How to Prevent Severe Bunion Pain from Flaring Up
Do you have bunion pain that gets notably worse at times? Understanding why these flare-ups can happen can go a long way toward helping you prevent them in the future.
Getting Active Again After an ACL Injury
If you’re suffering from a recent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, you may not think about the role podiatry plays in your healing process since your ACL is a primary ligament in your knee. Yet, without the proper support and cooperation of your foot and ankle, your road to recovery would be nearly impossible.
At Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center in Laveen, Arizona, Dr. Kyle Durfey, Dr. Brian Hiapo, and our dedicated team work with your orthopedic surgeon to help support your knee and expedite the healing process. Some of the ways we help you get active again after an ACL injury are with:
Orthotics
We almost always prescribe custom orthotics to counteract excessive side-to-side movements of your foot while you’re healing. Those excessive movements aggravate ACL strain because it increases knee rotation. Our podiatrists ensure that you have a good foot posture to overcome your ACL injury so you can return to your best life.
Footwear
After a period of rest and using crutches to get around, your ACL recovery includes a gradual return to weight bearing activities. When you get to this stage, our team evaluates how the injury affects your stance and the way you walk. This is called a gait analysis. To make sure your shoes aren’t slowing down your progress, one of our skilled podiatrists uses information from your evaluation to make recommendations about specific footwear. The right shoes are a crucial piece of your recovery because they:
- Properly support your ankle and foot
- Alleviate pressure from your injured area
- Keep you from making movements that stress your ligaments and tendons
With a footwear consultation at Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center, you can be sure you’re expediting your healing with proper footwear.
Physical Therapy
Our podiatrists help you use targeted exercises so that you can make precise muscle movements and resume your normal gait. These exercises serve many purposes, including:
- To build the supportive muscles back up after injury
- To protect against future injury
- To restore range of motion and flexibility
- To prevent misalignment of your muscles and joints when you walk
Brace
Whether it’s your surgeon or podiatrist who makes the recommendation for a knee brace, the goal is the same: to support your knee as it heals. Because the injury can profoundly affect your gait and the mechanics of your foot and ankle movements, our team often encourages ACL patients to use them during rehabilitation.
If you’re recovering from an ACL injury and you’re eager to get back to exercising and playing sports again, come see us at Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center. We’re eager to help you get back on your feet again. Call now or book easily with the online booking feature.
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