What causes ankle pain?
Ankle pain can come from ligament, tendon, bone, and muscle damage in the structures that support your ankle. Some of the most common causes of ankle pain include:
Sprains
Inversion ankle sprains occur when one or more of your outer ankle ligaments become torn or stretched. Less commonly, you can tear the ligaments in your inner ankle, an eversion ankle sprain.
Strains
Strains occur when one or more of the muscles or tendons in your ankle area get too stretched or become torn.
Tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis, which means inflammation in your Achilles tendon, is sometimes a cause of ankle pain.
Fractures
Fractures, which are partial or complete bone breaks, can affect any bone in your ankle. The most common kind of ankle fracture is the lateral malleolus fracture, which affects the end of your fibula.
Ankle pain isn't necessarily related to injuries, either: In some cases, systemic disease that affects your joints, such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, can cause serious ankle pain.
What other symptoms occur with ankle pain?
Ankle pain usually brings other symptoms with it. Depending on your underlying condition, you may also experience:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Inability to bear weight
- Change in ankle joint appearance
If you don't get the proper diagnosis and care for ankle pain, you could experience incomplete healing and develop chronic ankle instability. The sooner you get care for your ankle pain, the easier it is to heal quickly and efficiently.
How do you diagnose the cause of ankle pain?
Your Foot & Ankle Specialists of New Mexico physician performs a full exam of your foot and ankle, evaluating rotation and muscles to form a diagnosis.
Because pain-inducing ankle problems can cause similar symptoms, your doctor may use X-ray or ultrasound imaging that allows them to see inside your ankle as part of the diagnostic process.
If you have severe ankle pain and your doctor suspects major ligament or bone damage, you may need a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or a computed tomography (CT) scan.
What is the best way to treat ankle pain?
Reach out to Foot & Ankle Specialists of New Mexico right away to make an appointment. Until then, stay off your foot. Apply ice to reduce swelling and pain, apply a light compression bandage if you have one, and elevate your ankle.
The podiatric physicians use a conservative approach to heal damaged tissue and help you fully recover from ankle pain. This may include cold therapy, compression, braces, custom orthotics, and other types of care based on your needs.
Although you rarely need surgery for ankle pain, the board-certified surgeons can perform surgical ankle corrections of all types, including ligament, tendon, and bone repair.
Call Foot & Ankle Specialists of New Mexico or use online scheduling to book an appointment.
