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Your feet and ankles do the hard work of keeping you balanced, absorbing impact, and moving you forward whether you’re walking, running, or climbing. With a vast network of bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, these structures work together to provide strength, flexibility, and support for everything you do.
But when pain or injury strikes, simple movements can feel impossible. Understanding how your feet and ankles function can help you find the right solution so you can move freely, without limits. Schedule a consultation today with one of our expert sports chiropractic physicians at Hughes Health and take your first step toward relief!
About the Foot & Ankle
Foundation of Every Step
Your feet and ankles are engineering marvels. The foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles and tendons working together to keep you moving. The tibia, fibula, and talus form the ankle, while the subtalar and ankle joints allow you to bend, extend, and absorb shock with every step.
But with so many moving parts under constant pressure, it’s no surprise that foot and ankle pain can slow you down. When discomfort strikes, the right care can help you move freely again without limits. At Hughes Health, we pinpoint the root cause of foot and ankle pain and create a customized treatment plan to restore function and keep you moving.
Common Causes of Foot & Ankle Pain
Understanding Why It Happens
If you’re experiencing foot and ankle pain, you’re not alone. When pain strikes your foot and ankle, it can be frustrating and difficult to pinpoint the cause on your own. That’s why getting expert guidance is key. Pain can stem from overuse, injuries, or even underlying conditions with each requiring the right approach to treatment.
As sports chiropractors in Westerville, OH, we see it all the time. Roughly 75% of the population experiences foot and ankle pain at some point in their life. Your foot and ankle are used constantly in order to stand, walk, run, and climb up and down stairs. So, when pain starts to creep in, it can have a big impact on your daily life. Whether from repetitive movements or sudden injuries, there are many possible causes for discomfort in these areas. For this reason, foot and ankle pain is a very common condition that is treated by our doctors at Hughes Health.
Acute vs. Chronic Foot & Ankle Pain: What’s the Difference?
• Acute Foot & Ankle Pain happens suddenly, often due to an injury, car accident, or fall. The sooner you address it, the faster your recovery.
• Chronic Foot & Ankle Pain lasts more than 3 months and can be harder to treat because your body starts adapting to the discomfort. That’s why early intervention is key!
1) Repetitive Use Injuries - One common cause of foot and ankle pain is tendinitis, which is inflammation of the tendons from overuse. This repetitive strain can cause discomfort and limit your ability to move freely.
2) Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome - Another culprit is tarsal tunnel syndrome. Inflammation in the ankle can compress the nerve, leading to pain, numbness, or tingling sensations in the foot and toes. If left untreated, this condition can worsen and make it harder to walk or stand.
3) Arthritis & Cartilage Damage - Arthritis can affect the cartilage in the joints of the foot and ankle, causing pain, stiffness, and a reduced range of motion. Whether from osteoarthritis or other types, this condition can make everyday tasks challenging.
4) Fractures and Sprains - Falls, accidents, or sports injuries can result in fractures or sprains, which may require surgical intervention or therapy for full recovery. Strains in the muscles and injuries to the ligaments can also cause pain and limited function in your foot and ankle.
5) Inflammation - Irritation and inflammation of the fascia is known as plantar fasciitis which causes pain at the bottom of the foot. Meanwhile inflammation of the small fluid-filled sacs around joints is known as bursitis.
The good news? There are many treatment options available, and you don’t have to navigate the pain alone. Our expert sports chiropractors can help you find the right solution so you can get back to moving, working, and living without limits.
Common Conditions of the Foot & Ankle
Every step you take should feel natural and effortless, but when pain or injury strikes, even the simplest movements can become a challenge.
Arthritis
Stiffness and pain aren’t just part of aging. Early treatment helps you stay active.
Ankle Sprains
When you abnormally turn your ankle, it stretches or even tears the ligaments that connect your bones.
Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
A common foot and ankle problem when the tendon on the inside of the foot becomes inflamed or torn causing pain to the back of the ankle and sometimes deep in the calf.
Achilles Tendonitis
The strong band of tissue that connects your calf to your heel can be damaged or injured by sudden injuries or even repetitive strain.
Peroneal Tendonitis
Pain and swelling on the outside of your foot, ankle, and even up the lower leg when walking and running can be caused by inflammation and irritation of the peroneal muscles.
Plantar Fasciitis
A painful condition at the bottom of the foot often from overuse or changes in the arch of the foot.
