3 Reasons Your Foot and Ankle Hurt

We’ve all heard the story about the guy who walks into the doctor’s office and says “Doc, it hurts when I move my arm like this”. The doctor looks at him for a moment and she says “Then don’t do that”. All joking aside when it comes to foot and ankle problems we can’t always just not do that thing that hurts until it stops hurting. Sometimes we have stopped doing that, but it still causes pain and discomfort long past when we all thought it should feel better. Instead of visiting a foot and ankle doctor, Lancaster, or anywhere there are some things you can do. Here are some of the more common reasons your foot or ankle may be hurting and what you can do about it. (I’m not a doctor or medical professional)

1. Turf toe

This is an injury to the big toe often caused by it being bent back further than it wanted to go. The injury is often associated with soccer players because kicking the ball can cause Turf toe. The injury can cause discomfort and swelling during regular walking or running activities.

The best way to treat a case of turf toe is to manage the swelling and the pain while you wait to maintain normal motion. The body is a fantastic thing and will repair itself. Let your body do its thing. Try not to apply to undo stress as that could lead to longer recovery time and accidentally make it worse. It’s also common for this injury to be misdiagnosed at home as turf toe when in reality you have a broken toe.

2. Ankle Sprain

We’ve probably all experienced the lesser cousin of this one, the twisted ankle. This is essentially that, but worse. It happens when the ankle is rolled or twisted beyond its range of movement. What happens inside your ankle is that the ligaments that hold everything together are stained or even sometimes torn. When this happens, you’ll experience bruising, swelling, tenderness and pain in the ankle.

If you suspect you have a sprained ankle, it’s best that you see your doctor. It’s not uncommon for a broken ankle to be misdiagnosed at home as a sprain. Go to your doctor and have them evaluate the ankle and decide your best course of action.

3. Plantar Fasciitis

This is among the most common causes of foot pain. It’s caused when the band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, the Plantar Fasciitis, becomes irritated. The pain usually radiates from the back of the foot.

This is another one you should talk to your doctor about. Traditionally the treatment for it is gentle physical therapy while the body heals itself. When experiencing any persistent discomfort, it’s always best to talk to a medical professional.

Conclusion

Whenever you experience prolonged discomfort of any kind, the best move is to seek the help of a medical professional. Even when what they might say is, to reference the story from earlier “Don’t do that.” There’s always the chance you’ve misdiagnosed yourself, and the actual cause of your pain is something much more serious. If you have foot or ankle pain schedule an appointment with your foot and ankle doctor, Lancaster, or anywhere you happen to need one.