Recovering from Foot and Ankle Trauma: What to Expect

Foot and ankle trauma results from many different problems, and how you recover from it depends on the severity of the issue and the methods of rehabilitation you need. Let’s have a closer look at the road to recovery from these issues.

Our feet perform a lot of work every day, with an average of up to 6,000 steps daily, and about 100,000 miles in a lifetime, so keeping the 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons healthy is essential to your health. However, several factors can lead to many foot and ankle problems, resulting in damage that requires treatment.

Whether it’s a structural, genetic, or illness affecting your feet and ankles, we have multiple medical treatments that can help relieve pain and manage other needs. However, recovery from treatment is as important a step in your health as the treatments.

Let’s explore the types of foot and ankle issues people often develop, the available treatment options, and what the recovery process looks like.

Drs. Glen Beede and Gregory Jaryga, along with the dedicated staff at Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists, assist Fort Worth and Weatherford, Texas, residents with a plethora of injuries and conditions affecting feet and ankles.

Types of foot and ankle trauma

Here’s a list of common issues that affect this section of your lower body:

Injuries

Many forms of physical activity, whether it’s from sports, running, exercise, or just everyday actions around the house, can lead to collisions, falls, and other injuries that cause soft tissue problems like strains and sprains of your muscles and ligaments.

Fractures happen frequently with these incidents as well; cracks or breaks in the bones or joints that cause pain and make walking and other upright activities more difficult.

Structural conditions

Genetics, ill-fitting shoes, and other factors contribute to problems affecting the shape of your feet, including bunions, hammertoes, heel spurs, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, flat feet, and claw toes.

Other illnesses

Complications from diseases like diabetes lead to neuropathy, leading to ulcers, sensitivity problems, and, in extreme cases, amputation. Fungal infections cause athlete’s foot and nail infections, a buildup of uric acid leads to gout, and other forms of arthritis develop from physical injury and eventual wear and tear on your joints.

Treatment options

With so many forms of foot and ankle trauma, a wide range of treatment options is necessary to address various symptoms. We offer a range of methods to help, including braces and splints, casts, custom orthotics, injection therapy, various medications, and surgeries such as ankle replacement, ankle arthroscopy, soft tissue surgeries, and other specialized treatments.

Our approach is tailored to your needs, offering conservative options for minor to moderate issues and surgical intervention for more significant problems in the ankles and feet.

Recovering from trauma

Each problem requires a separate solution to address, but once the condition is treated, the recovery process begins. This involves a range of different forms of rehabilitation, including monitoring your healing and customized physical therapy. Here are some common examples:

RICE method: resting, applying ice to reduce swelling, compression on the injury, and elevating the feet

Exercises: a progression of regimens including ankle pumps, stretches, heel and toe raises, massages, and calf stretches

Medications: prescription or over-the-counter drugs to manage pain, inflammation, and other issues

Prevention therapy: techniques in physical therapy to change habits and prevent future issues

To determine the best treatment or recovery plan for your foot and ankle problems, schedule an appointment with Drs. Beede, Jaryga, and the Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists team today.