28/09/2025
Strong Feet, Pain-Free Steps: How to Fix Foot and Ankle Pain
If you’re living with ongoing foot or ankle pain, you know how much it can affect daily life. Simple things like walking the dog, standing at work, or exercising at the gym can become uncomfortable. At Recovery Room Physiotherapy, we see many people who’ve tried stretching, rolling, or even resting their feet, but still feel stuck with pain.
The good news is that most foot and ankle pain can be solved with the right combination of thorough assessment and targeted rehabilitation.
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Why Do Feet Hurt?
Your feet are incredibly complex. Each foot has 26 bones, over 30 joints, and a network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These structures work together to provide both mobility (for walking, running, jumping) and stability (for balance and arch control).
Two common causes of foot and ankle pain are:
1. Stiff or restricted joints – such as the big toe, ankle, or midfoot. Limited mobility here can overload other areas.
2. Weak intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles – the small stabilising muscles within the foot, and the longer muscles that run from the calf into the toes. Research shows that weakness in muscles like the flexor hallucis brevis, flexor hallucis longus, adductor hallucis, and abductor digiti minimi can reduce arch control and push-off strength, leading to pain in the heel, arch, or forefoot.
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How We Assess Foot Function
At Recovery Room, your journey begins with a comprehensive assessment. We look at:
• Joint mobility: Can your ankle and big toe move enough for normal walking and running?
• Foot posture and arch type: Using tools like the Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) and Arch Height Index, we measure how your arches behave under load.
• Muscle strength: We use dynamometers and functional tests to check how well your foot muscles are supporting you.
• Biomechanics in movement: Watching how your foot works during walking, squatting, or hopping helps us identify the root cause of pain.
We also work closely with the team at Dunedin Podiatry for advanced assessment when needed. This collaboration ensures that you receive the most complete care for complex or persistent foot problems.
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Rehabilitation: Building Strong, Pain-Free Feet
Once we know what’s driving your pain, we build a specific rehabilitation plan tailored to you. At Recovery Room, we design advanced foot and ankle rehab programs that target your unique needs and goals. This usually includes:
• Mobility restoration: Hands-on therapy and targeted stretches for stiff joints like the ankle or big toe.
• Strengthening the foot core:
o Flexor Hallucis Brevis (FHB) – trained with hallux press and short foot exercises.
o Flexor Hallucis Longus (FHL) – strengthened with resisted big toe curls and push-off drills.
o Adductor Hallucis – targeted through toe adduction and toe spread-out exercises.
o Abductor Digiti Minimi – activated with toe splay and balance training.
• Functional training: Progressing from simple exercises to hopping, skipping, and sport-specific drills, ensuring your feet are ready for whatever activity you love.
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The Recovery Room Difference
We don’t just treat the sore spot — we address the cause. By restoring joint mobility, rebuilding muscle strength, and working alongside podiatry specialists when needed, we help your feet move the way they’re designed to. The result? Less pain, better performance, and greater confidence with every step.
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Ready to Fix Your Foot Pain?
💡 Take the First Step Towards Pain-Free Feet
Don’t let foot or ankle pain slow you down. At Recovery Room, we combine advanced physiotherapy assessment with tailored rehabilitation programs — and when needed, we work closely with the specialists at Dunedin Podiatry to give you the best care possible.
👉 Book your appointment today at www.recoveryroom.co.nz and start your journey to strong, pain-free steps.
