Foot and Ankle Injuries Treating your foot and Ankle Pain

1
Foot Ankle Injuries

• Treating your foot and ankle pain

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Foot Ankle Anatomy

• The foot and ankle are complex structures that
  support your bodys weight, assist in backward
  and forward movements and act as shock absorbers
• The foot and ankle are made up of than 100
  muscles, ligaments and tendons, 26 bones, 33
  joints and a sophisticated network of blood
  vessels, nerves and soft tissue
• While athletes commonly experience foot and ankle
  injuries, anyone can suffer from a condition that
  can result in foot or ankle pain when walking or
  doing everyday activities
• If youre experiencing foot and ankle pain, you
  should see your podiatrist as soon as possible
  for diagnosis and treatment

3
Foot Pain

• While temporary pain may be a sign of a strain or
  injury, long-term pain could be caused by a
  serious condition that requires proper treatment
• Foot pain symptoms include
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Warm to the touch
• Stiffness

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When to see a Doctor for your Foot or Ankle Pain

• While you can try home remedies to ease your foot
  or ankle pain, there are a few circumstances
  where you should skip the home care and see your
  podiatrist right away
• Pain is severe
• Swelling not going down
• Open wound
• Severe deformity
• Signs of an infection
• Inability to put any weight on the affected foot
  or ankle

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Common Conditions Causing Your Foot Ankle Pain

• Arthritis - Arthritis is a condition that causes
  inflammation, pain and stiffness in your foot and
  ankle joints
• Bone Spur A bone spur is a protrusion that
  develops on your foot or ankle bones
• Flat Feet - Flat feet occur when the arch of
  your feet collapses
• Diabetes Individuals who suffer from diabetes
  need to be extra careful about the condition of
  their feet because the poor circulation
  associated with the medical condition can greatly
  impact the lower extremities

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Common Conditions Causing Your Foot Ankle Pain
(continued)

• Fractures A fracture occurs when there is a
  break, whether severe or a small crack, in the
  bone
• Plantar Fasciitis Plantar Fasciitis occurs when
  your plantar fascia is inflamed, resulting in
  foot pain
• Sprain A sprain is diagnosed when there are
  stretched or torn ligaments in your foot or ankle
• Tendonitis - A condition that occurs when the
  tendons in your feet or ankle ae inflamed due to
  overuse or injury

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At-Home Care for Your Foot and Ankle Pain

• Ease your pain and symptoms with these self-care
  techniques
• RICE An acronym to help you manage your pain,
  RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and
  Elevation
• Over the counter medication Ibuprofen and
  aspirin can help reduce inflammation and pain
• Stretching exercises Certain movements can
  help relieve pain
• Properly-fitting footwear - Wearing ill-fitting
  footwear can make your problems even worse

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Treating Your Foot and Ankle Pain

• If youre experiencing foot and ankle pain with
  no relief from at-home treatments, you should
  make an appointment with a board-certified
  podiatrist to properly diagnose and treat your
  condition
• Before foot and ankle surgery is suggested, your
  podiatrist will try a number of conservative
  methods to treat your pain including physical
  therapy, foot and ankle injections or splinting
  the affected area
• Depending on your personal history, your
  diagnosis and the severity of you case, there are
  multiple different surgical options to treat your
  heel pain, a lot of which can be done in the
  podiatrists clinic
• The goal of foot and ankle surgery is to
  diagnosis, treat and prevent common problems from
  impacting your activity level and quality of life