Discover the Path to Stronger, Pain-Free Feet and Ankles
Our feet and ankles are the unsung heroes of our mobility, supporting us day in and day out. However, when foot and ankle problems arise, they can significantly impact our quality of life. At Leaps & Bounds, our practitioners play a crucial role in addressing these issues, helping individuals regain mobility and reduce discomfort.
Read on to learn more about common foot and ankle problems, preventative strategies, and how our practitioners can make a difference in your journey towards better foot and ankle health.
Common Foot and Ankle Problems
Foot and ankle pain can affect our everyday lives and happens to many of us. It might be because we use our feet a lot, get injured, or have some health issues. Let’s talk about what usually makes our feet and ankles hurt and how we can do something about it.
- Plantar Fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is characterized by pain in the heel, especially in the morning or after prolonged sitting. Strengthening the calf muscles can help alleviate the strain on the plantar fascia. Wearing supportive shoes with proper arch support, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding excessive high-impact activities are essential preventive measures.
- Achilles Tendinitis: Achilles tendinitis occurs when the Achilles tendon, the large tendon at the back of your ankle, becomes inflamed. This can result in pain and stiffness in the back of the ankle. Incorporating calf-strengthening exercises, gradually increasing exercise intensity, and wearing appropriate footwear can help reduce the risk of Achilles tendinitis.
- Ankle Sprains: Ankle sprains are common injuries caused by overstretching or tearing the ligaments around the ankle joint. They often lead to pain, swelling, and instability. Practicing balance and proprioception exercises can enhance ankle stability.
- Bunions: Bunions are bony bumps that develop at the base of the big toe, causing pain and deformity. They are often aggravated by wearing ill-fitting shoes. Choosing shoes with a wide toe box that allows proper spacing for the toes is essential. Avoiding high heels and considering orthotic devices for added support can alleviate bunion-related discomfort.
- Flat Feet (Pes Planus): Flat feet result from a lack of arch support, leading to discomfort and instability. This condition can impact walking and overall foot function. Strengthening the muscles in your feet and arches through specific exercises can provide better support. Additionally, using orthotic insoles in your shoes can help maintain arch height.
Patient Success Story
“Great experience at Leaps and Bounds! The staff at the door handled the calls and bookings with professionalism and a smile. Anthony helped me recover from a neck injury and has been a great asset to my recovery. Thorough with his assessment and explained all aspects of the assessment and treatment. Highly recommend the clinic!”
The Role of Leaps & Bounds In Your Recovery
Our highly skilled practitioners are experts in assessing and addressing foot and ankle problems. We can play a vital role in your journey towards better foot and ankle health by conducting comprehensive evaluations.
These evaluations involve:
- Functional Testing: Your practitioner may perform functional tests to determine how well your feet and ankles perform various activities.
- Strength and Range of Motion Testing: We’ll assess the strength of your foot and ankle muscles and evaluate joint mobility.
- Assessment of Gait and Movement Patterns: Our practitioners analyze your walking and movement patterns to identify any abnormalities or areas of concern.
Based on the evaluation findings, we’ll develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. This plan may include:
- Targeted Exercises: Stretching and strengthening exercises targeting the foot and ankle muscles are effective in helping to manage most foot and ankle issues.
- Manual Therapy Techniques: Manual therapy techniques, including joint mobilizations and soft tissue work, can reduce pain and improve ankle and foot mobility.
- Gait Activities: Gait activities are instrumental in addressing any abnormal walking patterns and gait disturbances in individuals with foot and ankle problems.
- Neuromuscular Reeducation: We often use neuromuscular reeducation techniques to improve proprioception and balance in individuals with ankle instability.
- Functional Training: Functional training is used to mimic real-life movements and is essential in restoring functional abilities and preventing recurrent injuries.
Our team is highly skilled at identifying and educating our patients about proper footwear, self-care techniques, and injury prevention strategies. Education enhances patient compliance and promotes better long-term outcomes.
Exciting News from Dr. Roslyn Eng!
We are thrilled to announce that custom orthotics are now available as part of our chiropractic services at Leaps and Bounds!
If you are interested in custom orthotics, book an orthotic assessment with Dr. Roslyn Eng. She will assess your needs through a detailed health history, physical exam, and gait analysis. Based on her findings, she will create a personalized treatment plan that may include custom orthotics along with other chiropractic techniques and exercises to help you achieve your goals.
The process is simple:
- Dr. Roslyn will fit you for your orthotics using a foam cast at the end of your visit.
- In about 2 weeks, you’ll be contacted to pick up your custom orthotics.
- Dr. Roslyn will guide you on how to properly use your orthotics and make any necessary adjustments to ensure they fit properly in your shoes.
We are excited to partner with Premier Orthotics Lab, whose 3D printing technology allows us to offer orthotics that are lightweight, low-profile, functional, and environmentally friendly. These orthotics can be personalized for different activities and shoe types, ensuring optimal comfort and support for your lifestyle.
Insurance Tips:
- Make sure to review your insurance policy regarding orthotics. Some plans may require a medical doctor’s prescription, rather than a chiropractor’s.
