For many patients, ankle pain can be most pronounced when walking, making it difficult to accomplish everyday tasks or play your favorite sports. Causes for ankle pain when walking includes ankle sprains, Achilles tendinitis, or in severe cases, fractures.

In more minor cases, ankle pain should improve on its own with basic treatments like rest, ice, compression, and elevation. However, if ankle pain does not improve in a short period, it is important to seek help from a qualified professional, such as your primary care doctor or a physical therapist.

If you’re living in Edison, New Jersey, seeking relief from ankle pain, the caring and knowledgeable staff at Health Plus Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center are here to help.

Working with a physical therapist to treat ankle pain

A physical therapist can help you devise an effective ankle pain treatment plan to relieve pain while walking. The first steps typically involve discussing your symptoms and performing a hands-on examination of the ankle to test for tender spots and range of motion.

In most cases, the goal of physical therapy for ankle pain when walking is to gently stretch and strengthen the area to promote healing and increase stability. This can be accomplished with two main categories of physical therapy:

1) Therapeutic Exercises

This involves targeting movements that are designed to teach the proper movement of the ankle and stabilize the whole lower body, both when moving and when still.

2) Manual therapy

These are techniques will perform by the therapist designed to relax soft tissue and increase blood flow to help promote the body’s natural healing process.

The most important thing when recovering from an ankle injury that is painful to walk on is to take your time and listen to your body. Trying to resume a normal activity level, too soon can worsen the injury and prolong the treatment process.

Schedule Your Appointment with Health Plus Physical Therapy