Ankle and Foot Pain

If you sprain your ankle, it's important to act quickly but calmly. Start by following the R.I.C.E. method in the first 24-48 hours​:

• Rest: Stop the activity and rest your leg. Avoid putting weight on the knee to prevent further damage.
• Ice: Apply ice packs (wrapped in a cloth) to the knee for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day. This helps reduce pain and swelling.
• Compression: Use a compression bandage or wrap to support the knee and limit swelling (not so tight that it causes numbness).
• Elevation: Prop your leg up on pillows so the knee is above your heart level, which also helps reduce swelling.

If pain is intense, the swelling is significant, or you have trouble walking, it’s wise to seek medical attention.  Contact a physiotherapist for an assessment, especially if the ankle looks very swollen or feels unstable.  Our clinic is happy to guide you on next steps – sometimes an early physio consultation can save you from bigger issues down the track.

Some foot and ankle pain can be managed at home, but certain signs mean you should get it checked out.  Here are a few red flags to watch for:

• Significant swelling: If your ankle balloons up with a lot of swelling, especially within a couple of hours of injury, it could signal a more serious issue like a ligament tear​. 
• Instability or giving way: Feeling like your ankle is going to roll or collapse from under you or buckle when you put weight on it can indicate a possible ligament injury, and should be assessed. 
• Unable to weight bear: If you can’t put any weight on your leg due to pain or weakness, or you’re limping significantly, it’s best to seek assessment.
• Pain not improving: Ankle and foot pain from a minor injury should start improving after a day or two of rest.  If your pain is severe or isn’t getting any better after 48 hours, have it looked at​.

In general, trust your instincts – if something feels “not right” or you’re worried, seeing a physio is a good idea.  They can determine if imaging (like an X-ray or MRI) or a specialist referral is needed.  It’s always better to be safe and get proper advice, rather than push through serious pain.

Physiotherapy is one of the best ways to recover from a foot or ankle injury.  At Sports & Exercise Physio, our treatment focuses on both relieving your current symptoms and addressing the underlying cause of your injury.  In practical terms, physiotherapy helps by:

• Relieving Pain and Swelling: Through techniques like gentle massage, joint mobilization, and advice on icing or compression, we aim to reduce your pain and inflammation so you can start feeling better quickly.

• Restoring Movement and Flexibility: Injuries often make your foot or ankle stiff. We use guided exercises and stretches to safely improve your range of motion, helping you move your foot and ankle more comfortably.

• Rebuilding Strength and Stability: We’ll work on strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around your foot and ankle. Stronger support means your injury heals properly and you’re less likely to get hurt again.

• Improving Balance and Function: Foot and ankle injuries can throw off your balance or walking pattern. We include balance training and functional exercises (like practice walking or sport-specific drills) to get you back to normal activities confidently.

• Preventing Future Injuries: Our physios will also teach you techniques (such as proper warm-ups, footwear advice, and specific exercises) to avoid re-injury once you’re healed.

Overall, physiotherapy guides your foot or ankle to heal in the right way. Our experienced physiotherapists tailor the treatment plan to your exact injury and goals – whether that’s walking without pain or getting back to sports. 

We treat all kinds of foot and ankle problems at Sports & Exercise Physio – from everyday sprains to complex sports injuries. Aside from the common injuries listed above we also treat:

• Posterior Impingement: Often misdiagnosed as Achilles Tendinopathy and treated incorrectly, we make sure not to miss this less common injury.

• Nerve entrapments: Pain that is burning, stinging or sharp and shooting can be from nerve irritation and entrapment.  It won't respond to typical management for other ankle injuries and needs to be correctly diagnosed.  

• Plantar Fasciitis & Heel Pain: Inflammation of the plantar fascia causing heel pain, as well as other causes of heel pain and arch pain.

• Stress Fractures and Broken Bones: Hairline cracks or fractures in the foot or ankle bones (often from overuse or impact) – we guide rehab after a fracture or even after surgical fixation.

