It happens in an instant: maybe you overlooked a curb, tripped over a root in the woods or took a bad step during training – the result is a twisted ankle. What sounds trivial often hurts a great deal and may even cause lasting damage to the joint. We’re here to help you find the cause of your ankle pain and tell you how to manage your symptoms.
What to do about ankle pain?
During everyday activities or sports – twisting your ankle is a matter of seconds. The resulting pain in your ankle is your body telling you that the joint has been forced beyond its natural range of motion and has likely been injured. Swelling in addition to pain is another telltale sign.
As a first aid measure, follow the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation):
- Most importantly, take away any strain from the affected ankle joint.
- Apply a cold pack or ice on the injured ankle. Always wrap a towel around the cold pack or ice to avoid damage to the skin and tissue.
- Compression achieved by a bandage or support reduces pain in your ankle and prevents excessive swelling.
- Elevate your foot, ideally above heart level. This also helps prevent further swelling.
Relieve, cool, compress, elevate – then consult your physician.
Diagnosing ankle injuries
First aid is crucial, but not the end of it. The exact cause of the pain you experience after twisting your ankle cannot be determined from the outside. Is it damage to the ligaments? Or is it the joint capsule? Is there additional damage to the bone or cartilage? These are questions only a physician can answer.
That’s why our recommendation is to see a physician about your ankle pain and get a thorough examination. However, your physician needs your help. The more precise the information you can give your physician about your symptoms, the more effectively he or she will be able to help you and make the right diagnosis.
We have compiled a checklist for you to have all the details at a glance and make sure you don’t forget anything – so you will be perfectly prepared for the appointment with your physician.
Treatment for your ankle
Depending on your diagnosis, your physician will discuss the next treatment steps with you. Regardless of whether surgery is necessary, therapeutic exercise will inevitably be part of the treatment. It serves to restore your ankle’s strength and give it more stability to prevent recurrent sprains. Ankle supports such as MalleoTrain will play an important role – not only in physiotherapy, but also in your everyday life. They will offer added safety and stability.
MalleoTrain provides your ankle with targeted pressure relief, relieves tension and stimulates circulation. This will help you to reduce acute symptoms, such as swelling, but also to manage chronic ankle pain. Ask your physician about an ankle support and have him or her give you a prescription to get you back on your feet faster.
Would you like to know more about our Train supports and their effectiveness? Find out here how MalleoTrain can help you with your ankle problems.
Ankle pain – what is the cause?
Have you had your appointment with a physician and received your diagnosis? Here you can find helpful information on the most common ankle injuries:
Did you take a bad step during exercise or twist your ankle in an everyday activity? Then your physician will most likely diagnose a sprained ankle. The most common cause of ankle pain is supination trauma, which means that the foot has been twisted over its outer edge.
Generally, the ligaments in your foot are built to withstand a lot of strain. However, if subjected to too much force, they may be bent beyond their natural range of motion, resulting at worst in a tear. Find out here what a sprained ligament in your foot means and how it can be treated.
Of course, there are many other types of ankle injuries that we cannot discuss in detail here. Chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis following repeated injuries or instabilities due to ligament laxity may also be the root cause of ankle pain.
Exercises for your ankle
We will show you five easy exercises to train and strengthen your ankle and keeping it stable in the long term.
