Foot & Ankle Injuries Treating your foot and ankle pain

Foot & Ankle Anatomy  The foot and ankle are complex structures that support your body’s 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 you’re experiencing foot and ankle pain, you should see your podiatrist as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment

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

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

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

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 painPlantar Fasciitis  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

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

Treating Your Foot and Ankle Pain  If you’re 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 conditionboard- certified podiatrist  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 podiatrist’s clinic  The goal of foot and ankle surgery is to diagnosis, treat and prevent common problems from impacting your activity level and quality of lifefoot and ankle surgery