Foot, Ankle and Heel Pain Treatment

About Foot, Ankle and Heel Pain treatment

Chronic foot and ankle pain may be symptoms of gait deficiencies or untreated injuries. Accurate diagnosis is key to resolving pain and restoring function. You don’t have to live with pain. At NYDNRehab, we treat feet!

The human foot/heel/ankle complex integrates an amazing group of muscles, bones, nerves and connective tissue that can withstand and generate enormous force loads and provide balance and stability for the entire body. Given the stress this region is subjected to on a daily basis, it is no wonder that pain and injury sometimes occur.

Foot and ankle pain is often the result of mechanical deficiencies in gait, caused by muscle imbalances and weakness.

Common Causes of Heel, Ankle and Foot Pain

Many things can contribute to foot, heel and ankle pain and injury:

Sedentary lifestyle with too much sitting

Weakened foot core muscles

Poor postural habits

Unsupportive footwear

Muscle weakness or tightness

Overtraining during sports or exercise

Obesity

Pregnancy

In most cases, the solution to resolving foot and ankle pain lies in physical therapy aimed at resolving the underlying causes.

Common Injuries to the Foot, Heel and Ankle

While injuries to the foot and ankle complex sometimes occur from an acute traumatic injury, they are more likely to result from repetitive overuse during standing, walking, running or jumping.

Common types of foot and ankle pain and injury include:

Achilles tendonitis/tendinosos
Plantar fasciitis
Bursitis at the back of the heel and ankle
Stress fractures to bones of the foot, heel and ankle
Metatarsalitis (pain in the ball of the foot)
Foot arch pain
Ankle instability
Foot arthritis

Diagnosis of Foot, Heel and Ankle Pain

Because of the complexity of the structures of the foot, accurate diagnosis is key to fast and effective treatment. Foot and ankle pain is often misdiagnosed, costing the patient time and money without finding relief. While a clinical exam and medical history are part of any diagnostic session, failure to rule out uncommon or complex issues can slow healing and even lead to more pain. At NYDNR, we use diagnostic ultrasound to view the structures of the foot, heel and ankle in motion, in real time.

This enables us to see how the various structures interact while moving so we can pinpoint the specific source of pain. Our clinical director, Dr. Kalika, is an expert clinician trained and certified in diagnostic ultrasonography.

Treatment for Foot, Heel and Ankle Pain

Traditional treatment approaches for foot pain often include steroid injections, orthotic shoe inserts and over-the-counter analgesics. However, treatment methods that focus primarily on pain management often fail to correct the underlying dysfunction that led to pain and injury in the first place.

At NYDNR, we take a multi-modal approach to foot pain treatment that combines a variety of innovative treatment methods,

ESWT (extracorporeal shock wave therapy)

High frequency shock waves have been proven effective for speeding up healing and promoting new tissue growth in tendons and muscles with a limited or impaired blood supply. Shockwave therapy is painless, non-invasive and fast.

Gait Analysis and Retraining

Mechanical deficiencies in walking or running gait can lead to foot, ankle, knee, hip and back pain. We use 3D motion capture video and force plate technology to measure joint angles and forces acting on the body during walking and running. We then use virtual feedback to correct deficiencies and retrain your gait to improve efficiency and prevent injury.

Exercises for the Lower Kinetic Chain

Imbalances in muscle tension at any point in the lower body can interfere with foot and ankle movement and lead to pain and injury. Through strengthening and stretching exercises that target the specific needs of the individual patient, we are able to restore balance and reduce wear and tear on the structures of the feet and ankles.

Real-Time Ultrasound

Not only is ultrasound an accurate diagnostic tool, it also helps us monitor the rate and degree of healing, ensuring that our treatment plan is effective. The ability to monitor the body’s structures in motion, in real time, makes ultrasound an invaluable tool in our rehabilitation toolbox.

At NYDNR, all treatment plans are individualized, based on sophisticated diagnostic results. Our goal in treatment is to restore optimal function, so you can walk, run, jump and play with pain-free confidence and low risk of re-injury.

