Foot & Ankle Pain Relief in Chattanooga, TN

When your feet or ankles hurt, it’s hard to stay on the move. Foot and ankle pain can make every step a challenge – whether it’s a sharp heel pain first thing in the morning, an aching ankle from an old sprain, or soreness along the arch of your foot. These issues can keep you from enjoying walks around the neighborhood, playing sports, or even just doing errands comfortably. The team at Bounceback Physical Therapy understands how debilitating foot and ankle pain can be, and we’re here to help you find relief. Using our blend of manual therapy, targeted exercise, and dry needling, we address the root causes of your pain, helping you heal naturally and regain a spring in your step without relying on pain medications or surgery. Book Your Free Discovery Call or Schedule Your Evaluation Today to take the first step towards foot and ankle pain relief in Chattanooga!

​​Common Causes of Foot and Ankle Pain

Your foot and ankle are made up of many bones, ligaments, and muscles working together, and this complex system can be prone to injury or overuse. Some of the frequent issues we treat include:
  • Ankle Sprains: A twisted ankle (rolling your foot inward or outward) can stretch or tear ligaments, leading to pain, swelling, and instability. Without proper rehab, sprains can become recurrent problems.

  • Plantar Fasciitis: This is one of the most common sources of heel pain. It’s caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue along the bottom of your foot. Plantar fasciitis is extremely common – about 1 in 10 people will develop it in their lifetimemy.clevelandclinic.org – and it causes sharp, stabbing pain in the heel, especially with the first steps in the morning or after sitting.

  • Achilles Tendinitis: Overuse of the Achilles tendon (which connects your calf muscle to your heel) can cause pain in the back of the heel, often worse with running, jumping, or climbing stairs. The tendon may feel tender or stiff, particularly in the morning.

  • Flat Feet or Arch Problems: If you have very low arches (flat feet) or high arches, you might experience foot pain or conditions like posterior tibial tendonitis. Poor arch support or foot mechanics can also contribute to ankle, knee, or hip pain due to altered biomechanics.

  • Arthritis or Joint Pain: The ankle and foot joints can develop arthritis or general wear-and-tear over time. This might cause a diffuse aching pain, swelling, or stiffness, making it hard to walk normally.

Each person’s situation is unique – that’s why we perform a detailed evaluation to figure out exactly what’s causing your foot or ankle pain. Our Chattanooga physical therapist will examine your foot alignment, ankle range of motion, muscle strength, and movement patterns. We’ll watch how you walk (your gait) to see if there are any imbalances. We might discover, for example, that limited ankle mobility is causing you to put extra strain on your foot, or that weak stabilizing muscles are not supporting your arch correctly. By identifying these contributing factors, we can create a treatment plan that truly targets your needs rather than just a generic approach.

How We Treat Foot & Ankle Pain

Bounceback Physical Therapy’s approach to foot and ankle pain is comprehensive and personalized. Your treatment plan may involve:
  • Manual Therapy: We use hands-on techniques to restore mobility and reduce pain. For an ankle injury, this might mean gentle joint mobilizations to improve the glide and flexibility of the ankle joint or foot bones. We also perform soft tissue massage or myofascial release on tight structures like the calf muscles, plantar fascia, or other foot muscles. By easing tension and improving alignment, manual therapy helps reduce pain and prepares your foot/ankle for movement.

  • Therapeutic Exercise: Strengthening and stretching are key for lasting relief. We’ll guide you through exercises to build strength in the muscles around your ankles and in your feet (like the calves, peroneals, and intrinsic foot muscles). Balance and proprioception exercises are also important, especially after ankle sprains – you might practice standing on one foot or using a balance board to retrain your ankle’s stability. For flexibility, we include stretches for the calf/Achilles tendon and foot to relieve stress on the plantar fascia or stiff joints. These exercises will help you walk and run more comfortably and reduce the risk of re-injury.

  • Dry Needling: If you have stubborn pain points – for example, chronic tightness in your calf or arch – dry needling can be highly effective. By inserting a fine needle into those tense muscle knots, we trigger a release that relaxes the muscle and alleviates pain. Many patients with plantar fasciitis or Achilles issues find that dry needling significantly lessens their discomfort and improves their foot flexibility. It’s a great complement to our hands-on therapy and exercise, especially for long-standing pain.

Of course, we also focus on education: we’ll give you guidance on proper footwear, possibly recommend orthotics if your arch needs extra support, and teach you how to do some maintenance stretches or foot strengthening at home. If you're a runner or athlete, we can analyze your training routine and technique to make sure your recovery includes safe return-to-sport strategies.

Get Back on Your Feet
Foot and ankle pain doesn’t have to keep you on the sidelines. With the right physical therapy approach, you can heal and get back to your favorite activities – whether that’s hiking on Chattanooga’s beautiful trails or simply going grocery shopping without pain. Bounceback Physical Therapy has helped many individuals in the Chattanooga area (including Hixson, Red Bank, Soddy Daisy, Lakesite, and more) overcome stubborn foot and ankle issues by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.

Ready to walk, run, and live without foot or ankle pain? Take the next step toward relief today. Schedule Your Evaluation Today or Book Your Free Discovery Call to get started with our team. We’ll work closely with you one-on-one to develop the right plan, so you can bounce back from foot or ankle pain and move forward with confidence.