| search

Ankle Pain

Hands of hope NY

Ankle Pain

At Hands of Hope NYC Physical Therapy we are constantly reminding our patients about the importance of doing the ABC’s of taking care of your body, as in keep a balanced diet, stay active and exercise frequently with proper warm up.

Hands of Hope NY also has a Sports Injury Rehabilitation Service. This is a safe therapeutic approach that helps athletes treat pain effectively and achieve optimum performance. Whether you are a professional athlete or you play sports as a hobby , sports rehabilitation is very important for you to prevent injury , rehab from injury or optimize your performance to prevent re-injury.

 

 

Hands of hope NY

Ankle Pain

Have you heard of APOS FOOTWEAR?

 

Appropriate footwear is very important! Make sure your shoes fit well and give you a cushioned step and accentuate the natural arch in your foot.

Finally, avoid sharp movements as much as you can in your sports or activities.

 

(1) Ankle Sprain

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. This means that your ankle is plantar-flexed and inverted (pointed down and in) at the time of injury.

 

Symptoms of an Ankle Sprain:

  • -Pain
  • -Loss of mobility in ankle joint
  • -Discoloration
  • -Swelling
  •  

Ankle Sprain Rehabilitation:

Ankle sprain rehab consists of multiple kinds of exercises , it’s important to know that not only strength is important in rehab but also stability , coordination and timing . That’s why your rehab program will consists of :

1- Functional and specific strengthening exercises
2- Ankle stabilization exercises
3- Functional dynamic exercises
4- Agility training

This protocol will help you to reach your optimal performance to achieve your goals.

Other Treatments for Ankle Sprain :

Rest, stay off your leg as much as possible or use an ambulatory device, such as crutches

Use ice for 15 minutes a few times throughout the day, for the first 72 hours since the injury occurred

Use an ace wrap or ankle brace to reduce swelling in your ankle.

Elevate your ankle.

Take an anti-inflammatory or pain medication prescribed by your physician.

Hands of hope NY

Apos Health Footwear

“  AposTherapy® is a clinically-proven, personalized treatment that eases pressure on your joints and corrects your walking patterns, with just one hour or less a day “

Now for Healthfirst patients, Hands of Hope Physical Therapy is at your doorstep!

Play Video
ankle pain treatment pt queens new york

Hands of hope NY

(2) Ankle Tendonitis

 

Ankle tendonitis, also known as peroneal tendinosis, is the inflammation of one or two of the tendons that surround the ankle joint. It is usually an overuse injury, meaning it occurs over time from repeated movements in sports or daily activities that put too much strain on the ankle. For this reason, ankle tendinitis is fairly common in long-distance runners and athletes of a number of other sports.

Depending on how severe your ankle tendinitis is, your physical therapist may prescribe an ankle brace or even a boot to address symptoms. Your treatment program will consist of a number of components that will all be focused on reducing pain and increasing function, and will typically include the following:

– Passive modalities: your physical therapist will often use ice, heat, ultrasound and soft-tissue massage to alleviate pain and symptoms; passive means that these treatments are being performed on the patient without any effort on their part :

-Manual therapy: hands-on techniques to mobilize joints and loosen tightness
-Range of motion exercises: these will help to increase flexibility and help the ankle and foot to move properly, which will make walking and running easier
– Strengthening exercises: resistance bands, weights and exercise balls may be used to build back up the strength of the ankle, foot and lower leg
– Functional training: for athletes or those injured due to an activity, there will be a set of specific exercises to help you return to your previous level
– Education: your therapist may also help you select proper footwear for certain athletics and give you advice on how to prevent another injury

 

 

Hands of hope NY

Ankle Pain

(3) Plantar Fasciitis

This is a condition that affects the bottom of the foot. The muscles on the sole of your foot, from the front to the back are covered by a fascia – a sheet of connective tissue that attaches, stabilizes, encloses and also separates those muscles. This fascia covers the whole sole of the foot and this covering can get inflamed for various reasons.

Runners are more susceptible to Plantar Fasciitis due to the constant stress they put on their feet, especially by not changing their running shoes, increasing running distances or changing the running surface.The fascia can also be irritated from an increase in stair climbing, walking or even standing.

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

– Chronic heel pain
– Pain in the morning upon waking up but goes away during the day
– Feeling tightness on the bottom of the heel
Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

Physical therapy including manual techniques such as manual release and mobilizations.
Specific ankle exercises to prevent overload among other general advice :

-Orthotics or specialized footwear D
-Try wearing sneakers instead of unsupported shoe e.g. high heels for women
-Stretch your foot, slowly going up, down, left, right, then concentric circles in both directions.

Prevention of Plantar Fasciitis

To prevent Plantar Fasciitis, make sure you slowly adjust to any drastic changes in daily lifestyle such as long periods of standing. Regarding any new sport or lifestyle changes, slowly progress in distance and intensity, don’t try to do too much at once but go gradually. For runners, make sure you change shoes when they become worn out, adjust to any changes in the running surface you are using and most importantly, progress your mileage gradually and build it up slowly.

 

Hands of hope NY

(4) Ankle laxity

Ankle laxity is a problem with the ligaments in your ankle. Because of stretched or torn ligaments, the ankle joint is loose and unsteady. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another to form the joints.

Physical therapy is critical to the rehabilitation of Ankle laxity because left untreated it can lead to multiple other ankle injuries such as ankle , especially in people who play sports regularly.

Physical therapy rehabilitation of ankle laxity will focus on specific exercises for your ankle muscles along with dynamic stability exercises to maintain ankle stability and prevent injury .

Hands of hope NY

Book Ankle treatment --->

Book Now