Many patients head to the doctor’s office each year because of foot and ankle pain, swelling, or stiffness. It’s easy to injure the foot or ankle while playing sports, exercising, or simply going about your daily life. Proper diagnosis and treatment of your ankle or foot pain is essential to restoring function. Here’s a closer look at some of the most common foot and ankle injuries and how they’re treated.
Sprained Ankle
A sprained ankle occurs when the ligament holding the ankle bones in place is stretched beyond the normal position and damaged. It often occurs if you plant the foot on an uneven surface and the ankle moves abnormally. An ankle sprain can range from mild to severe, with treatment determined by the severity of the injury. Strengthening and stretching exercises may be used to help mild sprains, while ankle surgery may be required for severe sprains, along with intensive physical therapy.
Rupture of the Achilles Tendon
The Achilles tendon runs from the heel bone to the calf muscle and happens to be the largest tendon in your body. You use it when you walk, jump, and run, and it’s incredibly strong and able to withstand a significant amount of stress. However, it’s still possible to injury it. When the tendon is torn enough that it no longer properly functions, it’s known as an Achilles tendon rupture. While non-surgical treatment is an option in some cases, surgical repair is often the required treatment because this tendon is so critical for walking.
Broken Ankle
A broken ankle can include one or more of the multiple bones making up your ankle joint. The more bones that are broken in the ankle, the more unstable this joint is. When a broken ankle occurs, the ligaments of the ankle are often injured, too. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between an ankle sprain and a fracture, since symptoms of both include ankle pain, tenderness, and swelling. Depending on the break, the ankle may be treated with a cast or it may require ankle surgery.
Foot and Ankle Stress Fractures
Foot and ankle stress fractures – minor bone bruises or cracks – are quite common. They’re generally caused by repetitive activities or overuse and particularly common in individuals that play sports that include a lot of running. Avoiding high-impact activities is critical as you recover, since getting back to normal activities too quickly may delay healing. Resting is generally the recommended treatment and recovery usually takes between six and eight weeks.
Mid-Foot Injuries
Mid-foot injuries, sometimes called Lisfranc injuries, may result from torn ligaments or fractures that occur midfoot. Injuries can range from severe and complex to simple and mild. Usually mid-foot injuries occur due to abnormal, low-energy movements, such as a slow twist and fall. Symptoms of these injuries include swelling, pain, and bruising on the top of the foot that grows worse with walking or standing. These types of injuries may be severe and take months of healing time, while others may require foot surgery.
Turf Toe
Turf toe is a type of sprain that occurs to the big toe’s largest joint, and it gets its name because it’s quite common among professional football players who play on artificial turf. When severe, turf toe may include a complete dislocation of the big toe joint. Most cases don’t need surgery, but surgical intervention may be considered if the injury doesn’t heal or continues affecting an individual’s physical abilities.