When Your Feet Hurt, You Can Literally Hurt All Over.....The Solution Could Be Physical Therapy!

Dr. Rosenstein,

      I recently have been having pain in my back but I think it's related to my foot pain. Do you think I need some physical therapy?

When your feet hurt, you can literally hurt all over! It is very common for people with foot and ankle pain to experience pain in other parts of their body. Most of the time physical therapy is a great tool to prevent and relieve pain in the body and it is a method that I like to implement not only from foot and ankle complications but for other conditions as well.

Physical therapy’s treatment methodology is aimed at the treatment and curing of certain ailments, and preventing the chances of pain reoccurring in the same place or at a later point of time. Its primary goal and focus is to bring back the patients to his or her normal self, free of any pain or complications, so that he or she could then move forward with their normal life by performing all the daily activities with very minimum or no difficulty. Physical therapy also deals with cardiopulmonary and neurological conditions too.

Physical therapy is effective in such for the patient to regain a major share of the mobility of his or her joints and muscles, achieve as much flexibility as possible, and acquire a better balance and coordination as far as his or her overall self is concerned. Apart from all this, physical therapy can also help in significantly improve the overall fitness and health of the patient. Physical therapy is also a very effective method in aiding/helping children to cope with issues such as developmental delays or muscle and joint weaknesses that could happen in their early stages of life. For physical therapy to be effective, it is very important that the patient also responds positively to their treatments, and for that to happen he or she needs to keep a positive frame of mind and not in a negative mind set. So keep positive and your treatment will have positive affects!

Back- Single Knee to Chest Stretch

 Pull one knee into chest until a comfortable stretch is felt in the lower back and buttocks. Repeat with opposite knee…..hold 60 seconds. Repeat 2 times on each side. Do 2 sessions per day.

Ankle/Foot- Soleus Stretch

Standing with both knees bent with one foot back, gently lean into wall, bending elbows until stretch is felt in lower calf.

Repeat with other foot. Hold 60 seconds. Repeat 2 times each side. Do 2 sessions per day.

Hip & Knee- Strengthening wall sides

Leaning on wall, slowly lower buttocks toward floor until your thighs are parallel to floor.

Work up to holding for 60 seconds. Tighten thigh muscle as you return to starting position. Repeat 2 times. Do 2 sessions per day.

Ankle/ Foot Gastroc Stretch

Keeping back leg straight, with heel flat on the floor and turned slightly outward, lean into wall until a stretch is felt in the calf

Repeat with other foot. Hold for 60 seconds. Repeat 2 times each side. Do 2 sessions per day.

Of course it is always reccomended that you see your podiatrists if you are experiencing foot and ankle pain because pain does not wait for anyone!

For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact Affiliated Podiatrists, Inc. at 440-946-5858 or visit our website:

http://www.drrobertrosenstein.com/

And remember....."When your feet hurt, you hurt all over!"