthotic footwear to prevent more problems in the future.

Don’t let foot and ankle pain slow you down! Contact Merrimack Valley Physical Therapy today to schedule your appointment. We will help you get back on your feet in no time!