Ankle sprains are amongst the most common reasons people present to the emergency room of hospitals in Australia. Similarly, they are one of the main reasons people attend our clinic.

An ankle sprain or any injury to the ankle requires a lot of rehab both initially after the sprain and in the months after to ensure a full recovery.

When someone experiences a sprain or injury of the ankle, shin, or lower leg, it can cause long term problems if not taken care of properly.

One of the most common things we hear patients say when it comes to their ankles is “they feel like their ankles are weak”. This is normally a sign that they haven’t rehabbed an injury previously or that their proprioception(balance) and leg strength isn’t as good as it should be.

At Hurst Podiatry, we are wonderfully equipped to help with these issues and get to the why of your ankle weakness. Through a combination of anatomy knowledge and an understanding of gait (walking mechanics), we can work with you to build rehab and conditioning programs as well as fit you for orthotics, braces, and moon boots to treat your ankle and lower leg conditions.

Causes of Ankle, Shin, and Lower Limb Conditions

While ankle sprains are common, not all ankle and lower limb problems are centred around ankle sprains.

Another common cues of pain and injury to this area of the body is from overuse injuries. These can be due to running and walking technique, footwear choices or training load mistakes.

In this case our team will work out where your pain is coming from, apply our knowledge of biomechanics and anatomy to understand exactly why this is happening and then build you a solution to guide you through the pain. This what, where why approach means we find your solution does not offer a generic set of products and treatments.

Common Ankle and Lower Leg Conditions 

Some of the more common shin and ankle conditions we treat are:

• Talar dome issues
• Achilles strains, tendinopathies, and tears
• Retrocalcaneal bursitis
• Inversion ankle sprain (twisted ankle)
• High ankle sprains (syndesmosis injuries)
• Shin splints (MTSS)
• Stress fractures
• Potts fracture
• Eversion ankle sprain (sprain on the medial or inside part of your ankle)
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome
• Ankle equinus (tight calves)
• Muscle tendinopathies

These are just some of the conditions that can affect your ankles and/or lower limbs.

How We Can Help You at Hurst Podiatry

Here at Hurst Podiatry, we’re experienced in the assessment, diagnosing and treatment of many conditions that can affect the feet and lower legs, including those that affect your ankles and shins.

When we treat any condition affecting your ankle, shins, or lower legs, our aim is to find the reason behind the problem. That way we not only treat the current problem efficiently, but we can also help to avoid future injuries, pain, or discomfort from occurring too.

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort in your shins, ankles, or lower leg area in Melbourne’s Northeast, book in to see us here at Hurst Podiatry. Call 03 5901 2216 or book online here.