Injuring your lower leg can be painful. If you don’t seek proper treatment right away, it could lead to an even more serious injury, disrupting your daily life. If you are experiencing pain in your lower leg, especially in the heel, make sure to reach out to your foot doctor for heel pain treatment in Scottsdale.
Common Lower Leg Injuries
Lower leg injuries ranging from your heel to your ankle to your calf are actually very common. Anyone can suffer from a stress fracture or injuries to your Achilles tendon, so be sure to pay attention to your symptoms to receive the right treatment.
Achilles Tendinopathy
It happens quite often, overusing your Achilles tendon, especially amongst runners and athletes. This condition can end up lasting just a few months or even for a few years. Pain is usually very noticeable after completing intense workouts. Other symptoms include swelling and stiffness of the Achilles tendon, which usually worsens as the day goes on.
If you have injured your Achilles tendon in the past and it is not fully healed, you could experience tendinopathy after irritating it. Those who suffer from medical conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, and diabetes also experience Achilles tendinopathy more than others.
With rest and ice applications, you can usually treat this injury without the need for surgery. Stretches and exercises are also encouraged. Most patients heal within 3 to 6 months, especially after the use of special orthotics or attending physical therapy.
Stress Fracture
A stress fracture is when the bone tissue breaks faster than the bone can repair itself and usually impacts the tibia and fibula. With rest, the pain can go away from time to time, but without proper treatment, pain can linger for months and these tiny breaks in the bone could cause a complete break.
Those who overuse their lower legs, wear improper shoes, have flat feet or do improper training are more prone to stress fractures and should see a doctor right away.
Surgery will most likely need to stabilize the fracture. During this surgery, a stable internal fixation is screwed onto the tiny breaks, helping to keep the fractured bone aligned properly so it heals. It is recommended to avoid placing weight on your foot following surgery for 3 to 10 weeks. A cast or boot is also needed along with possible physical therapy until fully healed.
Achilles Tendon Rupture
Many injuries can happen to the Achilles tendon and when it tears, it is considered a rupture, causing extreme pain. Trauma or injury usually causes this, or also when landing on your heel improperly.
When your Achilles tendon ruptures, normal movement of the foot and ankle is almost impossible and you are unable to raise your foot, taking weeks to fully recover and return back to normal.
Surgery is usually required to restore natural movement. The surgeon will perform the surgery with the back of your ankle facing up. An incision will be made to examine the area. To bridge the pieces of the destroyed tendon together, special instruments will be used followed by the ends of the tendons being stitched together.
After surgery, your foot and ankle will be carefully bandaged and placed in a cast for 4 to 8 weeks. Expect physical therapy and full recovery to last 4 to 6 months.
Treatment Options at The Foot and Ankle Center of Arizona
Even though surgery might be needed for some lower leg injuries, the Foot and Ankle Center of Arizona offers non-surgical procedures that are less riskier than traditional surgery, more affordable, and require less recovery time.
These procedures promote the natural healing of the tissue and are a much easier process than surgery, delivering remarkable results. Stem cell therapy is offered, which will help relieve pain and discomfort while producing cartilage. Also, shockwave therapy. This therapy has virtually no risks or side effects and results are usually seen immediately. Sessions only take about 5 to 10 minutes and over 80 percent of patients have reported being pain-free after just 4 weeks.
Are you suffering from a lower leg injury? The Foot and Ankle Center of Arizona delivers specialized care to each patient, while also providing excellent customer service. At the Foot and Ankle Center of Arizona, they will provide you with the right treatment option, using only the finest medical equipment.
