Ankle pain & ankle injuries
Active children, teenagers and adults are all susceptible to common ankle injuries. Find out what causes ankle pain and how to treat injuries.
Though ankle injuries are often associated with sports injuries, ankle pain is not exclusive to athletes. Even a day-to-day activity like travelling to work can cause painful ankles if walking on a dangerous or uneven surface.
Common forms of ankle injuries are either a sprain or fracture. These are typically caused by twisting trauma or a violent blow to the ankle. Symptoms of a fractured ankle bone or bones include:
For a reliable and accurate assessment of the severity of ankle pain, you should contact a qualified physician. Severe spraining of the ankle ligaments or tendons can often hide the symptoms of a fractured ankle, so professional advice is required. Possible signs of a broken ankle include not being able to walk, debilitating pain, queasiness, a change in the shape of the ankle, plus a snap or popping noise at the time of injury. If you experience any of these then you should seek urgent treatment.
Ankle pain can be defined as any type of ache or tenderness in the ankle region. This is normally the result of an injury, which happens when the ankle joint is twisted too far away from its usual position, hence why ankle pain can occur when walking or running.
Three bones meet in the ankle region: the tibia and fibula of the lower leg, and the talus of the foot. These are held together by ligaments to enable normal ankle motion, while tendons attach the muscles to the bones. The majority of ankle sprains are lateral sprains - the action where your foot rolls and the outer ankle twists toward the ground, stretching or tearing the ligaments.
Painful ankles can also be the result of a number of other factors, such as:
Elastoplast offers a range of ankle pain treatment products to help you protect and care for sore ankles. Immediately after the injury has occurred, apply the RICER method to the affected area:
Once pain subsides, speed up recovery time and reduce swelling with exercises designed to increase the range of motion. Try gently rotating the injured ankle in both directions, stopping if this becomes painful. Slowly flexing the sore ankle with your hands will also help.
If symptoms persist after three or four days you should visit a hospital. A qualified physician may take an ankle X-ray to see if any bones are broken, and surgery may be required.
Preventing an ankle injury involves more than just avoiding common injury risk factors such as a sudden change in direction or dangerous and slippery surfaces. There are a number of proactive ways you can help reduce the likelihood of ankle injuries from occurring or reoccurring, such as:
As mentioned, using specific protection like an ankle support or ankle taping provides external help to ligaments without limiting the normal range of motion or function. Ankle supports are beneficial when the normal ranges of motion have been exceeded, causing injury. Ankle supports, straps or tape provide increasing support or restriction as the extremes of normal range of motion are approached, hopefully providing maximal restriction (support) at a point just prior to rupture of the ligaments fibres.
Elastoplast Wrap Around Ankle Support and Elastoplast Adjustable Ankle Stabiliser are designed to give strong support for sore or injured ankles. Both products feature adjustable straps, allowing for a customisable fit and extra comfort on either foot, as well as having breathable material for all-day comfort.