Ankle Injuries: Chiropractic, Massage & Physical Therapy

Dysfunction of the ankle joint can lead to a wide variety of symptoms. Pain and stiffness in the ankle joint itself are the most obvious. Some patient experience “popping” or “cracking” of the ankle, especially in the morning or after long term stiffness. A common condition called Plantar Fasciitis, or pain and inflammation of the bottom of your foot, can be caused by misalignment of the bones in the ankle and the foot. This type of pain can be very sharp, and feel like a tearing pain in the bottom of the midfoot, or can be a sharp pain into the bottom of the heel of the foot.

Chiropractic Care & Physical Therapy Aligns & Strengthens Ankle

Other conditions that can be related to the joints of the ankle and foot include bunions which are caused over time by the foot rubbing awkwardly against the shoe as you walk. Many of these conditions respond well to over the counter shoe inserts, or to custom made orthotics prescribed by a podiatrist. Chiropractic treatment is often helpful to realign the joints of the ankle and foot. Physical therapy can help strengthen weak muscles in the foot and ankle and retrain proper movement patterns of those joints.

Ankle Pain Can Lead to Knee, Hip & Back Pain

Ankle dysfunction can cause problems in other areas as well, by affecting the biomechanics of the entire leg. If you think of the ankle, knee, hip, and pelvis as a “chain” of joints that have to work together, you can see how one area can affect another. If there is a restriction in the ankle it will become out of sync with the hip, which can cause irritation of the knee, hip, pelvis, and even lower back. Many patients will come into our office with one sided lower back pain, and while we talk about past injuries, they will recall an old ankle or foot injury on the opposite side! Often times, the ankle won’t even be their main complaint, but over time the restriction in the ankle has caused them to walk differently and carry their body weight more to one side, causing stress on the lower back. By gently realigning the joints of the ankle and foot, it allows the chain to move freely and reduce the stress on the knee, hip, pelvis and lower back.

Give us a call today to schedule an evaluation to see if we can help with your ankle problem.