Lower Extremity Pain & Injuries

Hip Pain and Injuries

Injuries and even regular aging can cause hip pain. Please know that surgery is not your only option. We successfully treat all types of hip pain with a combination of manual therapy, home exercises, and lifestyle changes.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis happens when protective tissue on the ends of our bones wears down—often as we age. This can cause limping and pain all around the hip, including the groin.

Front of hip pain

Anterior impingement happens when the femur can’t rest properly in the hip socket and slips slightly forward, usually due to an imbalance in supportive tissues. This is painful, especially when walking and getting up from sitting.

Hip surgeries

Hip surgery, including total joint replacement, normally involves some pain. For the best possible recovery, physical therapy is important both before and after surgery.

Bursitis

You have little fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles on the side of your hip. If they get inflamed, your hip might hurt, swell, or feel stiff.

Hip clicking or clunking

Hip clicking or clunking sensations are common, especially among active people. There are many possible causes, so a thorough evaluation is crucial.

Muscle sprains and strains

There are many soft tissues around your hip that you can sprain or strain, including hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteals.

Pain in the butt

Pain in your butt often comes from the piriformis muscle, which connects your lower spine and thigh bone. It can also irritate nearby nerves, causing pain, numbness, and tingling in your leg.

Labral tears of the hip

You have a ring of cartilage in your hip socket called a labrum. Sports injuries or falls can tear it, causing pain and stiffness in the hip or groin, or even a clicking or catching feeling.

Foot and Ankle Pain and Injuries

The physical therapists at Life’s Work are experts at treating even severe and unconventional ankle pain. Whether it was caused by a sprain, came on insidiously over time, or is related to a surgery, we’ll get to the bottom of it together.

Ankle and foot sprains

When you fall or step in an unnatural position, it stresses the ligaments and musculature around your ankle and foot. Pain, swelling, bruising, and decreased range of motion are common.

Fractures and stress fractures

Broken bones can result from trauma, osteoporosis, or repeated stress. Stress fractures (small cracks) are caused by overuse, and are especially common among athletes.

Big toe pain

This can come from types of arthritis, including gout, which causes sudden, severe pain. It can also be caused by a ligament sprain called turf toe, or a bunion, which looks like a bump at the outside base of your toe.

Shin splints

Most people feel shin splints along the front and insides of their shin. This often happens to athletes who increase stress to their lower legs too quickly.

Tendonitis and tendonosis

Inflammation (tendonitis) and chronic damage (tendonosis) can happen around the ankle and foot. Most people feel pain and tenderness right near a joint.

Fallen arches and gait dysfunction

Some people who have flat (“fallen”) arches experience pain and difficulty walking properly. Most gait problems have a wide variety of possible causes.

Achilles tendonitis and tendonosis

The Achilles tendon attaches the muscles of your calf to your heel. Damage to this tendon can cause inflammation, pain, weakness, and limited range of ankle motion.

Plantar fasciitis

Your plantar fascia is a band of tissue on the bottom of your foot that connects your toes and heel. When inflamed, it causes tenderness and stabbing pain, especially with your first step in the morning.