Foot and ankle injuries are very common in both sport and everyday activities. Typically caused from rolling your ankle, or an overload of the tissue, these injuries can impact our daily life, and also exercise and sport performance. If not managed appropriately, these injuries can lead to chronic instability and pain.

At Optimise Sports Physiotherapy & Performance, we have expert knowledge in assessing and diagnosing ankle and foot injuries. This will help us design a personalised treatment and rehabilitation plan to help you to get back to doing what you love, confidently, and safely.

Types of Foot and Ankle Injuries

Some of the most common conditions we treat include:

• Lateral Ankle sprains –injury to the outer ligaments, often from rolling your ankle in
• Medial Ankle sprains – injury to the inner ligaments, often from rolling your ankle out
• High Ankle sprains – injury to the ligaments higher up (syndesmosis), often from the ankle twisting out/externally rotating
• Achilles tendinopathy – overuse injury of the tendon attaching to the back of the heel
• Plantar fasciitis – pain and discomfort at the bottom/inner aspect of the heel
• Stress fractures – bone stress injuries that can occur in a number of places in the foot/ankle complex, commonly due to overload of those structures
• Chronic ankle instability – Joint laxity and weakness leading to recurrent ankle sprains after the first injury
• Post-surgical rehabilitation – following repair of varying structures of the foot and ankle

 

Signs & Symptoms

Common signs & symptoms that are experienced with ankle and foot injuries include:

• Inability to weight bear
• High levels of pain/discomfort
• Bruising/swelling of the ankle and foot
• Reduced range of motion and stiffness
• Weakness
• Locking/catching

If you are experiencing any of the above, it is important to see a physiotherapist early to get an accurate diagnosis to begin a treatment.

Recovery Timeline for Foot and Ankle Injuries

Recovery timelines vary depending on the severity and type of injury:

Injury Type	Expected Recovery	Notes
Mild ankle sprain	2–4 weeks	Early rehab is crucial to minimise re injury risk
Moderate–severe sprain	6–12 weeks	More time is needed for appropriate ligament healing
Achilles tendinopathy	6–12 weeks	Load management and strength training is crucial
Plantar fasciitis	Weeks–months	Strength, stretching, and shoe ware are important considerations
Stress fractures	6–12+ weeks	Requires a period of rest and graduated rehab plan

The above timeframes are generalised – recovery will vary from person to person

 

Why Early Physiotherapy Helps

Seeking early physiotherapy can help:

• Comprehensive assessment to confirm and diagnose the injury
• Manage pain and swelling with manual therapy techniques
• Encourage early mobilisation and loading where implicated
• Begin progressive guided rehabilitation individualised to you
• Minimise the risk of the issue becoming chronic
• Returning to sport and exercise safely and confidently

If you have had a foot or ankle injury, don’t just hope that it will go away. Early diagnosis and rehabilitation can help optimise your recovery and mitigate future risk. Our physiotherapists have extensive experience in treating ankle and foot injuries. Book in at Optimise Sports Physiotherapy & Performance for a comprehensive assessment that will help establish a clear plan for you from the beginning to end of the injury.

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