Jennifer is so right - when one part of the body is out of alignment - due to a boot, a brace, a sprain or a congenital anomaly, everything suffers.

For years I was treated for back and knee pain - and nothing helped - not exercise, PT, meds, injections... Finally, as a long shot, my primary ordered hip x-rays - at 54 I had "the hips of an 85 year-old" according to the orthopedic surgeon. Bilateral hip replacement followed - and a little later PT to retrain my body how to walk - 19 years later I'm still dancing and hiking with my grandkids. My knees are wearing, and my spine is arthritic, but wow the relief.

PT from what I call a "Real Therapist", not a cookie-cutter place, keeps me mobile and controls my pain. Without it, I would be a couch potato.
Sue

@bhb30602 Your therapist should also look at your pelvic alignment. Everything needs to be aligned properly or it causes wear and tear on adjacent joints and that may lead to joint replacements later on. If you feel pain in your knee, check the alignment of pelvis and ankles with your therapist. If the pelvis is off, it is like one of your legs is longer. I wondered what to do after the ankle brace. Wearing it helped if tendons were painful, but it didn’t allow movement that was needed to strengthen my ankle. I bought high top shoes with good support and I have custom orthotics in them from my podiatrist. This helps because you have equal support for both ankles, you can have range of motion, and support your ankle. I found great shoes at catfootwear.com. I think it is the Intruder Mid range model. The Invader model is similar, but normal height .I also have used the iso ankle brace inside a work boot. To be around horses, I get them with composite toe protection and waterproof. CAT has those too. They are manufactured by Wolverine and you can buy similar things from them online. With cold weather, the composite toe does not transfer cold to your feet.