Why does my ankle hurt? 10 Possible Causes of Ankle Pain

There may be several reasons as to why you have a painful ankle. It is necessary to identify the apt reason for this pain to get it treated effectively. You must visit an orthopedic doctor and discuss with him the nature of your ankle pain. Below given are the ten possible reasons which may be causing pain in your ankle. Let’s have a look:

• Sprained ankle: A sprain results from tear in the ligaments that hold your ankle bones together. This happens when accidentally your foot twists and rolls sideways. Apart from pain, there will be swelling and visible bruise around your ankle. In some cases, you may not be able to bear weight on your leg as well. You need to consult your doctor for an evaluation and would need Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation as treatment in most cases.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: Your immune system is designed to fight infection and germs from outside. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system starts attacking body’s own joints. Ankle is one of the common joints affected by RA. You may notice pain, swelling and stiffness in this condition and it may affect both your ankle joints. The pain is generally worse in morning. An orthopaedic doctor or a rheumatologist will prescribe appropriate medicines to control this disease. Also, you need to maintain a healthy diet and need to do exercise on a regular basis.
• Osteoarthritis: With growing age and passing time, the cartilage wears off leading to osteoarthritis.. As a consequence, the two bones start rubbing against each other. It may cause pain, stiffness, or inability to move your joint. An orthopaedic doctor, after detailed assessment including X-rays will advise you some medicines. Apart from that, lifestyle modification, physical therapy, footwear advise and injections in foot are also helpful. In severe cases and those not responding to the above mentioned measures, surgery may be needed.
• Flat feet: An arch is a gap in the inner aspect of the foot that is apparent on standing in most adults. Absence of this arch leads to flat foot, also called as pes planus. Flat foot can cause pain in the inner aspect of ankle during activity in many a cases. As the disease advances, it can also affect outer side of the ankle. It can also cause pain in other parts of the body like knee, hip and back. Treatment in most cases involve insoles and exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles in your foot. In severe cases, surgery may also be needed.
• Gout: Your big toe is the most vulnerable victim when it comes to Gout. However, this problem can also affect your ankle. The waste product in your body or uric acid sometimes tends to accumulate in your body and take the shape of needle-like crystals. Your doctor will advise you to take ample rest, dietary modifications and some mediciones to control your gout.
• Fracture in the ankle: A fracture in any of the ankle bone will result in extreme pain, swelling, and bruises in your ankle region. Having a fracture in ankle is an emergency and you should immediately consult your orthopaedic  doctor to know if you need surgery.
• Achilles tendinitis: Wear and tear may occur in your Achilles tendon due to a sudden or chronic repetitive strain. As a result, the back of your ankle or heel may feel swollen and painful. Treatment mainly involves rest, ice, a supervised physical therapy and shoe wear modification in most cases.
• Achilles tendon rupture: Achilles tendon may rupture secondary to violent pull of the tendon during running or while playing sports. It will cause sudden severe pain in back of ankle with inability to weight bear. In many a cases, surgery is needed to restore the continuity of ankle and prevent the risk of  rerupture in future.
• Chronic lateral ankle pain: Sometimes, an ankle injury may cause scarring in the your ankle joint that can be a souce of your pain Proper evaluation is needed to look for any impingement which is then treated accordingly.
• Reactive arthritis: There is no treatment for this type of arthritis. But regular exercise is of great help. Also, some anti-inflammatory drugs can give relief to some extent.