Ankle Pain Causes

What Are The Causes Of Ankle Pain?

Generally speaking, ankle pain causes include:

• the ankle is injured, as with a sprain or fracture,
• tendinitis is present,
• the ankle is affected by a chronic disease or condition like arthritis or gout.
  

Ankle Pain Caused by Injuries 

Since humans walk on our feet, and our ankles connect our feet to our legs, it makes sense that the ankles get a lot of exposure to hazardous situations, especially if athletic competition is involved.

Ankle sprains are among the most common causes of ankle pain. An ankle sprain occurs when ligaments that help hold the bones together are stretched or torn. It can happen violently, as in a football collision, or simply, by stepping off a curb onto an uneven surface.

When the ligaments are traumatized in such a manner, injured blood vessels begin to flood the area with blood. Huge black and blue areas may occur when this happens, but it's important to remember that the degree of pain and the degree of injury may be two different things.

Ligament injuries are often graded on a scale of I to III. Ligaments may be slightly torn (which would probably be a level I) or they might be completely torn (level III), which would make the patient a serious candidate for surgery. An X-ray is usually needed to determine the severity of ligament tears.

An x-ray would also reveal a fracture, of course.

The doctor will probably recommend rest for an ankle sprain. Ice packs will help reduce swelling an relieve pain. It's also a good idea to keep the leg elevated.

Anti-inflammatory medications, as prescribed by your doctor, can also help, and some physical therapy may be in order too, depending on the damage.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis (often spelled tendonitis) is another common cause of ankle pain. Tendinitis results from an inflamed tendon. Once again, this condition is often triggered by trauma or repeated, constant straining over a period of time. But it can also result from conditions like arthritis (see below).

When you have tendinitis, the best thing to do is immobilize the affected area, elevate it, and stay off your feet as much as possible. Ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also help.

Serious cases of meningitis may require placing a cast on the area.

It's a good idea for anyone with meningitis to stay away from competitive athletics. The risk of severe injury is greatly increased.A ruptured tendon will require a trip to the operating room and a lot of rehabilitation.

Diseases and conditions that cause ankle pain

There's a long list of inflammatory conditions that can cause ankle pain. The most prominent are forms of arthritis:
rheumatoid arthritis,

• reactive arthritis,
• gouty arthritis,
• ankylosing spondylitis,
• psoriatic arthritis,
• others.

These tend to develop over time and, in most cases, are not related to sudden injury or trauma. They cause pain, swelling, stiffness, redness, and even warmth in the inflamed area.