Bunions & Hallux Valgus Deformity
When your big toe leans toward the other toes and pushes the joint outward, this creates abnormal pressure on the joint and eventually leads to bone spur development. It is commonly caused by poorly fitting shoes and weak muscles which may lead to arthritis and pain when walking.
Hammertoes & Claw Toes
When your toe gets pulled into a curled position and has difficulties relaxing, it can interfere with the way you walk.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
Inflammation at the ankle can cause irritation and compression of the nerve. This causes pain, burning, tingling, or numbness in the foot and ankle.
Morton's Neuroma
A cyst can form when you have lingering swelling and irritation in the ball of the foot. Over time, this can grow and become thickened tissue that presses on the nerves, causing sharp pain or numbness and tingling of the foot and toes.
Treatments for the Foot & Ankle
Find Relief Once & For All
Before we are able to treat your foot and ankle pain at Hughes Health, we must perform a detailed consultation and examination. We start with a one-on-one consultation where our doctors truly listen. We want to understand how your foot and ankle pain is affecting your life, whether it's keeping you from working, exercising, or simply enjoying time with family. This conversation helps us gather key details that point us toward the root cause of your pain.
In the examination, we assess your movement, muscles, ligaments, and joints using chiropractic, orthopedic, and functional movement testing. Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something isn’t working right. Our job is to find out why. Once we pinpoint the cause, we create a personalized treatment plan to restore function and get you back to living pain-free—without unnecessary medications or surgery.
Sports Chiropractic: More Than Just Adjustments
At Hughes Health, we believe true recovery goes beyond spinal adjustments and manipulation. While we are chiropractors, we don’t just focus on your joints. We take a whole-body approach through Sports Rehabilitation to target the muscles and tissues that support you. Your body is more than just bones and joints, and your care should reflect that. By addressing movement, strength, and stability, we help you heal faster, stay active, and prevent future injuries so you can get back to doing what you love without limitations.
PiezoWave Focused Shockwave Therapy: Break Through Stubborn Pain
For foot and ankle pain, PiezoWave Shockwave Therapy uses focused and targeted sound waves to:
Break up scar tissue and adhesions
Increase blood flow for faster healing
Stimulate natural tissue repair—without surgery or downtime
Deep Tissue Class IV Laser Therapy: Heal from the Inside Out
Our Class IV Deep Tissue Laser uses light therapy to reduce pain and inflammation at the cellular level. This advanced treatment:
Boosts your body’s natural healing process
Reduces pain and inflammation in just 5-10 minutes
Feels like a gentle, warming sensation—no discomfort, just relief
Soft Tissue Manual Therapy: Digging Deep
At Hughes Health, we specialize in a wide variety of techniques to address the soft tissue causes of the pain.
Dry Needling: This targets tight or dysfunctional muscles by inserting small acupuncture needles into specific muscles and their trigger points to release tension and promote muscle recovery.
Fire Cupping: Using heated cups to create a suction effect on the skin helps increase blood flow to relieve muscle tightness and reduce pain. This warming effect has been shown to be more effective than the dry suction counterpart.
Graston Technique: Using specialized tools, we gently break up adhesions in your muscles and tendons, improving mobility and encouraging proper tissue healing.
Myofascial Release: Active Release Technique (ART), also known as manual trigger point release, takes your muscles through dynamic movement to release tension and alleviate pain at its source.
Sport Rehab and Custom Exercises: Build Strength, Prevent Injury
Pain relief is just the first step. Staying pain-free while moving and grooving is the goal. Our Custom Therapeutic Exercise Programs help you:
Strengthen muscles and improve mobility
Fix imbalances that cause recurring pain
Get back to doing what you love with confidence
The Right Care, Every Time
At Hughes Health, your recovery comes first. While we specialize in advanced chiropractic care and personalized treatment plans, we also know when you need more. If our exam reveals that additional care is necessary, we’ll connect you with our trusted network of physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and pain specialists. No guesswork, no wasted time—just the right care for the best results.
Your health is our priority. Let’s get you on the path to recovery today!
Why Choose
Hughes Health?
We take pride in providing evidence-based non-invasive approaches to healthcare. Our goal is to identify the root cause of your discomfort and pain to then provide effective and personalized treatment plans to help you achieve long-lasting results. If you're experiencing any of the conditions listed above, don't hesitate to contact us.