Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation

Foot or Ankle Pain? What do I do now?

The ankle and foot joints are very complex with many different joints, muscles, and ligaments. With the average person taking 5,000 – 7,000 steps per day any pain or injury can be very debilitating. It’s important to take appropriate action to protect and support your feet every day. Appropriate shoes and orthotics can provide the proper support for pain relief and injury prevention. As your foot and ankle specialists in Omaha, NE, we will evaluate your foot and ankle to determine a diagnosis and a plan of care to get you back to living your life free of pain.

The most common ankle injury is a sprain which most of us have experienced at some point. Ankle sprains can vary in severity and cause, but recurring simple ankle sprains can be indicative of a more serious problem and may need to be looked at to determine the need for further treatment.

What ankle and foot injuries or diagnoses do we treat?

Our physical therapists treat the full range of conditions including:

Ankle Sprain
Chronic Ankle Instability
Traumatic Injuries and Fractures
Plantar fasciitis
Bunions
Hammertoe
Heel Spurs
Achilles Tendonitis
Post Surgical

What treatment options will my physical therapist utilize?

Our overall goal is to return you to your prior level of function in the home, at work, recreationally, and in the community. Without proper foot and ankle rehabilitation, serious problems—such as decreased movement, chronic pain, swelling, and joint instability—could arise, severely limiting your ability to do your usual activities.

Your treatment plan may include the following:

Range of Motion

Swelling and pain can result in limited mobility of the ankle. Our physical therapists will teach you how to do safe and effective exercises to restore full movement to your ankle.

Muscle Strengthening

Ankle muscle weakness may cause long-term instability of the ankle and new ankle injuries. Our Omaha foot and ankle specialists can determine which strengthening exercises are right for you based on the severity of your injury and where you are in your recovery.

Body Awareness and Balance Training

Specialized training exercises help your muscles “learn” to respond to changes in your environment, such as uneven or unstable surfaces. When you are able to put full weight on your foot without pain, we may prescribe these exercises to help you return to your normal activities. For instance, your physical therapist might teach you how to do this: with or without your eyes closed, stand on one leg, or stand on a wobbleboard to challenge the muscles around your ankle.

Functional Training

When you can walk freely without pain, we may begin “progressing” your treatment program to include activities that you were doing before your injury, such as walking in your neighborhood, jogging, hopping, or modified running. This program will be based on your physical therapist’s examination of your ankle, on your goals, and on your activity level and general health.

Activity Specific Training

Depending on the requirements of your job or the type of sports you play, you might need additional rehabilitation that is tailored to your job or sport and the demands that it places on your ankle. As workplace injury and sports physical therapy professionals in Omaha, we can develop a program that takes all of these demands—as well as your specific injury—into account.

Ankle Sprains: Article explaining best treatment methods for first-time and recurrent ankle sprains or instability.

Premier Physical Therapy Omaha, NE

Premier Physical Therapy is local and family-owned by a practicing physical therapist. We pride ourselves on our small town, Omaha values. As one of the leading physical therapy clinics in Omaha, NE, we stress consistent one-on-one patient care with the same physical therapist at every session. We also know that taking the time to get the right care can be a struggle, that’s why we offer extended hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.