Physical Therapy for Leg Pain

Physical therapy can help you to recover from leg pain

Leg pain can be extremely frustrating, especially if you are an athlete or active individual who is proactively trying to improve and in overall good shape. If leg pain has persisted for more than a few days it may be time to see your healthcare provider and consult with a physical therapist to make sure there isn’t something more serious going on. Take the first step, and be proactive about treating your leg pain condition as well as preventing issues in the future.

Our professional physiotherapists will help you determine the root of the problem through assessment, treatment, and education and they will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan that helps relieve your symptoms and regain function so that you can continue with minimal limitations and return to an active high quality of life.

Types of Leg Pain
We Treat

We treat many different types of injuries and causes for leg pain, including:

Calf Injuries

The muscles in the calf can be torn or strained in many ways, including from a fall, jumping wrong (commonly seen in basketball), or even by consistently running on hard surfaces due to the repetitive impact that comes with running.

Hamstring Injuries

The hamstring is a long muscle behind the leg. It is an important part of having a strong lower body as the hamstring muscles contribute to power production from the posterior chain. Common injuries result from strain from playing sports, poor pelvic position leading to strains, or more traumatic injuries from weight lifting with poor form or in excess while lacking the recovery capacity to do so.

Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. An injury of the Achilles is a common condition in repetitive motion or impact sports such as basketball, soccer, track, and field, or tennis.

Quadriceps Injury

The quadriceps is the muscle on top of the thigh and it can be injured from a fall, jumping wrong, squatting with poor mechanics, or any sports that involve impact directly to the front of the leg.

Sciatica Pain

Sciatica symptoms can take on many forms. Pressure on the sciatic nerve and aggravated tissues surrounding the area can cause dysfunction and lead to intense pain in some patients. Often this results in a shooting pain that goes down the leg. Sciatic pain often requires therapies related to the lower back, hip muscles, glutes, and other areas that support the pelvis.

Diabetic Neuropathy

This is nerve damage that occurs from diabetes and can lead to pain, radiating numbness, or even muscle weakness in the leg.

Running Injuries

Several overuse injuries occur due to impact while running. Some common ones include shin splints, plantar fasciitis patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee), and iliotibial band syndrome

Post-operative recovery

Some patients may need to visit our clinic after surgery if their recovery is taking longer than expected. We provide programming that helps with strengthening potential muscle weakness and range of motion limitations that could arise from the surgery.

Tendinopathies of the leg muscles

Irritation or inflammation of one of the many tendons that are found in the leg can lead to pain and reduced function. Tendinopathies can be caused by everything from running, dancing, cycling, weightlifting and even sitting for extended periods.

Peripheral arterial disease (disease of the blood vessels)

This occurs as a result of narrow or blocked arteries and can lead to leg pain, it leads to less blood flow, especially in the legs.

Groin, Inner Thigh, and Hip Adductor injury

Groin and inner thigh injuries are a common occurrence in sports that require cutting movements. Examples would be ice hockey, soccer, football, rugby, due to the stress placed on the adductor.

Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Degenerative joint diseases that occur due to wear and tear over time. This can lead to swelling, or calcium deposits that the body is laying down to protect the bone, but may often cause a reduction in range of motion and leads to further limitations down the road.

Stress fractures

The bone breaks due to the effect of stress over time

How Physical Therapy Helps Leg Pain

Physical therapists can help in several ways. We assess your current level of function and then develop an individualized treatment that will include specific exercises to strengthen the muscles around the area, stretching or range of motion limitations, modalities for pain relief, education about proper mechanics throughout daily activities, and much more. We educate you on implementing at home all the strategies that we develop together in therapy to be able to stay out of pain and prevent future re-injury.

Pain Management

We strive to teach you an effective way to treat, prevent, and manage your pain. A personalized treatment plan is essential for improving function, reducing the risk of re-injury, and making sure that you can perform daily living activities without limitations.

We provide an assessment at every visit, which helps us better understand your injury and then target specific areas that need treatment and education. Often in our clinic, we use manual therapy techniques to relieve muscle tension or help decrease pain symptoms. With more severe symptoms we may use modalities such as ultrasound, electric stimulation, and more to help with the symptoms.

