What is Foot & Ankle Pain?
Osteopathy can help manage many types of foot and ankle joint pain through manual therapy techniques to help with pain relief, improve mobility, and enhance overall function.
Common causes for foot and ankle pain include:
- Plantar Fasciitis – pain on the bottom of your foot, usually around the arch and heel.
- Achilles Tendinopathy – inflammation to the achilles tendon which can cause joint pain and stiffness.
- Ankle Sprain – injury to ligaments around the ankle joint which may cause pain, weakness, and swelling.
- Flat feet – common and in most people do not cause any issues, however they can cause painful and stiff feet.
- Bunions – bony lumps on the side of your foot. They can be painful and cause foot and ankle stiffness.
How can Osteopathy help?
Osteopathy can be very effective in helping to managing foot and ankle pain through manual therapy and exercise prescription. We take a holistic approach and will look at the whole body to determine if there are any other contributing factors to your pain. It’s important for individuals to have a treatment plan tailored to their specific needs.
Osteopathy focuses on the musculoskeletal system, using manual techniques to promote overall health and alleviate pain. Once a working diagnosis for your pain is established, your osteopath will discuss a treatment plan with you – with the aim to help pain management, reducing inflammation and improving mobility and function.
Osteopathic treatment uses gentle hands-on manual therapy techniques – these may include soft tissue massage, stretching, and gentle joint manipulation.
Foot and ankle pain can often interfere with daily activities, work, and recreational activities. Your osteopath may provide recommendations for these to help you manage your symptoms and support overall health. Managing pain often requires a combination of treatments and lifestyle adjustments, and your osteopath may provide you with specific exercises to strengthen muscles around the joints, improve range of motion, and enhance overall function and stability.
Osteopaths are trained to screen for medical conditions. If the cause of your foot and ankle pain is not musculoskeletal, you may need to be referred to another healthcare practitioner.
