Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a plan agreed with you, not handed to you.
What We Treat
Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment in London
Every running stride drives several times your body weight through the foot and ankle, so when training load outruns what the tissue can take, ankle sprains, Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, bone stress and recurrent instability follow. We diagnose the load behind the pain, then rebuild calf, ankle and foot capacity step by step until running feels normal again.
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- Self-referral; no GP letter needed.
Overview
Understanding foot & ankle pain
The foot and ankle absorb several times body weight with every running stride, so they are among the most commonly injured regions in active people. Almost every injury here tells the same story: the load going through the tissue outruns the capacity it has to take it. We call it the injury bucket, and most problems fall into two groups:
- Acute injuries: such as a lateral ankle sprain, the single most common sports injury.
- Overload injuries: such as Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis (plantar heel pain) and bone stress, where load has outpaced the tissue's capacity.
Early management of an acute sprain follows NHS principles: protect, rest, ice, compression and elevation in the first few days, avoiding heat, alcohol and massage while the tissue settles. Beyond that, recovery is active.
At Kaizen we start with an accurate diagnosis and a clear picture of what the tissue can currently tolerate, then a graded loading plan rebuilds calf, ankle and intrinsic-foot strength, single-leg control and capacity step by step. That is the best-evidenced route back to running. Up to a third of ankle sprains lead to lingering instability when rehabilitation is cut short, so we build the bucket bigger than the day you rolled it, judging readiness against objective criteria, namely restored strength, balance and limb symmetry, rather than how the ankle feels. We work around your training and explain every stage.
Excellent
From 6 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
David helped me when I started to have a strong tibia pain only 5 weeks before the marathon. I genuinely thought at some point that I wasn’t going to be able to do it and I did my PB!
After suffering with terrible back pain, Gus has helped me make huge improvements. Very professional and happy to explain the processes and treatments. Many thanks
Couldn’t recommend this physio team enough! They helped me recover from a knee injury 3 weeks before the London Marathon which I thought was going to prevent me from running it! Everyone was really friendly, supportive and genuinely cared about helping me reach my goal. Special thanks to Charlie, Gus, Brad and Stef!
I came to Dave with an ongoing injury that I’ve been struggling with for months! He helped sort it out straight away, also giving me some exercises to help target the area to get back to full strength. I’m now back to running pain-free already and training properly — I’ll definitely be recommending Kaizen Physiotherapy to my clients!
Gus worked miracles to get me running a marathon after being injured 6 weeks out. He worked out the issue really quickly and provided a clear and actionable plan to deal with it. The sports massages were the best I’ve ever had too — thanks Peggy! Can’t recommend Gus and Peggy enough.
I had such a positive experience working with Brad at Kaizen. He supported me through a meniscus tear and got me all the way back to running a half marathon and HYROX training. Everything was structured, progressive, and easy to follow, and I always felt like I was in safe hands.
Physiotherapy for foot and ankle pain can help to:
Handle the first days after a sprain
A lateral ankle sprain is the single most common sports injury, and the first few days shape the rest of the recovery: protect, rest, ice, compression and elevation, while avoiding heat, alcohol and massage as the tissue settles. Then recovery turns active.
Stop a sprain becoming instability
Up to a third of ankle sprains leave lingering instability when rehabilitation stops early. We rebuild strength, balance and single-leg control past the point symptoms disappear, judged against objective criteria, so one rolled ankle does not become a recurring one.
Treat Achilles and plantar heel pain
Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis are overload problems, and progressive loading is the best-evidenced route back. We find the load your tendon and heel tolerate today, then build calf and foot capacity in graded steps until running feels normal again.
Respect bone stress
Bone stress sits on a spectrum from stress reaction to stress fracture, and it is the diagnosis we treat most conservatively. Loading is staged around healing timeframes and guided by symptoms, because pushing a bone-stress injury costs months rather than weeks.
Rebuild the calf, ankle and foot
Every running stride puts several times body weight through the foot and ankle. Graded strengthening of the calf, the ankle stabilisers and the intrinsic foot muscles rebuilds the capacity that absorbs that load, stride after stride, session after session.
Get you back running on criteria
Return is judged on restored strength, balance and limb symmetry rather than how the ankle feels on a good day. We progress from walking to running to change of direction step by step, working around your training and explaining every stage.
Why it happens
What causes foot & ankle pain?
