Physical therapy aims to restore functionality to your foot, allowing you to get back to your previous activity level. However, restoring and strengthening your foot often results in pain during the process. Together with your physician and physical therapist, you can take measures to treat and sometimes even prevent pain during physical therapy on your foot.
Symptoms
Pain in your foot during physical therapy might occur during each therapy session or only the first session or two as your foot gets used to the exercises you must perform. The pain you feel could occur in just one part of your foot, such as your heel, or throughout your entire foot. You might notice that your pain increases during weight-bearing portions of your physical therapy and that the pain could linger after your session is complete.
Causes
During your first sessions of physical therapy, you might experience foot pain as a result of exercises that the muscles in your feet are not used to, and ligaments, tendons and muscles are stretched in ways and to an extent that they had not previously been tested. In some cases, foot pain during physical therapy might result if you have experienced a new injury to your foot such as a fracture or bunion. You could also have foot pain after physical therapy if an underlying health condition such as neuropathy or diabetes has worsened.
Treatments
Your feet might have changed size or shape, and seeking professional fitting for new supportive footwear or customized shoe inserts might also help treat pain you experience as a result of physical therapy on your foot. Taking over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or aspirin, as recommended by your doctor, might help treat pain that results during your physical therapy session. After a painful therapy session, applying an ice pack to the painful areas of your foot might also help with treating your symptoms.
Prevention
If your pain results from a particular maneuver or technique that your physical therapist is performing during your session, describe the pain in detail and he might change methods to prevent the pain from recurring. Performing some warmup stretches on your foot, such as rolling a tennis ball under the arch of your foot might help prevent pain due to stiff muscles during your therapy session. If your physician and therapist approve, consider massage therapy for your feet between physical therapy appointments, as some people find that massage increases relaxation and decreases pain and stress and anxiety related to pain.