• Tendon and Ligament Issues: Injuries like peroneal tendon strains, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, or ligament injuries in the foot (for example, midfoot sprains or “turf toe” in the big toe joint).

• Arthritis and Chronic Foot Pain: Ankle or foot arthritis, and chronic conditions that cause ongoing pain or stiffness in the foot/ankle.

In short, if it involves your foot or ankle, we can likely help with it.  Whether it’s a sudden sports injury, a nagging pain that’s developed over time, or recovery after a surgery, our physiotherapists are experienced in treating it.  

No, you don’t need a doctor’s referral to see our physiotherapists for a foot or ankle pain.  You can book an appointment with Sports & Exercise Physio directly – there’s no need to wait to see a GP first in most cases.  Physiotherapists in Australia are primary healthcare practitioners, which means you can come straight to us whenever you have an injury or pain.

If you already have a referral from a doctor or any scans (like an X-ray or ultrasound), you’re welcome to bring them along, but it’s not required.  The only time a referral might be needed is if you plan to claim the sessions through certain programs or insurance (for example, through WorkCover, DVA, or a Chronic Disease Management plan from your GP).  In those special cases, a referral or claim number would be necessary for paperwork reasons.

For the majority of patients, however, you can just give us a call and make a booking – no paperwork needed. 

If you're unsure, feel free to contact us and we'll guide you on anything you might need to bring to your appointment.

Recovery time can vary quite a bit depending on the type and severity of your injury.  We completely understand that you want to get back on your feet as soon as possible, and we will give you a realistic timeline tailored to your situation.  Here are a few general examples to give you an idea: a minor ankle sprain might start feeling better within 2–3 weeks, while a more severe sprain (with torn ligaments) could take 6–8 weeks or more.  Injuries like Achilles tendinopathy might require a couple of months of consistent rehab to fully settle down.  If you’ve had foot or ankle surgery or a fracture, the recovery could be a few months (often around 3–4+ months with physiotherapy guidance) to regain full strength and function.

Our number one goal is to safely get you back to the activities you love, as soon as we can.  We’ll be with you for as long (or as short) as it takes, celebrating each sign of progress along the way.

Your initial consultation is all about understanding your injury and starting a plan to fix it. Here’s what typically happens during that first session:

1. Conversation about Your Injury: Your physio will begin by asking you questions about your foot/ankle problem – how it happened, what symptoms you have, and how it’s affecting your daily life or sports.  We’ll also talk about your goals (for example, “I want to be able to run again” or even just “I want to walk without pain”).  This friendly chat helps us get the full picture and ensures you can share any concerns you have.

2. Assessment and Examination: Next, we’ll take a close look at your foot and ankle.  This hands-on exam is gentle and thorough. 

3. Explanation of Findings: After the physical exam, your physiotherapist will explain in simple terms what we think is going on.  We’ll tell you the likely diagnosis (for example, a Grade 2 ankle sprain or Achilles tendinopathy) and clearly outline why you’re feeling the pain and symptoms.  We’ll show you on a model or diagram if that helps, and make sure you understand the problem.  This is a great time to ask questions – we want you to be informed and confident about your injury.

4. Treatment and Relief: We usually start a bit of treatment right in the first session to help you feel better.  This could include some hands-on therapy (like gentle mobilization of the joints, massage to ease tight muscles, or techniques to reduce swelling).  We might also guide you through a couple of simple exercises appropriate for your injury stage.  If needed, we’ll provide or recommend any support aids (maybe an ankle brace, taping, or crutches advice) to protect your injury early on.  Our aim is that you walk out already feeling a little relief or at least armed with strategies to manage your pain.

5. Plan and Next Steps: Before you finish, we will outline a tailored treatment plan for your recovery.  This includes how often we suggest you come for therapy, and what types of treatments and exercises we’ll be doing in future sessions. 

6.  By the end of the first visit, you should know what your injury is, what we’re going to do about it, and what you can do to help yourself. Our patients often tell us they feel much more at ease after this initial appointment because they have a clear game plan moving forward.

