Experiencing foot pain? It’s no surprise. Your feet are two of the hardest working parts of your body. Each day they act as shock absorbers and cushion up to one million pounds of pressure as you walk around. In addition, they support one and a half times your bodyweight while you are walking and running. When you consider how much you put your feet through, it’s no wonder that they’ll need some care from time to time.
Do you suffer from Foot Pain?
Physical therapy can help ease foot pain and eliminate a majority of problems that people experience with their feet (with a proper treatment plan). If you’re experiencing a lot pain in your toes, ankles and feet, you deserve to feel better. A physical therapist can treat any of the following common foot problems:
- Achilles tendinitis
- The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body. When it’s strained and stretched, the tendon can become sore. Achilles tendonitis can be treated by applying ice and using specific exercises designed to limit the movement of the tendon, which will help it heal.
- Metatarsalgia
- This condition develops in the ball of the foot, the part you put pressure on when you run. If you spend a lot of time running or jumping you are at risk for injuring the muscles and ligaments between your metatarsals (the bones in your foot). The area becomes swollen and it becomes painful to take a step on the ball of your foot. A physical therapist will apply ice and pressure bandages in order to relieve pain. He or she will then guide you through a series of exercises to restore the strength and function of the muscles.
- Plantar Fasciitis
- The plantar fascia is the tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. It can get easily irritated if you spend a lot of time on your feet. Plantar Fasciitis is normally more common in the morning and it presents itself as pain across the bottom of your foot. We’ll help you complete a series of different exercises to stretch out the calf and the foot. During your visit, we’ll instruct you in the office and you’ll complete the exercises on your own in between visits.
- Turf Toe
- This common sprain occurs when your big toe bends back past its range of motion. Small tears in the ligaments can result in pain when you’re walking or running. People are more at risk of turf toe when they wear lightweight, flexible shoes while participating in sports. Compression and elevation can help with turf toe, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs. We can treat higher grade sprains with a short leg cast or a walking boot.
These conditions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the foot problems that physical therapists can treat. Athletic injuries, strains and sprains can all be helped with physical therapy treatment. Other conditions can include:
- Arthritis
- Capsulitis
- Plantarfasciitis
- Shin splints
- Stress fractures
If you’re experiencing any type of pain in your foot, Fortius Physical Therapy can definitely help! Contact us to schedule an appointment for your foot pain.
