Physical therapy has a great reputation as a way to slowly improve foot and ankle functioning after a surgical procedure, but if you incorporate physical therapy into your daily or weekly routine, you can actually avoid many of the complications that lead to the need for surgery in the first place.

Physical therapy exercises can help treat the tendon imbalances that cause hammertoes and can also improve the strength and flexibility of ankle joints after a sprain. In fact, slowly strengthening your ankle after a sprain is the best way to avoid another injury and chronic ankle instability.

Some of the many benefits of physical therapy for your feet and ankles include the following:

• Increase balance—By improving the strength and flexibility of your feet and ankles, you also improve your balance and coordination which helps prevent falls and other injuries.
• Avoid surgery—Doing physical therapy exercises regularly can often avoid the need for surgery and skip the often long recovery process that comes with it.
• Decrease pain—By incorporating a variety of physical therapy exercises and methods, you can decrease pain and discomfort for a wide variety of foot and ankle conditions.
• Slowly increase strength to avoid reinjury—By slowly increasing the strength and flexibility of muscles and tendons, you can confidently get back on your feet without causing reinjury.

A variety of therapies are available from your foot doctor including physical stimulation and manipulation, stretching and flexibility exercises, taping and splinting, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy.

For expert help in developing your therapy program see your podiatrist. Call Syracuse Podiatry located in East Syracuse, New York. Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico, Dr. Kathleen Pyatak-Hugar, and Dr. Donal M. Erickson and their staff will help you diagnose and treat your foot or ankle condition. Call 315-446-3668 or make an appointment online today.