How To Make Your Ankle Stop Hurting

How To Fake You Have A Sprained Ankle

If you are simply looking for attention but dont want to deal with the pain or very real possibility of hurting yourself, you can fake a sprained ankle. Understanding how to sprain your ankle is a key point in learning to fake it. You can gently fall down a flight of stairs, run outside and deliberately fall to the ground, or pretend you tripped over something. Then simply act as though you are in great pain.

Need to make it more authentic? Heres how:

When Should I Call My Doctor About Ankle Pain

• Ankle pain is severe or doesnt go away after two to three days of at-home treatment.
• Pain and swelling come on suddenly.
• The area is red or warm to the touch, or you have a fever, which could be a sign of infection.
• You cant put weight on your ankle.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Ankle pain is a symptom of many injuries and conditions. Swelling, stiffness and pain can make walking difficult or impossible. Most ankle injuries get better with treatments you can do at home, such as elevating your foot and getting plenty of rest. Ankle pain doesnt usually require surgery. If the pain is severe, you have a lot of swelling or the pain doesnt go away after a few days, see your provider. Several noninvasive treatments can help you get back on your feet.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/26/2020.

References

Can Ankle Injuries Be Prevented

Flexibility, strengthening, and balance exercises can help prevent an ankle injury or keep you from re-injuring your ankle.

Exercises for your ankles

Working your muscles can help protect your ligaments. You can start working on your ankle once your range of motion is back and you can put weight on it. If you are recovering from an injury, donât just work your injured ankle. Exercise the healthy one to keep it that way.

Flexibility training can loosen tight leg muscles. Try these stretches:

Heel stretch

Do these exercises six times a day for each leg, especially after exercise or another activity.

Leg-strengthening exercises

Strong leg muscles keep your ankles more stable. Grab a chair and take a seat to work the front and inner sides of your shins.

Front âpush-outâ

Front âpush-upâ

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Can I Prevent A Sprained Ankle

It’s impossible to prevent all ankle sprains. But these tips can make another one less likely:

• Stretch regularly to keep your ankles flexible.
• Do ankle range of motion and strengthening exercises to keep your muscles strong.
• Always warm up before playing sports, exercising, or doing any other kind of physical activity.
• Watch your step when you’re walking or running on uneven or cracked surfaces.
• Don’t overdo things. Being tired can make an injury more likely.
• Use tape, lace-up ankle braces, or high-top shoes to support the ankle.
• Wear shoes that fit well. Tie any laces and close any Velcro or other straps to make the shoes as supportive as possible.
• Don’t wear shoes with high heels.

Prevention And Treatment Of Ankle Pain

To treat inner ankle soreness, you can begin by reducing how long you run. Afterward, consider resting the foot and using ice to reduce inflammation swelling. You may also need to change your running shoes to one that better supports the arch of your foot. It’s also important to understand that you may still experience pain on the interior or exterior of your ankle without swelling.

Additionally, you can perform ankle exercises to strengthen the posterior tibial tendon, the calf muscles, and ankle stabilizers. You may also consider using Upstep’s custom orthotics for running. These orthotics will be designed to support your arch and reduce pressure on the posterior tibial tendon.

Inner ankle pain can be problematic for a runner and keep you off the track. However, by adhering to your exercises and getting your custom orthotics, youll be back out there sooner than you can imagine.

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What Causes Ankle Problems

Ankle problems are fairly common and can be caused by injuries like tripping or going over on your ankle. They can also be caused by a flare up of an existing problem or muscle weakness around the joint.

It’s common to have soft tissue injuries in the ankle. Soft tissues include ligaments, muscles and tendons.

How Do I Stretch My Ankle After A Sprain

After the initial pain and swelling from your ankle sprain have subsided and you can tolerate weight on your foot, you can begin stretching exercises in stages. The goal of these exercises is to restore your ankle’s range of motion.

Once ankle range of motion has been almost or completely restored, you must strengthen your ankle. Along with strengthening, you should work toward a feeling of stability and comfort in your ankle, which foot and ankle ankle orthopaedic specialists call proprioception.

Perform the following home exercises twice a day to stretch your ankle. If you experience any pain or other problems, consult with your foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon.

