Hip, knee, ankle and foot pain can be closely linked

Did you know?

• A hip, knee, ankle or foot injury can lead to pain in a different part of your leg.
• The knee is the joint most commonly injured during sport.
• The ankle is the second most injured joint.
• Pain in your hip, knee, ankle or foot is not ‘normal’.

Common causes of pain in your hip, knee, ankle and foot are:

• arthritis
• sports injuries
• sprains and strains
• heel spurs, and
• plantar fasciitis.

We’re all in this together

While your foot or ankle may seem a long way from your knee or hip, these pivotal parts of your body are closely linked.

It all comes down to the biomechanics of your body – how your muscles, soft tissues and joints work together to keep you upright and moving.

The result of this wonderful cooperation of body parts is that if you injure one, you can feel the repercussions in another.

A runner compensating for an ankle sprain, for example, puts additional strain on their knee and can develop pain in that joint.

At Progressive Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy, we work with you to get to the cause of your pain and provide effective treatments that bring relief.

Our treatments and suggested exercises:

• reduce pain
• promote tissue healing
• reduce muscle tension, and
• promote ligament healing.

HIP PAIN – get help now

Your hip is an extremely stable ball and socket joint with a layer of cartilage between. It’s surrounded by large and powerful muscles that help propel you forward when you walk. These important muscles also control knee and ankle movements.

As you can imagine, your hips bear a lot of weight. Don’t ignore hip pain – if a minor problem becomes ingrained it can lead to long-term injury.

• A lack of strength or control of the joint can lead to injury of the joint and soft tissue.
• An injured hip can lead to strain and injury in your knee or ankle.

Early assessment and treatment from the team at Progressive Sport and Spinal Physiotherapy could help you delay or avoid invasive procedures like injections or surgery.

Your progression to hip pain relief

When you come to our clinic, your physiotherapist will get to know your history, take you through a thorough assessment process and answer any of your questions.

Once we have an accurate picture of your condition we:

• talk to you about the best treatment options
• create a personalised rehabilitation program
• suggest exercises for you to do at home, and
• give you strategies to manage and minimise your pain.

Our qualified physiotherapists successfully treat a whole range of hip injuries and chronic conditions.

• Gentle hands-on physiotherapy is often the best starting point to ease hip pain.
• Hyrotherapy is an effective way to strengthen and support your hips.
• We’ll suggest small lifestyle changes to protect your hips.

KNEE PAIN – protect your shock-absorbers

Your knees are a hinge joint and one of the key shock-absorbers and stabilisers in your body.

• The meniscus (behind your kneecap) absorbs the impact when you walk, run, dance or jump.
• The ligaments that surround your knee stabilise the joint and keep you steady.

As you can imagine, knees, their cartilage and surrounding ligaments, come under great stress in day to day life and on the sporting field. They’re also prone to long-term degenerative changes including osteoarthritis.

Damage to the cartilage or ligaments, through injury or osteoarthritis, can be extremely painful and disabling.

An assessment and treatment from the team at Progressive Sport and Spinal Physiotherapy could help you delay or avoid surgery.

Your progression to knee pain relief

While knee injuries are very common, knee pain can also stem from a problem in your hip, ankle or foot.

When you come to our clinic, your physiotherapist will get to know your history and take you through a thorough assessment process to get to the cause of your pain.

Once we have an accurate picture of your condition we:

• talk to you about the best treatment options
• create a personalised rehabilitation program
• suggest exercises for you to do at home, and
• give you strategies to manage and minimise your pain.

There are many causes of knee pain. Our team targets your problem with a range of treatments.

• Hands-on physiotherapy is often the best starting point to ease knee pain.
• Massage and stretching can be key.
• Taping to support the knee and allow ligaments and tissues to heal.
• Hyrotherapy is a low-weight bearing way to strengthening your knees.

ANKLE AND FOOT PAIN – you don’t have to stand for it

Most of us will walk around 2 million steps in our lifetime. Your feet and ankles provide a rigid lever that helps propel you forward with every step you take.

• The joints in our feet and ankles are extremely mobile, in several different directions.
• This mobility helps us walk or run over uneven ground.
• If we lose balance or roll our ankle, these joints are vulnerable to severe sprains or fractures.
• Swelling or bruising are signs of injury.
• Due to their pivotal role, foot and ankle joints are difficult to rest.

To make matters worse, stabilising ligament structures are often torn when you injure your ankle. Because of this, long-term rehabilitation program is key to restore balance, strength and power and avoid the vicious cycle of recurrent strains.

Don’t ignore ankle or foot pain – an early assessment and treatment from the team at Progressive Sport and Spinal Physiotherapy will help you recover faster.

Your progression to ankle or foot pain relief

When you come to our clinic, your physiotherapist will get to know your history and take you through a thorough assessment process to get to the cause of your pain.

We may suggest an x-ray if a fracture is suspected.

Once we have an accurate picture of your condition we:

• talk to you about the best treatment options
• create a personalised rehabilitation program
• suggest exercises for you to do at home, and
• give you strategies to manage and minimise your pain.

Progressive Sport and Spinal Physiotherapy offers a range of treatments to get you back on your feet.

• Hands-on physiotherapy is often the best starting point to ease ankle or foot pain.
• Massage and stretching can be key.
• Strapping to support the ankle and allow ligaments and tissues to heal.
• Hyrotherapy is a low-weight bearing way to strengthen your ankle.

Get help now

Hip, knee, ankle and foot pain can get worse and take more time to treat the longer you leave them.

If you or a family member is experiencing hip, knee, ankle or foot pain, don’t wait – get help from an experienced physiotherapist.

You can be confident our qualified and highly skilled physiotherapists will get to the source of your pain, recommend the best treatment options and bring.

Call Progressive Sport and Spinal Physiotherapy today on 4721 7798 or email: info@progressiverehab.com.au