What Is Ankle Pain?

Your ankle is an intricate network of bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Strong enough to hold your weight and enable you to move, pain can be triggered by injury and overuse.

Most ankle pain is due to injury from physical activity -- sprains and fractures are the most common. For example, if you twist or turn your ankle the wrong way, you can sprain your ankle.

You may feel pain on the inside or outside of the ankle, or along the Achilles tendon that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. Although mild ankle pain usually responds well to home treatments, it may require the right assistive products to resolve.

Ankle pain is often due to an ankle sprain.

• An ankle sprain is an injury to the ligaments, which connect bones to one another.
• In most cases, the ankle is twisted inward, causing small tears in the ligaments. The tearing leads to swelling and bruising, making it difficult to bear weight on the joint.

In addition to ankle sprains, ankle pain can be caused by:

• Damage or swelling of tendons (which join muscles to bone) or cartilage (which cushions joints)
• Infection in the ankle joint
• Osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, Reiter syndrome, and other types of arthritis

Problems in areas near the ankle that can cause you to feel pain in the ankle include：

• Blockage of blood vessels in the leg
• Heel pain or injuries
• Tendinitis around the ankle joint
• Nerve injuries (such as tarsal tunnel syndrome or sciatica)

Problems in areas near the ankle that can cause you to feel pain in the ankle include：

• Blockage of blood vessels in the leg
• Heel pain or injuries
• Tendinitis around the ankle joint
• Nerve injuries (such as tarsal tunnel syndrome or sciatica)

Here are steps you can take to help relieve ankle pain:

• Support and cushion your feet and ankles with professional shoes and insoles
• Warm up your muscles before strenuous exercise
• Reduce walking or running distance, apply ice after activity, and avoid any uphill
• Maintain a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly
• Stretching the ankle regularly to help prevent injury

Compared with choosing a professional pair of shoes, other methods require you to pay attention to your fragile problem ankle all the time in your life.