Foot and Heel Treatment Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Runners Heel Pain Ankle Sprain Treatment Ankle Instability

Our Awards

I have been a fan of this guy for years and he finally gave his first lecture in English, in London. Dr.Carles Pedret is a world-class medical consultant for muscle injuries in soccer players, tennis players and Olympic sprinters. He is called upon by EPl, Ligue One and LaLiga teams to asses when elite athletes like Messi , Ronaldo or Bale can safely return to the playing field after injury. Dr. Pedret reminds us that the most brilliant people are often the humblest. It was a great experience learning to combine MRI , ultrasonography and advanced functional technology to estimate and provide optimal treatment.

Best ankle rehab nyc

Testimonials

Certificates and Postgraduate Education

Lev Kalika Clinical Director and DC, RMSK

Dr.Kalika revolutionized foot and ankle care by using high resolution diagnostic ultrasonography for structural diagnosis, combined with with gait and motion analysis technology. Dr.Kalika’s motion and gait analysis lab is the only private lab in the US that features research-grade technology found only at top research universities, made available to patients in his private clinic.

Our Specialists

Dr. Mikhail Bernshteyn MD (Internist)

Dr. Michael Goynatsky DPT

Dr. Daniela Escudero DPT

Dr. Michelle Agyakwah DC

Dr. Tatyana Kapustina L. Ac.

Foot, Ankle and Heel Pain Treatment

The human foot design is unique in the animal world. From the evolutionary standpoint human foot is a highly innovative anatomical structure that had developed to serve as the main weight receptor of the newly achieved bipedal support base. It evolved to be the most durable anatomical formation in the entire human body. Aside from the time of infancy when the body is horizontally aligned, the foots intricate structures provide, in conjunction with the ankle bones and powerful connective ligaments, the perfect biomechanical apparatus for ambulation or bipedal locomotion. Read more

Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Many people deal with heel pain on a regular basis. Although there are many different causes of heel pain, plantar fasciitis is the most common cause. Plantar fasciitis results when the plantar fascia, or the ligaments that connect the heel to the bones in the foot and provide support to the arch, become strained. A strained plantar fascia causes weakness, swelling, and inflammation as well as thickening, which leads to a great deal of pain. Plantar fasciitis occurs most often in individuals 35 and over, however, those who regularly participate in activities that requires a great deal of standing, or runners, might experience this condition way in advance of middle age. Read more

Heel Pain, Runners Heel and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Typically plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel, especially during the initial few steps after waking up. Some other symptoms are: sensitivity and tightness in the heel or the he arch while walking or running.

Patients who suffer from this condition still use old medical terminology, which is no longer used by medical professionals. It was believed previously that heel pain is caused by formation of heel spur. However, this has been disproved a long time ago. Since it is visually appealing for patients to imagine that they step on a sharp bony outgrows, patients still believe that the heel spur is what is causing their heel pain. Read more

Ankle Instability and Ankle Sprain Treatment

Every day 25,000 people sprain their ankle and more than 1 million people a year visit the emergency room due to an ankle injury. Although half of all ankle sprains are caused by athletic activity ankle injuries can happen to anyone at any age not just athletes or weekend warriors. There are different kinds of ankle injuries including sprain, ankle strain, and ankle fracture. Read more

Ankle Instability/Sprain

Ankle instability is a common issue for many people. They may be athletes like basketball players who have stretched their ligaments with regular athletics, or they may be people who discovered their weak ankles aren’t supporting new activities like walking on broken New York sidewalks, or uneven trails. This may be a result of use, limber ligaments, or heredity. This can lead to a lack of support on the foot and high risk of an ankle sprain. For many cases, there are a number of nonsurgical treatments for ankle sprain here at NY Dynamic Neuromuscular Rehabilitation. In extreme cases, surgery may be required. The purpose of rehabilitation exercises within the ankle sprain treatment is to improve muscle strength, range of movement, and sensorimotor control, which are commonly impaired after ankle sprain. Read more

More Foot and Ankle Pain »