Chronic Pain and Conditions Care

What You Need To Know

Understanding chronic foot and ankle pain and the conditions behind it.

Relief From Chronic Foot and Ankle Pain

Chronic foot and ankle pain can come from many different conditions, including plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, Achilles tendinitis, ankle sprains that never fully healed, neuromas, ganglions, hallux rigidus, and old fractures. Each one has its own cause, but they share a common thread: pain that keeps you from doing what you love.

Symptoms vary by condition. Heel pain often includes pain when you first get up in the morning, burning, numbness, and increased symptoms by the end of the day. Metatarsalgia causes sharp, burning or aching pain at the ball of the foot that worsens with walking or standing. Neuromas can feel like you are stepping on a lamp cord, with burning, tingling, or numbness between the toes. Hallux rigidus brings pain and stiffness at the base of the big toe.

Causes are just as varied. Tight or ill-fitting shoes, overuse, trauma, poor foot alignment, biomechanical issues like flat feet or high arches, and untreated ankle sprains can all lead to chronic pain. Arthritis and nerve irritation add to the picture, and sometimes there is a genetic predisposition involved.

If you have sprained your ankle or have a history of ankle sprains, early evaluation and aggressive treatment is the best way to avoid chronic pain, instability, and arthritis of the involved joints. The same is true for heel pain, neuromas, and toe arthritis: the earlier we catch it, the sooner it heals. Schedule a complete evaluation with Precision Foot and Ankle Centers to learn more about your treatment options.

Our Treatment Approach and What to Expect

Our doctors use a step-wise approach to chronic foot and ankle pain. For heel pain and plantar fasciitis, we utilize devices such as air heel gauntlets, night splints, and custom made orthotics, and our doctors are trained in endoscopic plantar fasciotomies when heel pain is persistent. More than 80% of our heel pain patients resolve their pain with conservative care and our treatment protocols.

For ankle pain, we offer specialized braces, therapeutic injections, ankle reconstruction, and ankle arthroscopy. Achilles tendinitis is treated with rest, cold compression, anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, heel lifts, and bracing when needed. Fractures are usually splinted initially, and most can be managed in a cast without going to the OR, even simple fractures of the toes.

Neuromas often respond to orthotics, cortisone injections, ultrasound therapy, and shoe changes. Ganglions may be treated with padding, fluid removal, icing, and activity changes, with surgery reserved for cases that cause ongoing or severe pain. Hallux rigidus has many treatment options, from simple shoe modifications to steroid injections to surgical procedures such as Cartiva, which our physicians are trained in.

Prevention matters just as much as treatment. Supportive, roomy shoes with good cushioning, custom orthotics, and avoiding movements that irritate the affected area can help keep symptoms from returning. If home care is not working, come see us and we will build a treatment plan around your goals and get you back to the activities you love.