Restoration of Function

Function includes things like running, walking, sitting, standing, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or a chair. While working together we develop an exercise program and take-home activities that help with restoring function so you can return to your normal daily activities without limitations.

Self-management

If we want you to get better, it's important to follow the exercises given correctly as well as do the homework or exercises that we give at home just like when in treatment. You do not leave physical therapy until you can truly manage your condition at home, which means understanding the movement patterns that cause pain and avoiding those activities or exercises that cause re-injury or aggravate symptoms.

Range of Motion

When muscles are tight or there is limited joint mobility, it can lead to symptoms such as pain and excessive stiffness. Our therapists will work on increasing the range of motion and improving muscle tone and strength. This can involve exercises with long static stretches that help relax the tissues in addition to more dynamic movements that increase joint limits without pain.

Stretching Exercises

Stretching is essential to improving flexibility and helps prevent the development of future injuries. Both static and dynamic stretching can provide relief from pain, and improve muscle tissue quality. In the case of improper muscle fascia function massage or use of a foam roller can be recommended. Our goal is to provide you with a better balance of flexibility as well as strength to help improve your overall range of motion. Flexibility is key, as overly tight areas can limit your ability to perform with proper for and put you at risk for re-injury.

Strengthening Exercises

As part of the recovery process, it's important to remove the issues that lead to your leg injury and then build back your foundational strength. Developing stronger and healthier muscle function around the area of injury can help support the injured area and alleviate stress on that specific zone. We provide exercises that are specific to you, to ensure your particular case is treated and we take an approach that works for your unique needs as well as addresses common problems that often come along with injuries to a specific part of the leg.

Balance Exercises

Balance is essential for proper human function, especially as we age. We use different balance exercises to assess your current ability and then work on improving your balance in different planes of motion. Any time you undergo physical activity at any level, having proper form and balance is fundamental. We can help, whether you are attempting an elite-level fitness program or simply looking to be pain-free during your daily routines.

Our Clients Success Stories

Dr. Manny led me successfully through physical therapy after my knee replacement. Doing more now than before surgery, thanks to Dr. Manny! You’re the best!

Crystal D

Dr. Miano is incredibly good. His evaluation during the first visit establishes the targeted physical therapy that he does afterward. I have gotten complete relief from his treatment. He knows so much about the body and how it works that I wish he could treat me for other aspects of my body (such as posture) and not just the knee injury he is treating.

Irene K

I injured my hamstring during marathon training. Dr. Denise and Dr. Manny at Impact Care Therapy not only helped me to recover, but they also helped me reach the finish line strong! The service they provide is very high quality, and you feel like a family member from the moment you open their door. Thanks so much for all your support!

Danmar M

Leg Pain FAQ

What is a common reason for leg pain?

Lower leg pain is caused by a number of medical conditions including joint pain from arthritis or injury, nerve damage or dysfunction – which can be extremely painful – as well as circulation problems. These conditions may also cause numbness, tingling sensations, and cramping in the legs. For some people, leg pain can be a symptom of anxiety or depression. In many cases, leg pain occurs due to overuse and/or improper use of the lower limbs – meaning the body is being used in an incorrect way which can irritate your muscles and cause inflammation.

What are the common causes of leg pain?

Some of our most common conditions for leg pain include iliotibial band syndrome, runner’s knee, shin splints, and stress fractures. Tennis elbow, as well as carpal tunnel syndrome, can also present with pain in the lower extremities as will arthritis, bursitis, and even gout. Severe injuries such as fractures however can cause severe chronic pain that often lasts a lifetime.

How long will it take for my leg pain to heal?

If your leg pain is chronic in nature, the healing process can be prolonged and sometimes difficult. Leg pain from a traumatic injury or acute arthritis on the other hand often presents with an almost immediate sense of relief when treated correctly. In all cases, however, assessing your level of function and then creating a detailed treatment plan tailored to you will be essential in seeing positive results as quickly as possible.

Start Treating Your Leg Pain at Impact Care Therapy

If you have an acute injury of the leg, it is important to take the steps necessary to get you back to full functionality and back to your daily routine.

When you first come into our clinic we will do a thorough assessment of your current level of function and then create a plan together that includes education about proper self-care at home and active rehabilitative exercises.

We can provide expert guidance on all aspects of physiotherapy services including assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, therapeutic exercise prescription, and progress monitoring.