Foot and ankle injuries cover a very wide range of conditions and for that reason we'll talk only about the general principles for treatment rather than go into detail on each condition. People tend to protect their foot/ankle injuries excessively for a day or so...
A ‘High ankle sprain’ is an injury to the higher ankle ligaments, those which start just above the normal ankle joint and extend up the leg, towards the knee. High ankle sprain is generally a serious condition and more complex than a normal ankle sprain. Because of...
When your big toe pushes against the next toe, forcing the joint of the big toe to expand and protrude, the resultant bony bump is known as a Bunion. The skin over the Bunion is often red and painful. Wearing tight narrow shoes is commonly the cause of bunions, but...
DOMS is the commonly used abbreviation of ‘Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness’ and is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles a while after unusual or strenuous exercise. Felt most strongly from 24 to 72 hours after exercise, it is thought to be caused by lengthening or...
Widespread pain to the muscles of the body, unusually high levels of fatigue, tender points in multiple areas and great sensitivity to seemingly normal things, are all indicative of someone suffering from the disorder known as Fibromyalgia. What are the symptoms of...
‘Ligament sprains’ and ‘Muscle strain’ are often confused and usually written about in tandem, however they are in fact quite different. Muscle and tendon (joining muscle to bone) strains occur when there is a poor level of fitness or poor dynamic control within the...
Musculoskeletal pain is pain caused by injury to the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and/or nerves. The pain can be either acute or chronic and either localised or widespread. It is basically a summary of all the types of physical pain a person could suffer...
Overuse injuries, as the term implies, are the result of the gradual, repetitive action and overuse of certain muscles, tendons or bones, as opposed to acute injuries, like a sprained ankle, which happen instantaneously. They can happen through sports, be work...
When a nerve becomes entrapped or ‘pinched’, usually because of injury to structures next to the nerve, this is referred to as a ‘Pinched nerve’, where nerve pain, damage and associated symptoms can occur. Self-diagnosed pinched nerves rarely need to be operated on...
The Plantar fascia is a thick band of fibrous connective tissue which starts at the bottom surface of the heel bone and extends along the sole of the foot towards the toes. It limits excessive flattening of the arch in the foot and when the Plantar fascia becomes...
Sciatica The sciatic nerve is the main nerve running from the lower back to your leg and the irritation or pinching of this nerve can cause the severe leg pain, known as Sciatica. Long term compression of the Sciatic nerve can severely damage it and affect its...
Sever’s disease, also known as Calcaneal apophysitis, is a common cause of heel pain in active children and occurs when the growth plate of the heel is injured due to excessive force. It is primarily found in early adolescence (girls of 8 to 10 years old and boys of...
A stress fracture, which consists of tiny cracks, is the result of excessive, usually repetitive, force through healthy bone. Often sports related, they are common injuries amongst runners, where fractures occur in the feet and the shin bones, but they can also occur...
Tendinopathy encompasses tendon injuries and can develop in any tendon of the body. It includes Tendinosis and Tendonitis, which are different terms used for varying degrees of tendon injuries. Tendons are the tough fibres connecting muscles to bones. Tendon injuries...