The bony bumps on the side of the legs represent the malleolus, the bony connection of the foot to the lower leg. Bones - processes on the sides of the tibia bones carry the load of a person’s weight on the joints of the feet, ensure normal walking, absorb shock loads - these are the most important functions of the ankles, which are part of the ankle group of bones and joints.
Any ankle injury causes severe acute pain. Playing sports, high physical activity, unexpected motor shifts are situations when the ankles undergo pathological changes. Any sudden injury is accompanied by pain in the ankle, which prevents you from moving and walking normally, or simply stepping on the floor in shoes or barefoot.
Everyone knows how unexpectedly the leg twists and the foot turns outward or inward on an uneven place, when coming down the steps of a staircase. This is the most common ankle injury that causes serious sprains. If the leg twists sharply, tendons can rupture, muscles can be injured, and bones can break.
Aching pain in the ankle area accompanies sudden rotational movements after high loads. This causes pain in the ankle when walking on level ground or when going up or down.
Prolonged walking on walks, ascents and descents on uneven surfaces is a sure way to injury to the tendons, to the development of tendinitis or bursitis. In the internal structures of the ankle there are sacs with fluid, lateral and medial joints, and bones - the lateral processes of the tibia.
The bags are located on the back of the heel and serve as protection. Their inflammation causes severe pain in the ankle when walking, sitting, even at rest, at night. My ankles also hurt in the morning, after a long night's rest. If tendinitis is caused by a partial tear of the tendon at the back of the heel, it involves a gradual healing process that is slow and painful.
Muscle pain in the ankle is aggravated by bone spurs, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, childbirth, flat feet, damage to nerve tissue, repeated pregnancy, tendon sprains, and wearing high-heeled shoes. There are also joint diseases that require a serious approach and complex drug treatment.
If a child twists his leg, there is hope for a quick recovery, since children have strong processes of regeneration of injured tissue.
In the case when your ankle hurts, you need to understand that pain does not appear out of nowhere, and the ankle can become sore and swollen not only from an injury. The causes of any pain are due to the formation of pathological processes, or concomitant joint diseases.
In the absence of proper treatment, the pain will intensify, grow, interfere with walking and even lying down, and limit movements. An adult must remember that, as always, the rule applies: timely consultation with a doctor will help cure the disease, get rid of pain, and eliminate relapses.
Got an ankle injury? - It's time to see a doctor. Are there pain, redness and swelling on your ankle bones? - It's time to see a doctor. Do your ankles just hurt? - It's time to see a doctor. It is important in any situation not to prolong the process of inflammation or the condition after an injury, and to go to see a doctor to receive qualified treatment.
It is recommended to seek medical help from specialized specialists, primarily a surgeon, traumatologist, rheumatologist, or orthopedist. The doctor will examine the ankle and nearby tissues, determine the cause of discomfort, and ask the patient about the nature, duration, location and severity of pain.
The patient must be prepared to answer the doctor’s questions and remember the expected situation of injury. The video and photo show how the doctor examines the patient’s ankles, palpates the front, sides, back, sparing the area of redness, and how the patient intelligently answers the doctor’s questions.
The doctor will prescribe a diagnostic examination, which in difficult cases requires:
If patients come to the appointment in an already advanced state, with a severe form of the disease, with severe pain, with swelling on top of the injury or inflammation, then they will have to do an MRI so that the doctor can see in the images the real condition of the joints and ligaments of the ankle.
Relieving pain in such a situation becomes difficult, even strong medications may be helpless.
A common cause of ankle pain is dislocation, subluxation of the articular joint, or sprain of the Achilles tendon. Most often, the ankle hurts when walking, when the legs are strained by long-term work in the garden, or after a day of continuous sitting at the computer, causing pain from the ankle joint to the knee. Depending on the situation of pain, the need for first aid is determined.
In case of a domestic injury, you must be able to provide first aid:
At the request of the victim, he is given painkillers. Immediately call an ambulance, or bring the patient to the emergency room yourself. An examination by a doctor and urgently taken x-rays will help the doctor see the picture of the foot injury, if there was one. Perhaps severe pain is caused by a serious injury, or prolonged walking in high-heeled shoes.
