Leg, ankle and foot pain may begin in any of the structures in and around the leg and foot. These include muscles and nerves as well as spinal vertebrae and the cushioning disks of the lower back. Leg, ankle and foot pain may also come from regions near the lower back, the pelvis, the hip and buttock, and knee.

Common causes of leg, ankle and foot pain are:

• Sporting injuries
• Poor  alignment in the knee and hip, not excluding posture and spine.
• Incorrect footwear (high heels, work boots)
• Poor running technique
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Trauma
• Fractures

Swiss DolorClast® method treatment may provide relief where other therapies have failed and should be considered as a viable non-surgical solution.

Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)

Shin splints is a general term used to refer to a painful condition in the shins. It is often caused by running or jumping or sprinting, and may be very slow to heal. The formal medical term for the condition is medial tibial stress syndrome.

Tibialis Anterior Syndrome (Anterior Shin Splints)

Pain and tenderness felt during ankle dorsiflexion and when pressure is applied to the lateral side of the tibia at the front of time lower leg. It is due to an acute inflammation of the tendon of the tibialis anterior muscle. The syndrome commonly arises from overuse of the ankle, for example from prolonged running and jumping on a hard surface.

Heel Spur Pain

Presents as foot pain that is usually felt on the underside of the heel and is often most intense with the first steps of the day or worse for the initial steps after rest. A heel spur is a hook of bone that can form on the heel bone (calcaneus) and is associated with prolonged plantar fasciitis, but often appears without any precipitating plantar fasciitis for example it may form after previous trauma to the heel. Plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation of the plantar fascia – the tissue that forms the arch of the foot. Early treatment of Plantar Fasciitis could prevent the formation of the heel spur.

Plantar Fasciitis Pain

Presents as foot pain that is usually felt on the underside of the heel and is often most intense with the first steps of the day or worse for the initial steps after rest. Another symptom is that the sufferer has difficulty bending the foot so that the toes are brought toward the shin (decreased dorsiflexion of the ankle). A symptom commonly recognised among sufferers of plantar fasciitis is increased probability of knee pains, especially among runners if left untreated may result in heel spur formation.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendinitis is tendinitis of the Achilles tendon, generally precipitated by overuse of the affected limb and is more common among athletes training under less than ideal conditions. Insufficient stretching of the calves may produce tightness which results in shortening of the tendon and during activities like running and jumping may cause irritation. Incidentally switching from excessively high heels to flats may also cause this condition in women.

Small Joint Arthrosis and Osteophytes in Foot

Osteophytes, commonly called bone spurs, are abnormal outgrowths of bone occurring at joints. They are a classic finding in the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis. The joint pains in the feet may respond well to shock wave therapy as it improves the circulation and relieves the pain.

Leg and Foot Pain from Trigger Points

Trigger points are isolated focal points located in a taut band of skeletal muscle.  When touched, these trigger point produce pain that may be felt in a location far from the actual point.  Trigger point pain often accompanies chronic musculoskeletal disorders or mimic more serious conditions for example trigger points in the low back or hip muscles like may mimic a leg & foot problem because the leg & foot falls within the referred pain pattern piriformis, gluteus medius, tensor fascia lata.