Ankle Pain and its Causes

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Pain of any type is certainly not welcome! But if it is in the ankle, then mobility gets restricted and this can surely be such a pain! So, the priority becomes to identify the cause of the throbbing and the subsequent remedy.

Ankle pain begins because of inflammation or injury to the bones, joint space, cartilage, ligaments, muscles or the tendons. The reason for this could be sprain, fracture or medical conditions like arthritis, tendinitis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendon sheath inflammation, bursitis, gout and ankylosing spondylitis.

Let us take a look at these conditions.

Sprain

A sprain is a very common cause of ankle pain. It is a frequent occurrence with athletes who, during the course of a sporting activity, tend to cause an injury to one of the ligaments in the ankle. Ligaments are strong band of fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones. A sudden twist or a slip could stretch the ligament too far or cause it to snap.

Arthritis

Arthritis is another common reason for pain in the ankle. This condition is typically identified by swollen joints and pain.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis usually occurs among sportspersons and is marked by inflammation or irritation of a tendon leading to pain and tenderness. It is generally referred to as a tennis elbow, pitcher’s shoulder, jumper’s knee, etc. Rupturing of the tendon may require surgery otherwise a minor case may heal through rest and therapy.

Bursitis

Bursitis can be quite a painful condition in which the small, fluid-filled pads among the bones are inflamed. This often occurs near the joints that are under constant movement.

Gout

Historically known as the ‘rich man’s disease’ or ‘diseases of the kings’, gout is a complex form of arthritis characterized by sudden burning pain, stiffness and swelling in a joint. It is more common in men than women though, with females it may set in during menopause.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is an autoimmune disease and its symptoms include pain and inflammation in the joints and other areas of the body. This can be debilitating disease if not controlled.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis is a kind of arthritis that affects the spine leading to stiffness and pain from neck down. This condition can lead to a stiff spine and stooped-over posture because of the fusing together of the spine's bones.

Tendon Sheath Inflammation

When the protective sheath that covers the tendons, synovium, gets inflamed, it causes pain in the ankle.

Healing

A minor ankle sprain may not take much time to heal provided you give it the right amount of rest and use ice packs or braces and supports to aid its healing. However, pain of any kind should not be taken lightly and needs to be checked out by a doctor. An ankle pain is often due to a sprain but still other causes must be ruled out.

There are many products in the market that are meant to provide support to the painful joint and aid in its healing.

Supports and Aids

The Comfortland Delta Ankle Brace is for treatment of acute ankle sprains, chronic ankle instability and ankle injury rehabilitation or immobilization. FLA Orthopedics ProLite Compressive Ankle Support is another similar product for ankle pain. It has two viscoelastic inserts that provide a gentle massaging effect as the injured ankle moves.

The Maxar Canvas Ankle Brace with Laces is designed to maximize support of ankle joint and it has four anatomically shaped stays which help stabilize the ankle.

The ALPS Ankle Brace protects sprained ankles and speeds up its recovery while Aircast Ankle Cryo/Cuff provides compression on the joint to treat edema, hematoma, hemarthrosis, swelling and pain.

 

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