Ankle pain can occur due to a torn ligament, muscle strains, bone fractures and underlying conditions such as gout and arthritis and other bone and joint degenerative diseases.
You can also get ankle pain if you are obese or even overweight. In such cases you must reduce weight
Otherwise you can treat most ankle pain with home remedies to get relief as well as to prevent future problems.
What is Ankle Pain?
Ankle pain is any pain or discomfort in your ankle.
Causes
When you think of ankle pain you may tend to think of ankle sprain. Of course, sprain is one of the causes of your pain in the ankle but there are many other conditions that can cause ankle pain. Some of the most common causes are listed below.
- Arthritis
- Fracture
- Gout
- Infection
- Tendonitis
- Poor structural alignment of foot or the leg
- Ankle instability
- Nerve compression
- Flat feet
Symptoms
The symptoms of ankle pain can range from dull ache to Intense pain and occurs when there is an ankle movement or weight exerted. The pain may accompany other symptoms such as
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Stiffness
- Redness
- Warmth
- Instability
- Weakness
- Numbness or tingling
- Burning pain
Risk Factors
Like any other condition, some people are at higher risk of developing ankle sprains and strains then the others.
Some of the most common risk factors of developing ankle pains are as under
- Female above the age of 30
- Male between 15-24 years of age
- Carrying excess weight
- Arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Muscle fatigue
- Ligament fatigue
- Strenuous athletic activities without prior conditioning
- Inappropriate footwear
How to Get Rid of Ankle Pain?
You can always take rest to heal your injury. Elevation and immobilization are other ways to reduce pain. over the counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin and Ibuprofen can generally give you pain relief.
But all these measures are temporary. In order to permanently get rid of your Ankle pain you must consult an orthopaedic doctor particularly if the pain is associated with an injury.
After the visit to the doctor and knowing that there is no major bone fracture or injury that can permanently damage your ankle bone structure, you can consider the following home remedies to alleviate your pain and discomfort.
Home Remedies for Ankle Pain
Following home remedies also generally recommended by doctors will help you to reduce your ankle pain.
1. Apply Ice
Applying cold compress helps reduce pain particularly if it is caused by a strenuous physical activity. About 10-20 minutes of applying ice packs on the affected ankle is good enough at a time.
2. Use Hot and Cold Compress
If your ankle pain is caused by any bone disease including arthritis and osteoporosis, then applying hot and cold compresses alternatively helps to reduce the stiffness that is the main cause of your pain. Apply hot compress for 15-20 minutes followed by cold compress for the same period.
3. Take Rest
This is just a commonsensical remedy. Standing and walking puts extra pressure on the inflamed ankle due to weight bearing. So taking rest will reduce inflammation fast and you will recover sooner than later. Rating in a lying down position with elevation of your foot ankle kept above your heart height immediately gives pain relief.
4. Use Support
When you begin to move around your it is important that your weakened ankle gets support. Wrap a compression bandage around your affected ankle. Take a cane or crutch to reduce weight bearing on the affected foot.
5. Lose Weight
If you are overweight or obese then reduce your weight and bring it back to normal healthy levels. This of course will take time but it is certainly a long term strategy to reduce pain particularly if you have arthritis.
6. Go for a Swim
Swimming gives your entire body a good exercise as well as improves blood circulation. You will quickly regain some muscle flexibility and joint mobility without weight bearing particularly after a period of rest.
7. Massage Warm Coconut Oil
Add a crushed clove of garlic to a tablespoon of coconut oil and warm it a bit. Massage with this oil to get instant pain relief.
Ankle Pain and Foot Pain
Sometimes there may not be anything wrong in your ankle yet you may get pain. This may be a foot pain that radiates to your ankle. Foot pain caused by obesity or flat foot can radiate to ankles.
In such cases you have to reduce weight or fix your flat foot problem as the case may be.
Other Tips and Precautions
In order to recover fast and prevent future ankle pains take following precautions.
- Contact your doctor before resorting to any home treatment.
- Do not put any extra strain to your affected ankle. Take sufficient rest and do mild mobility exercises like swimming.
- Use crutches to avoid putting pressure on the ankle until it is healed
- Do not get involved in any strenuous physical activity before stretching and properly making yourself ready.
Depending on the severity of your sprain your ankle pain can subside between 1-2 weeks for a mild sprain and 10-12 weeks for severe sprain. Always keep your doctor in the loop throughout to ensure proper recovery.