Foot and ankle pain can have many different causes but some of the leading causes of foot and ankle pain are due to physical trauma, overuse, medical conditions, weak muscles, and other risk factors. An accurate diagnosis makes it treatable. Targeted exercises and stretching improve these types of pain. Balance retraining is often required. Corrective shoes and braces will need to be prescribed as well.
1) Ankle Sprains
The ankle joint is a complicated joint, and there are many bones which come together to make up the ankle joint. There are many ligaments that attach to the bones at the ankle and are very susceptible to injury. The most common mechanism of injury for the ankle joint is an inversion ankle sprain.
2) Plantar Fasciitis
The sole of the foot is covered by a fascia, blanketing the muscles of the sole of the foot from front to back which can be inflamed. It is most commonly inflamed due to overuse, but can be irritated from an increase in the amount of walking, standing, and/or stair climbing.
3) Plantar Fasciosis
Plantar fasciosis is a disorder where the fascia is repeatedly over stressed rather than inflamed. The issue often lies in biomechanical failure at hip, knee or ankle levels. The treatment varies with identification of the cause of degeneration of the fascia tissue.
4) Achilles Tendonitis
Tendonitis occurs when the tendons become irritated or inflamed which can be painful and debilitating. Despite tendons being strong and fibrous, many tendons in the food are vulnerable to injury. In the ankle, heel, the posterior tibialis, peroneal, and Achilles tendons can all become inflamed, and tendonitis can worsen when the injury is not treated promptly.