Common Causes of Foot Pain–And How Physical Therapy Can Help

What Are the Common Causes of Foot Pain?

When determining the source of your foot pain, you’ll first want to pinpoint where the pain is coming from. Is it along the bottom of your foot? Is it along the top of your foot? In your heel? Could your ankle be involved? 

Our therapists will conduct a detailed evaluation to ensure we fully understand your symptoms. We’ll review your health history and recent activities and perform a physical examination that gives a complete picture of your condition. From there, we can determine the underlying injury or condition causing you pain.

While causes of foot pain vary wildly, here are some of the most common:

• Plantar Fasciitis: This is the most common cause of foot pain, occurring in about 10% of the general population. It causes pain and stiffness along the bottom of your foot and into your heel and occurs when certain tissue (the plantar fascia) becomes swollen and inflamed.
• Achilles Tendonitis: Another example of inflammation in foot tissue, Achilles tendonitis causes pain and range of motion restriction in the tendon that runs along the back of your heel (the Achilles tendon).
• Heel Spurs: This condition refers to a bony growth that develops on your heel bone due to stress and strain on the ligaments and tendons.
• Stress Fractures: Stress fractures are small cracks in the bone that generally occur due to overuse. While they can happen anywhere, your feet are particularly susceptible as they absorb much of the impact from activities like running, excessive walking, and jumping.

What Physical Therapy Can Do To Help

Once our therapists have determined the source of your foot pain, we’ll work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that manages symptoms, improves functionality, and, in many cases, resolves the underlying condition. We customize every plan to suit your needs, pulling from various treatment options.

Here are just a few techniques we might incorporate:

• Manual Therapy: Manual therapy offers drug-free pain management and a gentle way of improving foot mobility. Techniques like myofascial release, soft tissue manipulation, and joint mobilization offer unique benefits.
• Therapeutic Exercise: We’ll provide a targeted, personalized exercise program to stretch and strengthen your foot and ankle muscles. Depending on your needs, we can also work on balance, overall mobility, and coordination.
• Modalities: Various treatment modalities, such as hot and cold therapy, electrostimulation, and ultrasound techniques, can provide additional pain relief.
• Lifestyle Modifications: Foot pain often stems from lifestyle factors, such as wearing improper footwear or starting a new high-impact exercise regimen. We’ll help you identify these factors and suggest strategies for managing them.

During your sessions, we’ll generally begin with acute pain relief through manual therapy techniques or pain-relieving modalities. Then, we’ll move on to targeted exercises. Our therapists will ensure you perform those exercises correctly and monitor your progress, increasing the intensity as you improve. 

We’ll also suggest things you can do on your own, such as self-massage techniques, additional exercises, or footwear changes.