It’s common, no matter our age, to experience foot and ankle pain, or discomfort in our heels and arches. This discomfort and pain makes daily, functional activities such as standing, walking and using stairs difficult. A common injury we see is plantar Fasciitis.
Causes
Foot and ankle pain can stem from a number of factors.
Some common ones include:
- Poor footwear
- Weakness in the intrinsic foot muscles
- Poor foot anatomy such has a flat foot or high arches
- Chronic issues with lower back, hip, or the knee that causes pain down into the foot and ankle
Plantar Fasciitis
One particular foot condition treated here at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center is plantar fasciitis. To start, what is your plantar fascia?
- A thick band of connective tissue that extends from your heel bone to bottom of the toes.
- It supports the arch of your foot.
Those with plantar fasciitis typically experience heel pain, which is usually the worst in the morning but improves throughout the day.
Impacts
If plantar fasciitis and general foot pain are not taken care of, it can cause dysfunctions up the chain in your knee, hip and even your back. That’s because to compensate for this pain, you have an abnormal gait or walking pattern. The movements you use to perform a normal activity are altered to try and avoid that pain in your foot or ankle. This ‘trickle down’ effect is why it’s so important to see a physical therapist to learn what is causing your pain or dysfunction and so you can understand the correct way to treat your symptoms.
Why Choose PT?
Physical therapy is a very effective treatment method to relieve a condition like plantar fasciitis and general foot and ankle discomfort. At Loudoun Sports Therapy Center, our expert physical therapists will design an individualized plan of care specific to your symptoms. It will include targeted stretching and strengthening, teach you proper movement mechanics, and address muscle imbalances.
Physical therapy helps:
- Decrease pain and inflammation
- Improve joint mobility
- Decrease muscle tightness
- Improve motor control of the ankle’s stabilizing muscles
- Avoid the need for injections
- Improve strength
Don’t ignore your pain when you’ve been dealing with it for days, weeks or even years. Give our office a call at, 703-450-4300 to schedule your evaluation and start living pain free again!
CLICK HERE for more information about plantar fasciitis.
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