Posted by Dr Manu Bora

Our feet and ankles are never at rest the whole day, from when we wake up till we go to bed. They are constantly at work carrying the entire weight of our body, helping us move from one place to other. We rely on our feet and ankles constantly under stress for almost anything like jumping, running, or walking.

The realization and observing the pain of ankle and feet injuries can help identify if the pain is just more than serious than you thought it to be. Learning about the bones and muscles of the ankle, awareness about the injury symptoms, and standard treatment methods can help you deal with this issue.

Anatomy Of The Foot:

A proper understanding of the bones and muscles can help you understand in a better way the pain you may be suffering in your feet. Almost one-fourth of the total body�s bones are present in the feet, allowing excess movement and inviting risks for more injuries.

Talus, calcaneus, phalanges, metatarsals, tarsal, and sesamoids make up the bones of the feet, and a joint is formed wherever these two bones meet. Each of our toes has three joints, and the big toe has two joints. Around twenty muscles enable the movement of the foot along with providing stability and support to the body. These muscles are flexors, tibialis posterior, tibialis anterior, extensors, and peroneal that support the body.

The muscles are attached to the bones with the help of tendons, and the ligaments hold them together. The Achilles tendon is the prominent one that runs from the calf muscle to the heel, whereas the main ligaments are plantar fascia, calcaneocuboid ligament, and others.

Anatomy Of the Ankle

Ankle injuries are the most likely to occur as injuries to a body part, and around 10%-30% of the sports injuries are reported as ankle injuries. Though referred to as a single joint, the ankle is a double joint. The ankle joint comprises mainly three bones, namely the fibula, the tibia, and the talus.

The bones in the ankle are held together with the ligaments, tibiofibular, lateral collateral, and the deltoid ligament. The Achilles tendon, flexor, peroneal are some of the major tendons of the ankle, which, along with the ligament, provides stability and motion to the ankle.

Common Ankle and Foot Injuries Along with The Treatment Options

The common injuries of the ankle and feet are:

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is a widespread pain that occurs in the ankle and feet and is a type of joint disease where the cartilage providing cushions to the ends of joints of feet wears away. The condition occurs at a slow pace, but the injury can directly damage the cartilage or even change the working of joints over time.

Another type termed post-traumatic arthritis develops due to an injury or sprain, fracture, or inevitable dislocation in the foot. It can lead to severe issues like deterioration of the joints ultimately. The majority of arthritis issues are caused due to prior injuries in the foot or ankle.

If you seek a physician�s consultation, they may prescribe certain medications to lower the inflammation steroid injections. The physicians also suggest specific methods like complete rest, exercises, physical therapies, or bracing. When these methods are found ineffective after application, the physicians consult for the option of surgery.

Bursitis

The bursas are specific tiny fluid-filled sacs in the ankle and foot that help to reduce the friction between the bones and tendons. However, bursas can become inflamed and cause pain to move around comfortably. Repeated stress, a fall, or an infection can cause inflammation in the bursas. Moreover, bursitis can also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and similar issues.

The treatment options for bursitis include:

• Proper rest to ankle
• Icing
• Certain inflammatory drugs.
• Injections that effectively reduce the pain.

But if these options are found ineffective in reducing the pain, surgery remains the last option.

Hammer Toes

This condition is usually the deformity of the toes except for the big toe, and the toe resembles that of a hammer due to a bent middle joint. This occurs due to an imbalance in the ligaments or tendons.

Due to the flexibility of the hammertoes, they can usually be corrected by simple measures, but it remains the same. Minor surgery can fix the issue.

These are specific common injuries of the ankle and feet, generally faced by the people. The treatment options can be undertaken as soon as possible to cure the problems, and o surgery will be needed.