Loudoun County, Va. — Trying to reach that goal of 10K steps a day can be a challenge on its own. But when you are experiencing foot and ankle problems, it can make even 100 steps feel like a challenge.

Your foot and ankle consist of tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles that take a lot of wear and tear throughout the day, whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior. While there are many problems that could affect your foot and ankle, some of the most common problems are plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis and ankle sprains.

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes increased pain and stiffness in the bottom of your foot near your heel. Pain is often worst first thing in the morning with your first steps. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the long band of tissue on the bottom of your foot – known as the plantar fascia – becomes irritated. The fascia commonly becomes irritated from overuse causing inflammation, pain, stiffness and difficulty putting all of your weight on your foot. If you ignore plantar fasciitis, you could put yourself at risk of developing more chronic heel pain and in some cases a surgery to release the fascia.

Achilles tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is an ankle problem that can cause you to have pain, stiffness and inflammation in the large tendon that runs along the back of your ankle. Like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis is often a result of overuse or doing too much, too soon. This tendon plays an important role in walking, running and jumping. Sometimes, if this problem is ignored it can cause the symptoms to worsen and put you at risk for rupturing your Achilles tendon which could result in surgery.

Ankle sprains

Ankle sprains are a common problem for people of all ages. Ankle sprains usually happen when the ankle is turned or twisted when landing on your feet putting a large amount of stress on the tendons in the ankle. This added stress can cause the tendons to become injured and tear. Depending on the severity of the sprain, it is common to have swelling, pain, bruising and a loss of range of motion. In some cases, an ankle sprain can be so bad that it requires surgery to repair the tendons in the ankle. If you experience multiple ankle sprains surgery is sometimes an option to help increase stability of the ankle.

NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR: If you have experienced any of these problems or symptoms, don’t fret, help is just a step away! Physical therapy can help with all of these common problems. With a carefully designed plan of care, our therapists at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center will teach you exercises and stretches and also use manual techniques and hands-on therapy to help your pain and increase your range of motion and strength. We’ll give you educational information to help reduce pain, allow you to regain range of motion and strengthen and stabilize your foot and ankle to ultimately allow you to return to your favorite activities and everyday life pain and problem-free.