Do your feet or ankles cause you pain? Physical therapy may be the answer. In addition to podiatry, therapy may be a good fit for you. When will physical therapy help? If your foot pain changes throughout the day or with movement, chances are your foot pain is due to the musculoskeletal system and we can help! The cause of your pain may be due to an irritated joint, muscle, ligament, nerve, or even restricted fascia. What should you expect from physical therapy when you come for your first appointment? Your therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to figure out the cause of your problem. Even though you have pain in one region, the cause of your pain may be coming from a problem somewhere else. For instance, mobility and stability to the knee and the hip control where the load is placed in your foot. The root of the problem may be further up the biomechanical chain! What should you expect for each treatment session? The therapist will help you improve mobility, stability, load distribution, and posture to address your chief complaints. The therapist may help change the posture of your foot with tape or accommodative shoe wear. The therapist will work with shoe stores to come up with the best fit shoe for you. How long will you likely be in therapy? The average stay of a patient in therapy is 2 months with an average visit number of twice per week for 1 hour at a time. This gives the patient time to become comfortable performing exercises on his or her own. Our goal is to prevent future injury by addressing the problem completely when it occurs. How long should you wait prior to coming to see a therapist? The sooner you address the problem, the faster the recovery process typically is. The therapist will work with you. If you are highly irritable, the goal at first will be to reduce pain. When is therapy not appropriate? If you have severe, sharp, constant pain that does not change, you will need to see a medical doctor for further tests and for pain management prior to explore physical therapy as an option. Julia Smith, DPT, OCS Restore PT and Wellness 44927 George Washington Blvd, STE 210 | Ashburn, VA 20147 Phone: (571) 291-9936 | mail: julia@restoreptwellness.com