Foot and Ankle Pain
Foot and Ankle Pain Treatment That Finds the Root Cause
An ankle that still rolls months after a sprain. An Achilles that aches on the stairs. A foot that throbs after a day in heels or on hard floors. Foot and ankle pain changes how you walk, and how you walk changes everything above it. Dr. Ilana Etelzon finds what is actually driving your pain and treats that, so you can walk, dance, and stand comfortably again.
Double Board-Certified
Regenexx-Certified Provider
Ultrasound & X-Ray Guided
4 Offices in NY & NJ
Why it still hurts
An ankle sprain is often the start of a longer problem
Your feet and ankles carry your full weight with every step, through 26 bones and dozens of joints, tendons, and ligaments. Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries in adults, and a major consensus review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that many people still have pain and instability long after the sprain, with a higher risk of ankle arthritis years later.
Lasting foot and ankle pain usually comes from a specific structure: a stretched ligament that never tightened back up, a worn Achilles or other tendon, early arthritis in the ankle or big toe, or a nerve that is being pinched. Rest, a brace, and a cortisone shot quiet it for a while, and the real driver stays in place.
Pain that keeps coming back has a reason. Finding it comes first.
The root causes
Six things that drive foot and ankle pain
Most lingering foot and ankle pain has more than one of these at work at the same time. That is why a brace and rest rarely settle it, and why your plan should match your own mix.
1
Loose ligaments after a sprain
Ligaments that heal stretched leave the ankle wobbly and prone to rolling again, which strains the joint over time.
2
A worn Achilles tendon
The Achilles can break down with age and repeated load, causing stiffness and pain above the heel.
3
Other irritated tendons
The tendons along the inside and outside of the ankle can wear and tear, especially with a changing arch.
4
Arthritis in the ankle or toe
Wear in the ankle joint or the big toe joint causes stiffness and pain with walking and pushing off.
5
A pinched nerve
Nerves around the ankle and between the toes can get squeezed and cause burning, tingling, or numbness.
6
Changes in how you walk
A flattening arch, worn shoes, or a hip or knee problem shifts load into the foot and ankle.
Step one: Reveal
How Dr. Etelzon finds what is driving your foot and ankle pain
Your first visit is built around one question: what is keeping this foot or ankle from healing? Dr. Etelzon answers it with the same careful steps every time.
- Your storyPast sprains or injuries, which activities hurt, your shoes, what you have tried, and what you want to get back to.
- A hands-on examShe checks ankle stability, the tendons and ligaments, joint motion, your arch, and how you walk.
- Ultrasound in the roomIn-office ultrasound shows ligament and tendon damage in real time, while you move your foot and ankle.
- Your imaging, read closelyShe reviews your X-rays and MRI and matches what they show to what she finds on exam.
You leave knowing which drivers are at work in your foot or ankle and what each part of your plan is for.
Reveal
Find every driver
Diagnose all the sources of pain before treating any of them.
Repair
Treat the tissue
Image-guided regenerative care aimed at the damaged structures.
Restore
Rebuild control
Strength and movement work so the area holds up under load.
Renew
Get back to life
Return to your activities and stay there.
Step two: Repair
Treatment matched to what is actually wrong
Once the drivers are clear, Dr. Etelzon chooses treatments that aim at them directly. Injections are placed under ultrasound guidance, so they reach the exact ligament, tendon, or joint that needs them.
PRP Injections
Concentrated platelets from your own blood, used to tighten stretched ankle ligaments and help worn tendons repair.
Learn about PRP injections ›Shockwave Therapy
Acoustic waves that restart healing in a stubborn Achilles or other foot tendon.
Learn about shockwave therapy ›Bone Marrow Concentrate
Cells drawn from your own bone marrow, used for ankle and toe arthritis and for larger tendon tears.
Learn about stem cell injections ›Tenotomy
A minimally invasive procedure that clears out damaged tendon tissue through a tiny opening, for tendons that have not responded to other care.
Learn about TenJet ›MLS Laser Therapy
A focused laser that calms pain and swelling in the foot and ankle. It is often paired with injections.
Learn about MLS laser therapy ›Strength and Movement Plan
Balance, ankle, and foot strengthening plus shoe advice, so the ankle stays steady and the tendons stay healthy.
See our regenerative procedures ›Where cortisone fits
Cortisone can quiet a painful foot or ankle for a short time, and it has a place. Shots near the Achilles and other weight-bearing tendons can weaken them, so Dr. Etelzon uses cortisone carefully and pairs any short-term relief with treatment aimed at the source.
Every pattern
What can help, by type of foot and ankle pain
Foot and ankle pain falls into a few common patterns. The pattern guides the plan, and your specific drivers decide it.
Ligament
An unstable ankle
An ankle that rolls or feels weak after a sprain. PRP aimed at the stretched ligaments plus balance work can help it stabilize.
Tendon
Achilles and tendon pain
Stiffness and pain with walking and stairs. Shockwave and PRP aim at the damaged tendon and help it heal.
Joint
Ankle and toe arthritis
Stiffness and pain with push-off. PRP or bone marrow concentrate can reduce pain and improve motion. Heel pain has its own page: plantar fasciitis treatment.
An honest note. A badly torn tendon or ligament may need a surgeon. Dr. Etelzon will tell you plainly if that is the better path for your foot or ankle.
Results
Outcomes tracked across the Regenexx network
Regenexx collects patient-reported outcomes from certified clinics across the country. Explore the live results below.
Like all medical procedures, regenerative procedures have a success and failure rate. Individual results vary.
Step four: Renew
Back on your feet, doing what you love
Patients come to us wanting specific things back: a night of dancing, a long walk through the city, a workout without the ankle giving way, a full day on their feet. That is what we treat toward.
Back on the dance floor
Moving with confidence
Your first visit
What to expect, and what it costs
Your first visit is a consultation with Dr. Etelzon: your history, a hands-on exam, ultrasound, and a review of your imaging. Bring any foot or ankle X-rays or MRIs you have. If treatment makes sense, you leave with a written plan and a clear price before anything is scheduled.
Most regenerative procedures, including PRP and bone marrow concentrate, are not covered by insurance. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds, and monthly financing is available. See our payment and financing options.
Find us
Foot and ankle pain treatment across New York and New Jersey
Dr. Etelzon and her team treat foot and ankle pain at four offices, so care is close to where you live and work.
New York
Brooklyn
2577 East 17th Street, 1st Floor Unit 18B, Brooklyn, NY 11235Brooklyn office › New JerseyClifton
1111 Paulison Ave, Unit 2, Clifton, NJ 07011Clifton office › New JerseyNewark
73-75 Ferry St, Newark, NJ 07105Newark office › New JerseyPerth Amboy
345 State St, Unit B, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861Perth Amboy office ›Call 1 (844) 959-7246 to reach any office.
Keep reading
More on foot and ankle pain
References
- Gribble PA, et al. Evidence review for the 2016 International Ankle Consortium consensus statement on the prevalence, impact and long-term consequences of lateral ankle sprains. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016;50(24):1496-1505.
- Rompe JD, Furia J, Maffulli N. Eccentric loading versus eccentric loading plus shock-wave treatment for midportion Achilles tendinopathy: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;37(3):463-470.
Find out what is driving your foot and ankle pain
One visit, a clear answer, and a plan built around your feet and the life you want back. This is where the trying stops.