If you have chronic ankle pain and you don't know why, then you might have an old injury that's never healed properly. You could also have a pinched nerve, fracture, or arthritis. Rather than put up with pain, consult a podiatrist to see if treatments would help. Here's why you might be suffering from chronic ankle pain and some treatments a podiatrist might recommend.
Reasons For Chronic Ankle Pain
If an injury, such as a fracture or sprain, didn't heal properly, you might have ankle instability. This might happen due to muscle weakness or bones or tissues that didn't heal as they should. You might even have scar tissue from the injury that is the source of your pain.
If you have ankle pain, and your ankle feels like it isn't stable, you should let your podiatrist know. They can check your ankle for an injury and rule out other problems such as arthritis that might need treatments.
Foot And Ankle Care For Chronic Pain
Your podiatrist might recommend things you can do at home to help your ankle feel better and to help it heal fully. This might include resting your foot as much as possible so it can heal.
When you have a foot or ankle injury, it's important to rest if your podiatrist advises it so your tissues can recover. Otherwise, you could be left with a chronic problem that includes pain and a high risk of further injury.
Another thing you can do is always wear supportive shoes when you run or walk so your foot has the support it needs and no strain is on your ankles. In addition, take it slowly when you take up running or other strenuous activity so you don't do too much too soon and injure your ankle further.
Medical Treatments Your Ankle Might Need
Your podiatrist might recommend anti-inflammatory medications to reduce swelling and pain. Depending on the injury you have, you might need to wear a brace to stabilize your ankle so it can heal. You might even be sent to physical therapy so you can strengthen your ankle and improve flexibility.
In severe cases, or when your pain is caused by a condition such as arthritis, you might need to have surgery. A joint fusion or ankle replacement might be necessary for arthritis in your ankle.
Surgery might also be needed to decompress a nerve, and surgery on your ligaments could be necessary to repair a sprain. However, surgery often isn't needed for chronic ankle pain since your podiatrist can try other forms of treatment first.
For more information about foot and ankle care, contact a local podiatry office.
Share7 December 2020
If you have chronic foot pain like I do, you probably use a lot of creams and medications to get rid of it. But if you're like me, the home treatments don't work for very long. My regular doctor suggested that I see a podiatrist for care. I didn't do it right away because I thought I could handle the pain with my home treatments. But after experiencing a serious foot infection last month, I decided to take my doctor's advice. I'm so happy I did. My podiatrist prescribed foot therapy for me, which relieves the stress and tenderness in my feet. I also wear special cushions in my shoes now. The cushions keep my feet from swelling up when I walk. If you need help, read my blog. My blog offers sound advice and information about podiatrists and their treatments. Good luck and please stay pain free.