Probably every person remembers the severe pain that occurs when an ankle bone accidentally hits hard objects.
The doctor examines the patient’s sore leg, determines the condition of the ankle and feet. If your ankles hurt after an injury, appropriate treatment is prescribed. The consequences of injury are eliminated by applying an elastic bandage or applying a removable plaster cast. Physiotherapeutic procedures, physical therapy, and taking chondroprotectors are prescribed.
Recovery from an injury lasts at least a month, during which time you must patiently undergo the full course of treatment and use home methods of traditional medicine that will help in getting rid of pain. One part of the treatment is massage, which should be done by a qualified specialist. He massages the leg left and right, lightly touching the tendons after they have been damaged.
It is clear here that it is the cause of the pain that needs to be treated – the consequences of injury, inflammation. Reviews from people who have suffered injury or inflammation in the structures of the ankle show that traditional medicine provides very effective recipes that not only relieve pain, but also treat inflammation and help heal fractures.
Simply anointing an inflamed area with an alcoholic herbal tincture after rubbing it with a medicinal ointment is already an excellent procedure with a positive effect.
Particularly dangerous pain is caused by a broken ankle. These injuries most often occur among athletes - basketball players, football players, and runners. You can injure and damage your ankle at home with careless movements. Pain in the ankle area continues for a long time because it is difficult to identify its cause, and the doctor treats the ankle based on an external examination. Injury occurs after overload, when the strength of bones and ligaments is exceeded.
Injury can occur when sliding on ice, high jumping, or in an accident. Pain in the ankle due to fractures disrupts the range of motion, swelling appears at the site of injury, and hyperemia.
Any degree of stretching does not allow rubbing of the injured area or hot baths. It is recommended to call a doctor at home, provide rest and immobility to the injured leg, and slightly elevate the leg. In case of severe pain, even in the first degree of damage, you should take painkillers. In case of severe damage, you need to take anti-inflammatory drugs. The use of local anesthetics externally in the form of ointments helps well - they effectively reduce pain.
Traumatologists often recommend compresses with burdock, cabbage leaves, and alcohol - why not use traditional methods if they give a positive result.
Inflammatory processes cause pain, the intensity of which determines the degree of development of the disease. The pain intensifies at night, subsides after external compresses and long periods of resting the legs. There was no injury, but the pain was quite noticeable, even in sleep. In an advanced form of inflammation, the pain becomes constantly strong and becomes aching, pulling, and stabbing. They radiate to the thigh, shoulder, and tingle in the side of the body which ankle is affected by inflammation. It is difficult for the patient to move his leg or raise his foot. In such a situation, the doctor excludes the presence of degenerative changes, which is revealed by x-rays and MRI.
Joint diseases cause pain in the ankle of almost the same nature, regardless of whether arthritis, tendinitis or bursitis develops. They are characterized by sharp pain, with a tendency to intensify. Therefore, with inflammatory diseases, the mobility of the ankle is significantly limited.
Pathological conditions that cause ankle pain can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle, avoiding inflammation and colds, which cause complications on the joints. You can avoid ankle sprains and injuries by wearing comfortable shoes without high heels.
For athletes and people who regularly train in fitness rooms, it is important to warm up their ankles, knees, muscles and joints before exercise. If you are overweight, losing weight helps, which significantly reduces the weight load on your ankles.
If you have already had an ankle injury or disease, and your ankle hurts incessantly, it is recommended that you continue to wear devices that support the joints and tendons in motion. Devices such as tapes regulate the load on the ankle, preventing relapse of inflammation and the possibility of re-injury. Compression stockings and supportive tights, which can be purchased at orthopedic stores, help out.
Preventing pain requires avoiding activities that put stress on the ankles. When ankle injuries lead to complications, it is recommended to wear special orthopedic shoes and elastic bandages. During the remission stage, you can do a gentle massage and engage in physical therapy aimed at strengthening the leg muscles.