This is a great question and one we get often, but the answer varies because it depends on the nature of your injury and your goals.  After your first assessment, your physio will give you a rough treatment plan outlining how many sessions you might require.  Here are some general scenarios to give you an idea:

• Minor injury (few sessions): If you have a mild issue (let’s say a slight knee sprain or a flare-up of tendinitis), you might only need a handful of sessions.  For example, we may see you 2–4 times over a few weeks to ensure your pain is settled and you’re doing the right exercises.  In between, you’d be doing home exercises we prescribe.  Once you’re improving and confident in self-managing, we’ll discharge you with a program to continue on your own.
• Moderate injury (several weeks of physio): For something like a meniscus injury, patellofemoral pain (kneecap pain), or moderate ligament sprain, expect maybe around 4–8 sessions over 1–2 months. Early on, we might see you weekly to work on pain relief, mobility and muscle activation.  As you get better, sessions might be spaced out (fortnightly) to progress your exercises and make sure you’re regaining full function.  We continuously reassess to make sure you’re on track.

Severe or post-surgery (extended rehab): If you’ve had an ACL reconstruction, other knee surgery, or a major injury, rehab is lengthier. Post-op ACL rehab, for instance, often involves regular physio for 6+ months.  In the early phase (first 3 months) you might come in weekly or twice a week to ensure proper healing, then it tapers to every few weeks as you advance to higher-level exercises.  For an ACL or similar, it’s not unusual to have 15-20+ sessions spread over the rehab course (sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on progress).  We run a rehabilitation membership to help these injuries get the support they require.

Yes, absolutely – exercise-based rehabilitation is one of our specialties.  We strongly believe that active rehab (therapeutic exercise) is the key to a full recovery for foot and ankle injuries. In fact, Sports & Exercise Physio features one of Brisbane’s largest rehabilitation gyms on-site. 

For your foot or ankle injury, your physio will design a personalized exercise program tailored to your stage of healing.  Early on, it might include gentle range-of-motion movements and basic exercises to activate the muscles around your injury.  As you progress, we’ll introduce more strengthening exercises; for example, calf raises, resistance band exercises for your ankle, or foot intrinsic muscle training.  We also work on balance and proprioception (your joint’s sense of stability) with things like single-leg stands, wobble board exercises, or agility drills, since improving your balance is crucial after many ankle injuries. 

If you’re aiming to return to a specific sport or activity, we’ll incorporate sport-specific exercises (like hopping, jumping, or running drills) when you’re ready, so you rebuild confidence in those movements.  

We do offer structured rehab programs as well. For example, our Rehabilitation Memberships allow you to attend regular supervised exercise sessions in our gym in addition to your standard physio appointments. This means you might come in and have a tailored workout under the eye of our physios or exercise physiologists as part of your recovery plan. It’s like having guided training sessions that complement your healing. Many people find this extremely helpful, especially for long-term rehab or post-surgery, because it provides extra support and motivation.

A Specialist Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist is a physiotherapist who has attained the highest level of qualification and expertise in the field of sports and exercise physiotherapy.  In Australia, this title is awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists after many years of additional study, examinations, and clinical practice at an expert level.  There are very few of these Specialists in the country, so having one involved in your care is a big advantage.  It’s similar to seeing a “consultant” or expert in the physiotherapy world who has been recognized for their advanced skills in diagnosing and treating complex injuries.

At Sports & Exercise Physio, we’re proud to say that our clinic director, Dr. Myles Burfield, holds this specialist title.  What does that mean for you as a patient with a foot or ankle injury?  It means you have access to an exceptional level of expertise right here in our clinic.  Dr. Burfield and our team can handle even the most complex or stubborn foot and ankle cases – whether you’re an elite athlete with a tricky injury or someone who’s tried other treatments and not had success yet. 

While you might do most of your sessions with our other highly skilled physiotherapists, our Specialist Physio is often behind the scenes mentoring the team, reviewing treatment plans, and ensuring that the care you receive is of the highest standard.  If your case is particularly complex or not improving as expected, the specialist can directly assess you or provide advanced guidance to adjust your treatment plan.