Clear, evidence-based information to help you understand your diagnosis, explore your treatment options, and feel confident every step of the way.
Detailed preparation guides for foot and ankle surgery: what to expect before, during, and after your procedure.
Common exercises, stages of recovery, key terms, and red flags. A practical guide to rehabilitation for foot and ankle conditions.
Complete validated foot and ankle questionnaires (MOXFQ, FAAM) to track your symptoms over time. Results stored privately on your device.
Our education content is written and reviewed by specialist orthopaedic surgeons with a special interest in foot and ankle conditions - so you can trust what you read.
Step-by-step guides for before, during, and after your procedure, including what to expect, how to prepare your home, and what recovery looks like week by week. We cover 14 of the most common foot and ankle operations.
These validated questionnaires help you and your surgical team track how your foot or ankle is affecting your daily life. Each takes about 2 minutes. Your answers are saved privately in your browser, no data leaves your device.
16 questions covering pain, walking/standing, and social interaction. The most widely used UK PROM for foot and ankle surgery. Validated since 2006.
21 questions assessing ability to perform daily activities. Validated for a wide range of foot and ankle conditions. Originally published in 2005.
A guide to rehabilitation covering key terms, common exercises, stages of recovery, and when to seek advice from your clinical team.
The exercises below are commonly prescribed for foot and ankle conditions. Each is grouped by condition. Always start gently, listen to your body, and stop if you have severe or sharp pain. Mild discomfort during stretching or strengthening is normal.
Sitting with the affected leg crossed over the other knee, grasp the toes and gently pull them back towards the shin until you feel a stretch along the arch and heel. Hold without bouncing.
Stand facing a wall with the affected leg straight behind you, heel down. Lean into the wall with the front knee bent until you feel a stretch in the back of the calf.
Stand on the edge of a step with a rolled towel under your toes. Slowly raise up onto your toes over 3 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, then lower over 3 seconds. Use the unaffected leg to assist if needed. Evidence-based protocol for chronic plantar fasciitis.
Sitting in a chair, roll a tennis ball or frozen water bottle under the arch of the affected foot. Apply enough pressure to feel a deep stretch but not pain. Ice helps reduce morning symptoms.
Stand on a step with your heels hanging over the edge and the knees straight. Using both legs, rise up onto your toes, then transfer your weight to the affected leg and slowly lower the heel below the level of the step over 3 seconds. Use the other leg to rise back up.
As above, but with the knee bent. This preferentially loads the soleus rather than gastrocnemius. Useful for insertional Achilles tendinopathy.
Stand facing a wall with the affected leg slightly behind you, knee bent, heel flat on the floor. Lean forwards until you feel a stretch lower down in the calf and Achilles. Different from the straight-leg stretch.
An introductory exercise before progressing to single-leg eccentric work. Stand with feet hip-width apart and rise up onto the toes, then slowly lower.
Sitting with the leg supported, draw each letter of the alphabet in the air with your big toe. This works the ankle through all directions of movement and is excellent for early recovery after a sprain.
Sit with the ankle out in front of you. Loop a resistance band around the outside of the foot, anchored to the inside. Push the foot outwards against the band, then slowly return.
Stand on the affected leg with eyes open and try to maintain balance. Progress to eyes closed, then to standing on a cushion or wobble board. Essential for preventing recurrent sprains.
Once strength and balance are restored, practise controlled hopping forwards, sideways, and diagonally. Land softly, with good knee and ankle alignment. A late-stage exercise required before return to sport.
Sitting with the foot on the floor, slowly bend the big toe up and down through the available range. Do not force movement. Start gently and progress as comfort allows. Important after cheilectomy and bunion surgery.
Use the opposite hand to gently push the big toe upwards and hold. Then push downwards and hold. Avoid after fusion. Only do this after cheilectomy or bunion surgery, and as advised by your team.
Sitting with the foot on a towel, use your toes to scrunch the towel towards you. Works the small intrinsic foot muscles and helps re-educate the foot after surgery.
Sitting, press the big toe firmly into the floor while keeping the other toes flat. Hold, then release. Re-educates the function of the flexor hallucis brevis.
Rehabilitation after a foot or ankle injury or surgery typically follows a predictable pattern. Each stage builds on the last, and skipping ahead is the most common reason for setbacks. The exact timeline depends on the condition, surgery, and individual healing.