The ankle is a structural part of the fibula that is located in the ankle joint. It is located slightly above the foot - 2 bumps on the sides. The ankle takes on quite a large load when walking, so most often it is this part of the leg that is injured. With a bruise, an inflammatory process often develops, which is accompanied by pain. And after a broken ankle, the whole foot swells.
The most common cause of pain in the ankle is mechanical damage, namely, when the foot turns outward under any circumstances. This often happens in athletes. This injury is characterized by the fact that the ligaments that support the ankle are stretched on the outside. This causes severe pain and also causes swelling in the ankles.
Sometimes such a bruise leads to a fracture or rupture of muscles, which also leads to intense pain, while a complex of other symptoms appears. These symptoms include blueness of the skin and the inability to move the leg. There is also pronounced swelling when the ankle is broken. Of course, with such serious injuries, the pain is sharp.
It should be noted that ankle fractures most often occur in athletes. In this case, diagnosing cracks and fractures using x-rays is effective after 6 weeks.
Why does my ankle hurt if there was no bruise? This can be explained by the occurrence of inflammatory diseases.
Tendinitis is the cause of pain in the limb. In this case, the tendon becomes inflamed, especially often the structure that comes from the heel behind - the Achilles tendon. It is very vulnerable and gets damaged quite often. Bursitis is an inflammation of the ankle bursa that occurs due to excessive stress, causing the legs to swell. With tendinitis and bursitis, pain in the ankle is painful and aching.
Ankle pain can also be caused by:
With different types of arthritis, the pain is usually jerking and sharp.
Traumatic arthritis is a consequence of various injuries, namely sprains, bruises, and ruptures. With these lesions, blood enters the joint, which provokes the inflammatory process. This disease provokes severe aching pain.
It should be noted that if your ankle hurts, it may be due to improperly selected shoes. Shoes must fit anatomically to all curves of the foot, have instep support, a shock-absorbing insole, etc. The right shoes support the foot; these rules must be followed when athletes select specialized shoes.
The causes of ankle swelling in combination with pain may be:
Swelling in the ankle area is a rather dangerous condition, as it causes pathological pressure on the vessels and veins. This can also provoke varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, and inflammation of the skin. Therefore, it is very important to eliminate swelling with medication and quickly.
Ankle pain when walking is a symptom of many diseases and injuries. Therefore, the treatment will be different. Depending on the cause of pain, therapy will be prescribed by the treating traumatologist or rheumatologist. The doctor will understand why the ankle swells and hurts only after appropriate diagnosis. In this case, X-rays, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are informative.
You should definitely consult a doctor if:
If a limb is injured, first aid should be provided. What to do about this? The sore leg will require rest and ice should be applied to the injured ankle. You also need a compression bandage. The swollen leg should lie above the level of the body, and a pillow should be placed under it. The patient should walk exclusively on crutches, so as not to put stress on the sore leg.
It is impossible to give an exact answer to the question of how long the treatment and recovery of the leg will last. Recovery from an injured ankle can take several weeks or even several months. And, accordingly, she can be sick for quite a long time. Therefore, the leg also needs rest for a long period.
If a person has a fracture or rupture of the ligaments, it is necessary to apply a plaster cast for fixation. But if the ankle is displaced, surgery will be required to restore the normal position of the bone.
When a fracture occurs, the patient is prescribed medications that should relieve pain, relieve swelling after a fracture, as well as medications that promote recovery from injury and improve bone healing.
The doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to the patient. Products that contain calcium and vitamin D are important. Swelling from an ankle fracture needs to be quickly removed, so diuretics are prescribed. Treatment to eliminate swelling should only be prescribed by qualified specialists, since diuretics, if used incorrectly, can cause a lot of harm to the body.
If a hematoma appears as a result of an ankle injury, it should be treated with drugs that promote its resorption and rapid tissue restoration. Most often these are Dolobene, Indovazin, Lyoton. They are applied topically and are noted to relieve pain. These ointments are not effective for fractures and ligament tears.
If the cause of pain in the ankle is an inflammatory process in the joint, then the rheumatologist will prescribe complex therapy, which includes:
It often happens that after removing the cast from the leg it hurts to walk and there is severe swelling. Don't panic. Most often, such complications go away quite quickly, but at the same time they can be a signal of a serious illness. Therefore, it is imperative to consult a doctor who will help determine the cause and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.
