Foot & Ankle

Foot and ankle injuries are very common amongst all people ranging from athletes to more inactive individuals.

There are a number of ways in which a person can hurt there foot or ankle, with some of the most common being a sporting injury or walking on uneven ground.

An ankle or foot injury can have a significant impact on the way in which you walk and stand. This is why it is important to have your foot and ankle assessed early on so as to minimise the effect that it can have on the rest of your body.

Following a foot or ankle injury it is common to see a reduction in strength and coordination in the areas around the ankle. One of the major focuses of rehabilitation is regaining awareness and control of these areas, which is also known as proprioception.

Proprioception is the ability of your body to detect where it is in space. This is important as it allows you to detect when your foot or ankle is about to move beyond its safe range of motion and activate the muscles to avoid a potential sprain.

It is for this reason why it is important to continue with your balance and proprioception exercises beyond the point at which your foot and ankle are no longer painful. This is because this sense often takes longer to fully return than it does for the pain to settle.