Ankle Pain: Causes, Recovery, and How Osteopathy Can Help You Heal
Struggling with ankle pain? Learn about common causes like sprains and arthritis, when to seek help, and how osteopathy offers a holistic path to recovery and prevention.
Ankle pain is a common issue that can stem from a sudden twist or develop gradually over time. As a complex joint that bears your entire body weight, a problem with your ankle can significantly impact your mobility and quality of life.
Osteopathy provides a comprehensive approach to ankle pain. We look beyond the immediate site of pain to understand the underlying cause, considering the entire kinetic chain from your foot to your spine to promote effective healing and prevent future injuries.
Key Facts About Ankle Pain
High Prevalence: Ankle sprains are one of the most frequent musculoskeletal injuries, accounting for a significant number of presentations to healthcare professionals.
Risk of Re-injury: Following an initial ankle sprain, the risk of re-injury can be high, often due to incomplete rehabilitation and residual instability.
Not Just for Athletes: While common in sports, ankle pain can affect anyone, from older adults with arthritis to individuals with occupations requiring prolonged standing.
Common Causes of Ankle Pain
Understanding the source of your pain is the first step toward effective treatment. Common causes include:
Ankle Sprains: The most frequent cause of ankle pain. This injury involves the stretching or tearing of the ligaments that support the ankle, often from the ankle rolling inward (inversion sprain) or outward (eversion sprain).
Achilles Tendinopathy: Pain, stiffness, and thickening in the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle, typically caused by overuse.
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear) or rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune condition) can cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the ankle joint.
Fractures: A break in one or more of the bones in the ankle, usually resulting from trauma like a fall or a severe twist.
Tendonitis: Inflammation of the tendons that cross the ankle joint, such as the peroneal tendons on the outside of the ankle.
Biomechanical Issues: Problems with foot posture (like flat feet or high arches) or gait abnormalities can place abnormal stress on the ankle joint over time, leading to pain.
How Can Osteopathy Help with Ankle Pain?
Osteopathic treatment for ankle pain begins with a thorough assessment to diagnose the specific issue and identify any contributing factors from elsewhere in the body.
During your initial consultation, we will:
Take a detailed history to understand how the injury occurred, the nature of your pain, and your activity levels.
Perform a physical examination assessing your ankle's range of motion, stability, and strength, and checking for swelling and tenderness.
Conduct a biomechanical assessment of your posture, gait (how you walk), and the function of your feet, knees, hips, and pelvis.
This whole-bosy approach allows us to create a tailored treatment plan that addresses not just the ankle, but the root causes of the problem.
What Does Osteopathic Treatment Involve?
Using gentle, hands-on techniques, we aim to:
Reduce Pain and Inflammation: Soft tissue massage and gentle mobilisation can help decrease muscle tension and improve fluid drainage to reduce swelling in the acute phase.
Restore Joint Mobility: Following an injury, joints can become stiff. Articulation techniques can help restore normal, pain-free movement to the ankle and surrounding joints.
Address Biomechanical Imbalances: We treat dysfunctions in the foot, knee, hip, and pelvis that may be contributing to your ankle pain. This ensures the entire leg works as an efficient, coordinated unit.
Improve Strength and Stability: We provide guidance on specific rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the muscles around the ankle and restore proprioception (your joint's sense of position), which is crucial for preventing re-injury.
Provide Personalised Advice: You will receive advice on activity modification, footwear, and strategies to protect the ankle during healing.
When to Seek Immediate Medical Help
While many ankle injuries can be managed conservatively, it is vital to rule out serious conditions. Please consult your GP or seek urgent care if your ankle pain is accompanied by any of the following:
An inability to bear weight on the affected foot.
A visible deformity or a "popping" sound at the time of injury.
Signs of a possible fracture, such as severe pain, significant bruising, or tenderness over the bone.
Numbness, tingling, or coldness in the foot or toes.
Signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, and fever.
Take the Next Step Towards Recovery
Ankle pain shouldn't keep you on the sidelines. Osteopathy offers a safe, effective, and drug-free approach to not only alleviating your pain but also addressing the underlying causes to ensure a full recovery and reduce the risk of future problems.
Click here to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced osteopaths. Let us help you get back on your feet, pain-free.
References
*Herzog, M. M., Kerr, Z. Y., Marshall, S. W., & Wikstrom, E. A. (2019). Epidemiology of Ankle Sprains and Chronic Ankle Instability. Journal of Athletic Training, 54(6), 603-610. [Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6602396/]*
*Delahunt, E., et al. (2018). Clinical assessment of acute lateral ankle sprain injuries (ROAST). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(20), 1309-1315. [Link: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/20/1309]*
*Vicenzino, B., et al. (2015). Foot and ankle pain. In Clinical Sports Medicine (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.*
Disclaimer: This blog post provides general information only and is not intended as a substitute for professional health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a registered health practitioner, such as your General Practitioner (GP) or osteopath, for diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. The information provided is based on the best available evidence at the time of publication but should not be relied upon as a sole source of information. Individual results from osteopathic treatment may vary based on the individual’s specific condition and response to care.