Common Musculoskeletal Injuries of the Feet, Ankles, Legs and Knees
At Podiatry Beyond we see a large variety of lower limb musculoskeletal injuries that can vary in their presentations. All of our Initial Musculoskeletal Appointments include a detailed gathering of the relevant clinical history, a comprehensive weight bearing and non weight bearing assessment, gait analysis and tailored short and long term treatment plans.
Below is a brief breakdown of the most common complaints of foot, ankle, leg, or knee pain that we see at Podiatry Beyond:
Plantar Fasciitis
o This is a very common presentation in a mixed demographic of patients. We see variations of Plantar Fasciitis in high performing athletes, weekend warriors, pregnant women, travellers with a sudden increase in exercise load, and individuals returning to exercise after time off.
o Podiatrists are experts in assessing, diagnosing and treating this condition in the short and long term.
Hallux Valgus (Bunions)
o This condition can be both symptomatic or asymptomatic
o It affects the first metatarsophalangeal joint (big toe joint) angle
o There are many causes including: genetics, flexibility of the first ray or ligaments, repetitive stress from exercise and biomechanics, footwear and injuries.
Tibialis Posterior Tendonitis
o This conditions involves inflammation of the Tibialis Posterior tendon that runs along the inside of the ankle and is crucial in supporting the medial-central arch of the foot
o This tendon is important for inversion (turning the foot inward) and flexion of the foot (pointing downwards)
o Symptoms include pain and tenderness along the inside of the ankle and the medial arch especially when flexing the foot and lifting the heels.
o Podiatrists can assist in gathering relevant clinical history, performing the appropriate assessments and providing tailored acute and long term treatment plans. This condition is progressive if left untreated.
Achilles Tendonitis/ Tenosynovitis
o This condition affects the tendon that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone.
o It can be very acutely debilitating or become a chronic issue if not addressed correctly. The pain may worsen with activity or warm up with activity depending on the type of injury. There may be pain with pressure, stiffness in the heel and swelling at the heel or along the tendon.
o Patients may present with mid-portion or insertional achilles pain and it may be affecting the tendon itself or the sheath surrounding the tendon
o Podiatrists are experts in assessing, diagnosing and treating this condition in the short and long term with appropriate offloading if needed, strengthening exercises, footwear recommendations, dry needling and if required the prescription of custom foot orthotics.
Subcutaneous/ Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
o This refers to the inflammation of the bursa’s located at the back of the heel bone. The bursa’s are fluid filled sacs located between the skin and the achilles tendon.
o It can be a painful condition often aggravated by repetitive exercise like running or sudden increase in walking load.
o The Subcutaneous bursa is located closer to the skin while the Retrocalcaneal Bursa is behind the heel bone (calcaneus).
Mortons Neuromas
o This refers to inflammation on a nerve or a bundle of nerves in your foot.
o It predominantly occurs between the metatarsal bones at the interdigital nerves, more commonly at the 2nd/3rd and 3rd/4th toes.
o A Mortons Neuroma can be very painful and make it difficult to weight bare and walk.
o It can be exacerbated by tight fitting footwear at the toe box
In addition to the above musculoskeletal injuries, other common conditions that present to the clinic include:
Intermetatarsal bursitis (inflammation of the small, fluid-filled sacs (bursae) located between the metatarsal bones, this can lead to pain and discomfort depending on the size and proximity of the bursae), especially when walking or standing
Turf toe (a sprain of the ligaments and tissues at the base of the big toe joint, specifically the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, often due to hyperextension of the toe.
Shin Splints
Severs (Calcaneal Apophysitis)
Stress fractures (This is more often seen at the metatarsals, navicular or calcaneus (the heel bone)
Flexor hallucis longus tendonitis
Baxters Nerve Entrapment
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (Also known as Tibial Nerve Dysfunction)
Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction
Please note that all of the above conditions can present uniquely in each individual and should be treated by a heath professional. If you are experiencing signs of symptoms of foot, ankle, leg or knee pain we recommend booking in to see a podiatrist for a musculoskeletal assessment.