The foot/ankle is a joint in the body that is made up of a multitude of different structures and tissues that can each be injured in many different ways. Primary structures in the ankle include bone, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and fascia.
There are many injuries that can occur to these structures, but most common include:
- Ankle sprains
- An ankle sprain is an injury to the ligaments in the ankle.
- Sprains are classified in “grades” (1-3) which describes the severity of the sprain. The higher the grade, the more severe.
- There are two types of sprains (inversion and eversion) which describes which complex of ligaments were injured and the way in which they were injured.
- Recovery could take anywhere from 6 weeks-3 months.
- Plantar fasciitis
- Plantar fasciitis is inflammation and stiffness of the band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot.
- It is most common in populations that run
- Achilles’ tendinopathy
- Achilles’ tendinopathy is a term used to describe degenerative changes to the Achilles tendon. These changes could include inflammation, stiffness, pain, and/or small tears/trauma to the tendon.
- This is most common in runners or jumpers but can happen to anyone.
- It is typically an overuse injury and symptoms can develop slowly
LSTC Can Help!
Each of these ankle/foot injuries can be remedied with the help of skilled physical therapist. Give our office a call at 703-450-4300 to schedule an evaluation with one of our physical therapists and get started on your recovery today!
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