Ankle Pain – How is it caused?
Ankle pain can occur on either side or the back of one ankle or both ankles. Ankle pain may be sharp and burning or dull and aching. There may be tenderness, stiffness, redness, or warmth around the ankle.
Many things can cause ankle pain, including an injury to the area and overuse of the ankle. The ankle joint holds your body weight and allows you to move around.
Follow these instructions at home:
Activity
- Rest your ankle as told by your health care provider. Avoid any activities that cause ankle pain.
- Do exercises as told by your health care provider.
- Ask your health care provider if you can drive.
Using a brace, a bandage, or crutches
- If
you were given a brace:
- Wear it as told by your health care provider.
- Remove it when you take a bath or a shower.
- Try not to move your ankle very much, but wiggle your toes from time to time. This helps to prevent swelling.
- If
you were given an elastic bandage:
- Remove it when you take a bath or a shower.
- Try not to move your ankle very much, but wiggle your toes from time to time. This helps to prevent swelling.
- Adjust the bandage to make it more comfortable if it feels too tight.
- Loosen the bandage if you have numbness or tingling in your foot or if your foot turns cold and blue.
- If you have crutches, use them as told by your health care provider. Continue to use them until you can walk without feeling pain in your ankle.
Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling
- Raise (elevate) your ankle above the level of your heart while you are sitting or lying down.
- If
directed, apply ice to the area:
- Put ice in a plastic bag.
- Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
- Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times per day.
General instructions
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
- Record
this information that may be helpful for you and your health care
provider:
- How often you have ankle pain.
- Where the pain is located.
- What the pain feels like.
- Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
Contact a health care provider if:
- Your pain gets worse.
- Your pain is not relieved with medicines.
- You have a fever or chills.
- You are having more trouble with walking.
- You have new symptoms.
Get help right away if:
- Your foot, leg, toes, or ankle tingles or becomes numb.
- Your foot, leg, toes, or ankle becomes swollen.
- Your foot, leg, toes, or ankle turns pale or blue.
