Ankle Pain
At Foot & Ankle Specialists of Indiana, we can help diagnose and treat all forms of ankle pain, and offer practical solutions with pain management plans.
Ankle Pain
Many conditions can cause ankle pain, and the symptoms of ankle pain are often associated with swelling, stiffness, warmth, and redness in the area. Most often, the pain described is an intense, dull ache that occurs when moving the ankle and placing pressure on the affected area. At-home treatments, including ice, rest, elevation, and immobilization, can generally help relieve and remove ankle pain. Still, when that pain cannot be healed, it’s time to see your podiatrist.
What Conditions Cause Ankle Pain
Ankle sprains, typically caused by injuries, cause tears in the ligaments that hold the ankle muscles and bones together. During this time, your ankle will bruise and swell and can be treated with the RICE treatment. Light sprains will heal within a few days, and if the condition doesn’t improve by then, then Dr. Barksdale will recommend either a short cast or a walking boot, followed by physical therapy to treat your ankle sprain.
If any of the tibia, fibula, and talus bones crack or break, bruising and swelling will occur and cause ankle pain. At our clinic, we will provide splints to keep the bone in place, as well as analyze the progression of your wound as you keep it rested, iced, compressed, and elevated.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness that moves from the toes and into the ankle. Because it’s an autoimmune disorder, the inflammation that affects the ankles focuses on the lining of the joints.
Lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack healthy tissue and build fluid in the joints, can lead to swelling, stiffness, and pain. While there’s no cure for lupus, our office can recommend medications and add treatments such as physical therapy and diet suggestions to aid in this condition.
Osteoarthritis wears down the cartilage that protects the bones from touching, leading to pain, stiffness, and loss of motion. Our clinic can recommend anti-inflammatory medications and steroids to reduce swelling, as well as braces and physical therapy to manage the pain.
When uric acid begins to build up in the joints, gout can cause intense pain and swelling, making it hard to function properly. We will recommend medications to treat gout, as well as healthy, at-home remedies for preventing future attacks.
Heavy and sudden strains can cause tears in the Achilles heel, causing the tendons to swell and feel tender under touch. Your Achilles tendons will heal over time, but if your Achilles heel doesn’t improve properly, then we can provide surgical solutions to correct the issue.
If the ligaments in the ankle don’t heal properly, then this can make the joints less stable and more prone to injuries. Depending on the cause, we can treat the pain through various non-surgical and surgical treatments.
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