- While custom orthotics cannot be directly billed to insurance, we will provide all the necessary information for you to submit your claim
- The cost of the orthotic assessment will be billed under chiropractic services and will not affect your orthotic coverage.
We’re excited to help you take the next step in achieving your health goals with the support of custom orthotics! For more information or to schedule your orthotic assessment, book online or give us a call.
Empower Your Feet and Ankles Today
Don’t let discomfort or limitations hold you back. Call Leaps & Bounds and let one of our skilled therapists guide you to healthier, pain-free feet and ankles. Your well-being is worth every step of the way!
Help Us Help Our Community
This month we will be raising money for the Oakville Fareshare Foodbank! We will donate $10 for every Google review we receive!
Greek Salad with Chicken
Ingredients:
- 6 cups chopped lettuce, such as iceberg or romaine
- 1 8- ounce Greek Marinated Chicken Breast, sliced or chopped
- 2 cups Mediterranean Tomato Salad or sliced tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced Persian or hothouse cucumber
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ cup feta cheese, broken into chunks
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
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Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl or two individual salad bowls. Top with the sliced chicken, tomato salad, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese.
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To make the dressing, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt and pepper to a small canning jar. Top with the lid and shake well until blended and emulsified. Season with more sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
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Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to taste.
Spring Is the Season of Renewal and Activity
Are you looking forward to getting more active after a long winter this spring? Do you worry that with more activity comes more aches and pains? At Leaps & Bounds, our therapists understand injuries, how to resolve them, and avoid them. We will work with you to make sure you have a great spring!
Springtime is here, and with it comes rekindled energy to get started on resolving old injuries and reaching your fitness goals! All of us have been stuck inside for months, so now more than ever, it’s important to stay on top of your health and make sure you’re engaging in activities that encourage you to get up and move.
The weather is warming up, so it’s a great time to “spring” into action and start doing the things you love again! The fear of injury or perceived difficulty getting started can prevent you from initiating the steps needed for a healthy and active lifestyle. If you require assistance for getting started, whether to resolve an injury or commit to fitness, physical therapy can help. Request an appointment with our team today!
We Can Help You Be More Active This Spring
Studies indicate that only about 20% of the adult population in America exercises enough (i.e., minutes per day and days per week). Busy life and lack of motivation are often the main excuses for this inactivity. For some, injuries and uncertainty about what to do and how to do it are explanations for sedentary lifestyles.
Finding the time or the motivation to exercise is difficult for many people. Still, with a season of renewal right around the corner for us, it’s essential to know what your options are when it comes to getting into shape!
Some of the common springtime activities we can help with include:
Running
Running can be hard on the joints, especially as we age. One of the most common injuries that keep people from running without pain is shin splints. These occur when there is pain along the bone in the lower leg, known as the tibia or shin bone. Shin splints are often the result of inexperience, training errors (i.e., too far, too fast), and a previous unresolved injury. A physical therapist can help ensure your body is adequately prepared before you hit the trails!
Gardening
Gardening usually requires you to get down on your hands and knees in the dirt! A physical therapist can identify and remedy this. Physical therapy can help you relieve any knee pain, wrist/hand pain, shoulder pain, or lower back pain you’ve been dealing with this winter. We can make sure you’re moving better and strong enough to ensure you can spend time outside tending your flowers, fruits, or vegetables.
Biking
Biking is a fun activity people enjoy doing as it warms up outside! Similar to running and gardening. However, biking can also prove to be difficult if you’re suffering from injuries that have not healed. Chronic shoulder or neck pain or hip and lower back conditions that restrict your mobility can keep you off the bike. Physical therapy can help to mobilize your joints and help you build up strength and endurance so you can continue taking those long bike rides through the park, mountains, or city streets!
Our team will evaluate your current physical condition and assess your fitness level. Whether you’re currently moving with assistance from a cane, walker, or orthotic device, or you’re a serious athlete, we can help you increase your fitness level, reduce your chance of injury, and eliminate pain from sore muscles.
What to expect from Leaps & Bounds
Our sessions start with an injury assessment, no matter the condition or reason for getting started. This includes a thorough evaluation with details about past injuries, current injuries, health history, and specific goals you are trying to achieve. We provide comprehensive treatments that include resolving injuries, injury prevention programs, and performance-based exercise programs to achieve your particular goals.
We will use this information to develop a comprehensive program that includes targeted manual techniques, mobility work, strengthening, and appropriate pain relief techniques. In addition, we will educate you and support you through changes you need to make to your lifestyle to ensure you achieve your fitness goals! A therapy program can increase your fitness level and help you make the most of your favorite activities!
Empower Your Feet and Ankles Today
Leaps & Bounds offers many therapeutic methods to help athletes and weekend warriors participate in whatever fitness or outdoor activity they love the most. Request an appointment today if you’re interested in using your reinvigorated energy this spring!
Perform Better • Recover faster • stay in the game
Sources
- https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2021.0504
- https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2019/06000/ankle_sprains__evaluation,_rehabilitation,_and.7.aspx
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8696890/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5241541/
- https://www.foodiecrush.com/greek-salad-with-chicken/
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/physical-activity.htm
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003999318302120
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09593985.2010.544052