Sports like basketball, soccer, football, and tennis can increase your chances of ankle pain and foot pain. These sports require a lot of movement and sharp turns with your feet, which can cause things like ankle sprains. Foot pain can occur outside of sports too. It can even flare up when you’re performing daily activities like walking your dog or taking out the trash. Your feet and ankles are very important because you are constantly using them every day. It is important to get foot and ankle pain treated quickly so it does not begin to limit your daily activities.
Ankle and Foot Pain Causes
There are many potential causes of ankle and foot pain, such as:
- Achilles tendinitis, the inflammation and swelling of the Achilles tendon
- Achilles tendon rupture
- Arthritis
- Broken bones
- Bursitis, or joint inflammation
- Osteoarthritis, a disease causing the breakdown of joints
- Plantar fasciitis, the inflammation of the plantar fascia, the band of tissue that connects your toes to your heel bone
- Sprained ankle
These conditions vary in seriousness and intensity of the pain. It is important to determine what is causing your pain before proceeding with further treatment.
Ankle and Foot Pain Treatments
When you come in for your appointment at Remedy Sports and Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Rolnik will make an assessment of your foot and ankle to identify the source of the pain. Then she will determine an appropriate treatment plan. Surgery is to be considered only as a last resort. Often, the problem can be addressed using non-surgical methods.
There are many self-care methods you can try at home, such as:
- Rest. Ankle and foot pain often results from overuse, and simply staying off your feet gives your body time to heal.
- Icing the affected area. This reduces swelling and inflammation. Try to ice for 15 minutes at a time, 3-4 times per day.
- Lie down on a couch or bed and use a pillow to elevate your feet above your heart.
- Use a compression bandage if you are experiencing excessive swelling.
- Take over-the-counter pain medication to ease the symptoms while your body heals.
If the pain still doesn’t go away, Dr. Rolnik may consider other treatments such as prolotherapy, which involves injecting a solution into the affected area to stimulate your body’s healing ability. Dr. Rolnik and the Remedy staff will persevere until your foot or ankle pain is completely gone.
Call today to schedule an appointment at Remedy Sports and Regenerative Medicine if you are experiencing foot or ankle pain.
