A Delicate Balance: Physical Therapy for Foot and Ankle Pain
If you’ve ever suffered a foot or ankle injury, you’re not alone! For example, in 2018, there were more than 96,000 foot and ankle injuries reported in the United States that seriously interrupted people’s lifestyles and work schedules. These injuries can affect your quality of life and even worsen your balance, which can make additional injuries more likely as you try to hobble around in pain.
Now, it’s one thing to experience a foot or ankle injury where you know what happened (something fell on your foot, or you twisted your ankle stepping off a curb), but what happens when your foot starts hurting for no apparent reason? What do you do then? Well, you come to A Life in Balance Physical Therapy in Flemington NJ like our friend John did!
Physical Therapy for Foot Pain and Ankle Pain When Walking
John, our 75-year-old friend who loves seafood and fresh salads, has always enjoyed staying active and fit by taking long walks on the multipurpose trail near his home. But earlier this year, those walks started hurting:
“I was having trouble walking because of pain in my left thigh and ankle,” explains John. “It limited my ability to exercise, but I ignored it for a long time. I finally made an appointment with an orthopedist. X-rays showed that I had no fracture. I was given a prescription for physical therapy to address my issue.”
Now, John is the kind of person who understands that staying fit is essential for avoiding injuries, so he was also taking Pilates classes. Before his foot and ankle pain issues mysteriously emerged, one of his instructors had mentioned A Life in Balance physical therapy in Hunterdon County several times. So, as he says, “I knew that if I ever needed physical therapy, ALIB was the place I wanted to go.”
The Link Between Foot and Ankle Pain and Balance Problems
Your feet are the essential balance and gait link between you and the earth, grounding all of the bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles in your lower body to your movements in space. It’s all intricately balanced—until it isn’t. If your foot or ankle starts to hurt, you start compensating by moving in ways that limit movement on the sore side. This naturally interferes with your gait and balance, and if the pain isn't addressed, muscles on one side get weaker than the other side, which can further hurt your balance, which can leave you open to more trips, falls, and injuries. Here at ALIB, we are passionate about helping people overcome injuries and pain, but we are just as passionate about helping people prevent injuries in the first place!
When Dr. Paula started working with John, she carefully evaluated how his movement patterns, balance, gait, foot, and ankle pain were all connected. It was clear that his particular foot pain issues were related to imbalances in his movements in the first place. She noticed that he was also overcompensating because of his pain, which was putting him in danger of additional injury, which we wanted to help him prevent.
"Evaluating John’s movement patterns allowed us to figure out what he was doing right, as well as what he could be doing better. John was focused on improving balance so that we incorporated other strategies to help with the entire picture,” she explains. “John had weakness in his lower leg that caused him to grip the floor with his toes." It was a cycle of lower leg weakness that led to pain, which led to overcompensation, which then led to John not being as active as he wanted to be.
How Physical Therapy for Foot Pain Helps Restore Balance
Once Dr. Paula understood where John was overcompensating and under-compensating in his movements, and how that was all related to his foot and ankle pain when walking, she was able to craft a plan to get him back in balance. “We got started with manual therapy, gentle stretching, and addressing the compensation patterns that were leading to the pain in his lower leg,” she explains.
John has learned a lot since he started coming to ALIB and working hard on the exercises we’ve sent him home with after coaching him here at the office: “I've learned how important breathing is for a healthy body and also how critical it is for core strength,” explains John. “I've become aware that all parts of my body work together. Exercises on my neck have an impact on my legs and feet!”
What really blows us away about John is his incredible diligence in putting in the effort to work at home: “ALIB regularly updates home exercises online, and I do them 2-3 times a day,” he adds.
Back on His Feet, Back in Balance!
That combination of diligence in his physical therapy plan and the careful evaluation and coaching from Dr. Paula, Lauren, Cassie, and Dr. Aurora have gotten John back in action!
“Through the treatment I get at ALIB and the home exercises they provide me, I have become stronger and feel better about myself,” says John. “For the first time in nearly a year, I am active outdoors again, and I feel so much better, physically and mentally. When I first started therapy, I had difficulty walking a quarter of a mile. Now I look forward to regular walks with my walking stick and I can go two miles. I hope to get up to three miles soon.”
October Functional Movement Challenge: Balance!
As you can see, balance matters! And balance training is a proactive approach to fall prevention, promoting safety, confidence, and independence. Regular balance exercises help maintain physical function, especially as individuals age, reducing the risk of life-altering falls.
“As I grow older, I am more aware of my balance and I don't want to fall,” says John, who has been working on this challenge through his physical therapy already. Here’s the challenge, with three levels:
For most folks: Stand on a balance board for as long as possible.
Modification: stand on a foam pad for as long as possible.
For the athletes out there: stand on the balance board with your eyes closed for as long as possible!
As always, please contact us with any questions about performing this balance challenge! Then have your bestie take a picture and show us how it’s going on our Facebook or Instagram!
Get Back on Your Feet with Physical Therapy in Flemington NJ
As Dr. Paula says, “Movement and mobility are incredibly important as we age. The adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is not a joke! If you start to move less, you want to move less, and you can become nervous about moving!” So, if you are struggling with any ankle pain or foot pain that is keeping you off your feet or off balance, please schedule an appointment here at A Life in Balance Physical Therapy in Flemington NJ , today. We can help you get back on your feet and back in balance today!