Typically, swelling appears either in the first days after applying the plaster, or after its removal during the recovery period. Here are the most common causes of leg swelling:
In addition to swelling, pain may also occur after the cast is removed. Its reasons may be as follows:
If any of these symptoms are present, you should consult a traumatologist. He will conduct a full examination and order an x-ray. Using this image, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Treatment of edema is divided into two methods: traditional and folk. In the first case, warming ointments are used. They are rubbed into the skin once or twice a day. Such drugs promote lymph outflow and improve blood circulation.
The doctor also prescribes massage without fail. It can be performed both in the clinic and at home after instructions from a massage therapist. In addition, the treatment program includes heating with an ultraviolet lamp, phonophoresis and electrophoresis.
In addition to traditional treatment, traditional medicine methods will help cope with edema. Here are some recipes:
To relieve pain, your doctor may prescribe analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. The duration of their use is also determined by the traumatologist. As with swelling, massage and regular exercise are prescribed.
Baths with herbal decoctions or sea salt will also help cope with pain. And wearing a brace, especially after breaking an ankle.
To relieve pain, you can use a compress of raw potatoes. The tuber is grated on a fine grater, and the resulting pulp is wrapped in gauze or cloth and applied to the sore spot.
To minimize the occurrence of swelling and pain, you must adhere to the following rules:
Getting rid of pain and swelling of the leg after removing the cast is not so difficult. The main thing to remember is that any rehabilitation should be carried out gradually. You can’t try to get rid of all the symptoms in one day; excessive stress can only cause harm.
What to do if your heel hurts when walking? Many people experience terrible discomfort while suffering from this problem. There are many methods to cope with the disease, but first you should determine the cause of the pain.
Heel pain when walking is a fairly common problem. In most cases, it is weak at first, occurs only from time to time, and gradually becomes stronger. Most people with this problem have pain in only one heel, but in about a third of cases, pain occurs in both heels.
As a rule, the pain is especially severe in the morning, or when a person begins to walk after several hours spent without moving.
After some time, the pain subsides, but it may intensify again if the person walks or stands for a very long time.
Why does your heel hurt when walking?
The most common cause of heel pain when walking is plantar fasciitis, a disorder also called a heel spur. This disorder is characterized by damage and thickening of the tissue connecting the heel bone to the rest of the foot - the plantar fascia. The reasons for this may be:
The following factors increase the risk of developing plantar fasciitis:
In more rare cases, the causes of heel pain during or after walking may include:
It's not always possible to prevent problems that cause heel pain when walking, but the following steps can help reduce your chance of developing them.
Maintain a normal weight. Excess weight and, in particular, obesity, lead to the fact that the heels are subjected to stress on a daily basis for which they are not designed. This leads to an increased risk of various foot injuries, not to mention the emergence of other health problems.
Obesity must be diagnosed by a doctor, but you can tell if you have a weight problem by calculating your body mass index (BMI). To do this, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.
Take care of your foot health. Always try to wear comfortable shoes. Of course, if you wear high heels or flats once a week, there will be no harm, but if you wear them constantly, it can lead to severe heel pain when walking.
Avoid walking barefoot on hard surfaces, especially if you only do so while on vacation. Very often, heel pain when walking occurs when a person who wears shoes for fifty weeks a year when going on vacation, but walks around barefoot for several hours a day.
Although our distant ancestors walked safely and even ran without shoes, the feet of modern humans are not accustomed to such loads, so you should not put such tests on your feet.
Short barefoot walks on the beach, of course, will not only do no harm, but will also be beneficial, but long walks without shoes are best avoided.
If heel pain occurs regularly when walking over several weeks, consult a doctor. First, he will ask you exactly when the pain occurs and when it goes away, how intense it is, and whether the pain is accompanied by any other symptoms.
To determine the cause of heel pain, your doctor may order an X-ray, blood test, Blood Test: Health Mirror, ultrasound, and/or magnetic resonance imaging.