The injured or operated tissue is protected to allow healing. Weight-bearing and movement are restricted as directed by your surgeon. Pain and swelling are managed with elevation, ice (where appropriate), compression, and simple analgesia. Gentle exercises away from the injured area (e.g. upper body, knee bends) maintain general fitness.
Gentle, controlled movements begin within the limits set by your team. Active and passive range-of-movement exercises help prevent joint stiffness. Weight-bearing is gradually increased as bone and soft tissue healing allow. Walking aids (crutches, walking boot) are weaned off in stages.
Once range of movement is good, strengthening becomes the priority. Targeted exercises for the calf, ankle, foot intrinsics, and supporting muscle groups are introduced. Proprioception (balance) work re-trains the nerves and muscles to respond quickly. Most patients return to normal walking and many low-impact activities at this stage.
Higher-impact activity is reintroduced: jogging, hopping, sport-specific drills. Plyometric and dynamic exercises prepare the foot and ankle for the demands of running, cutting, and jumping. Return to sport is staged and depends on objective strength and balance criteria, not just time.
For major procedures such as ankle replacement, flat foot reconstruction, or Achilles repair, full recovery may take 9-12 months. By this stage most patients have returned to all desired activities. A maintenance programme of stretching, balance, and strength work helps preserve the gains made and reduces the risk of recurrence.
Physiotherapy and rehabilitation use specific language that can be confusing. Here are the most common terms you may encounter during your recovery.
Recovery from foot and ankle problems is rarely a straight line. These tips, drawn from experience with thousands of patients, help maximise your chances of a good outcome.
Daily, moderate effort with your exercises is more effective than occasional intense sessions. 10 minutes of stretching every day beats an hour once a week.
For chronic tendon conditions (Achilles, plantar fascia), mild pain during loading exercises is acceptable as long as it settles within 24 hours. This is the tissue adapting and remodelling. It is not damage.
Recovery from major foot and ankle surgery typically takes 6-12 months, and tendon problems often take 6 months or more to fully settle. Setbacks along the way are common and do not mean failure.
For the first 2 weeks after foot or ankle surgery, keep the foot elevated above heart level whenever possible. This is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce swelling, pain, and the risk of complications.
Supportive, well-cushioned shoes with adequate room in the toe box make an enormous difference. Avoid flat unsupportive shoes (including most fashion footwear) when symptoms are active.
The foot and ankle work as part of a chain that includes the calf, knee, hip, and core. Weakness in the hip and core often contributes to foot and ankle problems. Address them together for the best results.
Completing the MOXFQ or FAAM questionnaire every 4-6 weeks gives you an objective measure of progress. Improvements you cannot feel day-to-day often show up clearly in the score.
Your physiotherapist and surgeon would much rather hear a question early than discover a problem late. Make a note of questions between appointments and bring them to your next visit.
Most foot and ankle rehabilitation proceeds without complication. However, certain symptoms can indicate problems that need urgent assessment. Contact your surgical team, GP, or attend A&E (depending on severity) if any of the following develop.
Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, or discharge from a surgical wound, particularly if combined with fever (temperature above 38°C), shivers, or feeling unwell. Wound infection requires prompt assessment and may need antibiotics or further surgery.
New pain, swelling, redness, or warmth in the calf, particularly if combined with breathlessness or chest pain, may indicate a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism. Both are medical emergencies. Attend A&E or call 999.
A sudden popping or tearing sensation followed by inability to push off the foot may indicate an Achilles tendon rupture. Seek same-day medical assessment.
Pressure on a nerve from a cast, boot, or bandage can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness. If you develop these symptoms, particularly if the foot looks pale, blue, or feels cold. Loosen the dressing if possible and contact your team urgently.
Some pain is expected after injury or surgery, but pain that is severe, worsening, or not relieved by the medication you have been given is unusual. Contact your team for advice.
If you have been progressing well and then become suddenly unable to weight-bear on the affected foot, this may suggest a problem with the repair or healing. Contact your surgical team.
If you have a fall or new injury during your recovery, particularly with a fracture or after surgery, contact your team for advice even if the foot seems fine. A fresh X-ray may be needed.