ANKLE / FOOT PAIN
What is ankle pain?
The ankle joint actually consists of several joints and is important for our movement on the ground:
The joint between the two lower leg bones up at knee level
The joint between the two lower leg bones down at ankle level
The joint between the bones of the lower leg and the "ankle bone" (Talus)
The lower ankle joint (subtalar joint).
There are many requirements for our ankle joint. It must be stable enough to carry our weight, and agile enough for us to unwind properly when we walk, for example.
Many ligaments, muscles and mucous membranes form the structures around the ankle and lower leg, and injuries to these can cause pain.
What is pain in the foot?
The foot consists of many bones: 26 to be exact.
Foot-related pain can be around the heel, forefoot, arch and toes.
Foot settlement is important for the way we move around. Neurologically, the movements of the foot are incredibly important for our sense of position and automated movements in connection with walking.
Around and under the foot we have a lot of ligaments that are stimulated in certain sequences when we walk. These ligaments have relationships to very specific muscles that need to be activated when the ligaments are put on stretch.
Is one of the joints in the foot - and thereby the ligaments affected, it can lead to altered movement patterns and potentially pain in other parts of the body.
Read here about the most common ankle and foot related problems:
Pain in the Achilles tendon
Pain in the area of the Achilles tendon is very frequent and special among runners. Around the Achilles tendon itself, there are several structures that may be affected; the calf muscle, mucous sac, tendon sheath, heel etc.
There may be inflammation (inflammation) in the tendon itself or the sac of mucus between the Achilles tendon and the back of the heel.
The tendon can also be partially or totally torn in connection with sports.
Symptoms:
When the Achilles tendon is overloaded, the pain will come slowly and be increasing. They are most often worst in the morning with a feeling of stiffness. When the tendon is warmed up, such as when walking and stretching, the pain subsides. With more strain, the pain may worsen again.
The tendon can feel sore or painful when you press or pull on it and thickening can sometimes be found along parts of the tendon.
Treatment:
The muscles that attach to the Achilles tendon are very often the reason why many people are in pain. The treatment is therefore to find out why the calf muscles are tense - there can be many options.
As a temporary pain relief, one can try to stretch the calf muscle and work with movement exercises for the ankle.
Personalized posts can help normalize the biomechanics of the foot. This allows your foot settlement improved, thereby relieving the Achilles tendon.
At OPTIMUS Physiotherapy & Pain Clinic, we offer personalized posts. Read more about our post
Ankle sprain
Most have experienced ankle injuries. In connection with movement, we may wiggle our ankles and sprain one or more ligaments.
Symptoms:
Pain on the outside of the ankle is most common, as most ankle sprains occur with the foot tipping inward. In the acute phase, the ankle joint can lift up and hurt when moving and loading.
Treatment:
Immediately after the ankle sprain, the POLICE principle is recommended:
Protection - protect the ankle, stop the activity you were just doing such as sports.
Optimal Loading - start moving the joint as soon as possible and load it as normally as possible within the pain limit.
Ice - Throw ice on if the pain is severe. NOTE! Ice is only for relieving pain, but can prolong the healing process.
Compression - compress the area with eg bottling to reduce the risk of fluid retention.
Elevation - Lift the leg up above heart level to help carry fluid back into the lymphatic system.
Heel spurs
The tendon originates from the heel and attaches to the bones of the forefoot and toes.
In case of overload, problems are most often seen at the origin area on the heel. On X-rays, in some cases you can see a bone outgrowth in this area, which is called a "heel spur". However, there is limited research to suggest that there is a link between the heel spur and the pain.
Symptoms:
The overriding symptom picture is pain in the heel and / or the area of origin of the tendon.
The pain is worst in the morning when there is strain on the heel and foot and the ankle may feel stiff.
Treatment:
Some physiotherapist clinics offer Shockwave for the treatment of heel spurs. The theory is that one tries to destroy the heel spur and / or the "sick" tissue around the painful area so that the body can form new, healthier tissue.
Many studies have been performed regarding Shockwave, and no solid evidence has been found that the treatment is more effective than, for example, exercise therapy and stretching.
OPTIMUS - Physiotherapy & Pain Clinic has good experiences of helping our clients with pain around the heel and tendon attachment, because we are based on the dominant system of the nervous system for the body's experience of pain. By examining and processing the signals that sensory cells pick up and transmit to the brain, we can change the body's inappropriate movement patterns, restore normal muscle balance in the lower leg, reduce and in many cases eliminate heel pain.
Have you been struggling with a heel spur or Achilles tendon pain for far too long? Or do you keep wiggling and feeling your ankles are weak and unstable?
Maybe you need personalized posts?
Contact us and hear more about why we can help you get rid of your genes!
