An ankle sprain occurs when the ligaments around the ankle are overstretched, and micro or full tears occur. Going ‘over’ on our ankle in various directions is very common and the severity of the trauma and prognosis depend on how badly the ligaments have been stretched and how many are affected.
The plantar fascia is a strong, fibrous tissue at the sole of your foot that spans from the heelbone to your toes and along with muscle activity maintains the arch in your foot. It often becomes aggravated when repetitively overused and can feel like a pebble under your heel or an achy or tearing pain under the foot. Plantar Fasciitis is sometimes called policeman’s or runner’s foot.
Shin splints give unpleasant pain over the shinbone after walking, running, landing on hard surfaces. It is linked to overuse of your muscles and tendons or from repetitive impact through the shin bone. It is most common in runners, walkers, and gymnasts. The muscles of the shin are wrapped in tight sheaths which can impair the blood flow to the muscles and nerves of the shin.
Sever’s disease occurs in children and adolescents, usually those who participate in a lot of sports that include sprinting and jumping. Swelling and irritation occurs at the heelbone due to the achilles tendon pulling on the growth plate that attaches at the heelbone.
At Essex Physiotherapy, your therapist will carry out a thorough assessment, looking at the movements and activities you can still do, anything you can’t do and deciding if further investigation such as an x-ray, blood tests or a scan is needed. Foot and ankle pain can impact your life and hobbies but will usually settle readily if dealt with correctly. A combination of exercise therapy, balance re-education, manual therapy and pain relief often proves helpful. Combined with education on what’s happening and why, things can often improve quickly. Mindset coaching can also make a huge difference to overcoming fear and limiting beliefs that hold back our recovery. Our clinicians can also provide custom orthotics and work with local podiatrists and consultants, to help find a solution to your problem.