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Acute inversion sprain from rolling the ankle on landing, a change of direction, uneven ground or an awkward step, injuring the lateral ligaments
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Cumulative overload of the Achilles tendon or plantar fascia when running mileage or intensity rises faster than the tissue can adapt
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Bone stress (stress reaction or stress fracture) in the foot from repetitive impact without adequate recovery, more likely with sudden mileage spikes
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Calf, ankle or intrinsic-foot strength and single-leg control deficits that leave tissue underprepared for running and jumping loads
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Residual instability or weakness after a previous ankle sprain that was not fully rehabilitated
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A sudden change in footwear, running surface or training pattern without an adaptation period
At your first appointment we work out what is really holding you back, then agree the plan with you before you leave.
Your initial visit runs 45–60 minutes: a detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis together.
Treatment starts the same day, and you leave with the first exercises of a plan built around your goal.
Better than yesterday. Kaizen means continuous improvement: small, repeatable gains, built session by session, until you are back to what you love and no longer need us.
- One team across five London clinics: Soho, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Canary Wharf and Wimbledon Village, plus online appointments.
- Rated 5.0 on Google across 218 reviews.
- Founded in 2022 by David Thomas and Gus Hadonou. You see the same physiotherapist at every visit, so each session builds on the last.
Fees and insurance
Book online through Jane and self-refer, with no GP letter needed. If you are using private health insurance, check your policy first: some insurers ask for a GP referral before your first session.
- Initial assessment and treatment: £155 for a full 45–60 minutes
- Follow-up treatment: £93, with your plan progressed at each visit
- Sports massage: £115 for 60 minutes, £155 for 90 minutes
- Performance MOT & Screening: £300 for a 90-minute screen with force-plate testing and a written report
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Cigna, WPA and Allianz
Your journey
with Kaizen
Everything starts with a proper assessment. We find what is driving the problem, treat it, and build the strength that keeps it fixed, so you finish performing, not just pain-free.
Treatment
Hands-on care to settle symptoms and restore movement: manual therapy, with acupuncture, shockwave or soft-tissue work where they genuinely help. The first home exercises go with you the same day.
Rebuild
Progressive exercise that returns strength, control and load tolerance, from Reformer Pilates to strength and conditioning. Each follow-up reassesses against your baseline, so progress is measured rather than guessed.
Perform
Criteria-based milestones return you to work, sport and training. Discharge happens by mutual agreement once you can manage independently, with a Performance MOT available to catch the next weak link early.
We specialise in:
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Western medical acupuncture (AACP)
- Physiotherapy-led Reformer Pilates
- Specialist hand therapy and splinting
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn tendons
- Strength and conditioning for rehabilitation
- Running and gait analysis
- Performance MOT and movement screening
Treatment approach
How do we treat foot & ankle pain?
Sports Physiotherapy
Sports physiotherapy is the core treatment for most foot and ankle injuries in runners and multi-sport athletes: accurate diagnosis, a progressive calf, ankle and balance loading plan, and readiness judged against criteria-based return-to-running markers rather than how the ankle feels.
See treatment detail →Running & Gait Analysis
Running gait analysis identifies the loading patterns and training-volume changes driving Achilles, plantar and bone-stress problems, so rehabilitation addresses the cause, such as cadence, footwear and progression, not just the painful tissue, reducing the risk of recurrence.
See treatment detail →Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is offered as an adjunct for persistent Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis that has not settled with loading alone. It sits alongside, and never replaces, the progressive exercise programme that carries the strongest evidence.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
Should I rest or keep moving after an ankle sprain?
For the first few days, NHS advice is to protect, rest, ice, compress and elevate, avoiding heat, alcohol and massage. After that, complete rest is rarely right. Early, guided movement and progressive loading recover strength and balance faster and reduce the risk of lasting instability. Your physiotherapist will guide what to load, modify or pause.
How do I know if it is plantar fasciitis or something else?
Plantar fasciitis typically causes sharp heel pain that is worst on the first steps in the morning or after sitting, then eases as you move. Achilles tendinopathy sits at the back of the heel, and bone stress tends to worsen steadily with impact. A physiotherapy assessment distinguishes these and identifies the load behind each.
When should I worry about a stress fracture in my foot?
Suspect bone stress if you have a localised, worsening pain that comes on with impact and persists at rest or at night, especially after a rapid rise in running mileage. This needs assessment rather than pushing through, as continued loading can worsen it. We will advise when imaging or a specialist opinion is needed alongside rehabilitation.
When should I seek urgent help for a foot or ankle injury?
Seek urgent help if the foot or ankle looks deformed, you heard a crack, you cannot bear any weight, or the skin below the injury is cold, pale or numb: call 999 for these. Contact NHS 111 if pain, swelling or bruising is severe, or there is no improvement after a few days of self-care.
Related What We Treat
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Kaizen Physiotherapy & Performance • 111 Charing Cross Road, Soho, London WC2H 0DT
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks