Common Causes of Ankle Pain

The ankle is one of the most frequently injured parts of the body. Not only is it used repeatedly throughout the day, but because it rolls and moves in many different directions, it can easily become hurt doing the most mundane activities. When your ankle hurts and it is difficult to stand or walk, your mobility and quality of life can be greatly affected. The pain physicians and medical professionals at Medici Spine & Pain can diagnose ankle conditions and provide effective treatment plans to help you regain strength in your joint.

The ankles are intricate parts of the body containing joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles that can be injured or affected by disease. Inflammation or injuries can impact the ankle joint, causing pain that limits mobility. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common causes of ankle pain include:

• Achilles tendinitis
• Achilles tendon rupture
• Avulsion fracture
• Broken foot
• Bursitis (joint inflammation)
• Gout (arthritis related to excess uric acid)
• Osteoarthritis (a disease causing the breakdown of joints)
• Osteochondritis dissecans
• Plantar fasciitis
• Pseudogout
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Reactive arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammatory joint disease)
• Septic arthritis
• Sprained ankle
• Stress fractures
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome

Finding the source of the pain is the first step in determining the best option for treatment. As noted above, because there are so many causes of ankle pain, it is never as easy as just a “sprained ankle” or “arthritis pain.” The pain can be acute and affect the outside or inside of your ankle, or it can be chronic pain caused by arthritis of the joints that will gradually worsen over time. While mild ankle pain often responds well to RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) at home, it can take quite a long time to mend. A doctor should always evaluate severe ankle pain, and even mild ankle pain that persists longer than a few days should be evaluated.

The feet and ankles bear and balance the weight of the entire body. If ankle pain is not properly diagnosed and treated, your entire life can be disrupted. Trying to perform the most basic tasks – standing to brush your teeth, putting on socks, walking from room to room – can be negatively impacted and disrupted by ankle pain.

At Medici Spine & Pain, we offer treatment plans for painful ankle conditions that include pain in the joints, nerve tunnels, muscles, and tendons. We offer injection therapies that can deliver medications and other healing substances directly to the source of inflammation or pain. In addition to medications, we utilize physiotherapy methods to help improve the function of the ankle joints. Our multidisciplinary approach to treatment ensures that the underlying condition, not just the symptoms, are treated.

Contact Medici Spine & Pain today.