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Other Severe Ankle Pain Causes

Other conditions can eventually lead to severe ankle pain.

• Ankle impingement: This involves a bony growth at the front of the ankle bone where it meets the shinbone. It restricts the ankle’s range of motion and causes pain.
• Metabolic disorders: This may involve a buildup of mineral crystals within the joints, often in the big toe or the ankle. This causes intense pain and some swelling. The buildup may be caused by either uric acid crystals in people with gout or calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in those with pseudogout.

What Can Help Strengthen Your Ankles

Strengthening your ankles may help prevent ankle popping and ankle injuries.

Some types of exercises can help you target your peroneal muscles on the outside of your ankle, which help stabilize your ankle joint.

Here are some exercise ideas for targeting these muscles to improve the stability of your ankles.

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Anybody Know How To Make My Ankles Stop Hurting

Okay I play soccer as a striker. I’m pretty good but I kinda have a problem. My ankles are killing me. I mean I can run on them just fine but if I stop running they hurt like heck! Its not like it so bad I can’t play, but it is taking a toll on how fast I can run and my reaction time like quick turns and stuff like that. I either have a game or practice every day so I don’t really have a chance to rest my ankles. And whats worse is now if I don’t run my ankles hurt 2x more than if I had practice the day before. I was wondering if anybody knows what I can do to make my ankles hurt a little less. Thanks!

Benefits Of Keeping Active

Keeping active is an essential part of your treatment and recovery and is the single best thing you can do for your health.

Being physically active can:

• maintain your current levels of fitness even if you have to modify what you normally do, any activity is better than none
• keep your other muscles and joints strong and flexible
• prevent a recurrence of the problem

Avoid sports or heavy lifting until you have less discomfort and good movement. Remember to warm up before sports.

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Tools To Use For Ankle Pain

If you are experiencing ankle pain that worsens when you walk, there are plenty of at-home tools that can be used to minimize that discomfort. Immediately upon feeling any pain sensations, Dr. Garras recommends applying ice to the affected area to reduce inflammation. He recommends applying ice for 20 minutes and then taking a break for 20 minutes before reapplying. Make sure that the ice is wrapped in a towel so its not directly touching the skin, he adds.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like Tylenol, Motrin or Aleve are also helpful when used in short durations and in small quantities, according to Dr. Garras. These medications help reduce inflammation and pain which could hasten your recovery.

After a day or two on these over-the-counter drugs, if the pain continues, you should arrange for a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in foot and ankle injuries,” he says.

Compression garments, such as compression socks, can also help by reducing the swelling around the ankle caused by inflammation. But they may not be right in every situation.

They have also been shown to increase the ankles ability to determine where it is in space and therefore its ability to react in the event of a sprain or twist, adds Dr. Garras.

What Should I Do About Achilles Pain When I Run

To treat achilles pain at home, Andy recommends applying ice to the area if you can feel a lump there . You can also gently massage the area with your fingers.

You could also try using heel wedges in your shoes. Get advice about this from a sports or running shop.

See a GP or a physiotherapist if you have achilles pain that does not disappear after 3 to 4 weeks.

If you have a sudden, sharp pain, your achilles tendon may have torn. See a GP straight away if this is the case.

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What Causes Ankle Injuries

An ankle injury occurs when the ankle joint is twisted too far out of its normal position. Most ankle injuries occur either during sports activities or while walking on an uneven surface that forces the foot and ankle into an unnatural position. The unnatural position of the ankle in high-heeled shoes or walking in unstable, loose-fitting clogs or sandals is also a factor that may contribute to ankle injuries. In addition to wearing faulty footwear, an ankle injury can happen as a result of:

• Tripping or falling
• Landing awkwardly after a jump
• Walking or running on uneven surfaces
• A sudden impact such as a car crash
• Twisting or rotating the ankle
• Rolling the ankle

Does A Broken Ankle Ever Stop Hurting

After the healing process is complete, there will be chronic discomfort. When you have a fracture, it will ultimately mend and recover to the point where you are no longer in agony. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone. Some patients may feel pain long after the fracture and soft tissues have healed. This is due to other issues such as arthritis or previous injuries that aren’t visible to the eye but still cause pain.

In addition to this, there are other factors such as nerve damage, which can also lead to pain after the bone has healed. This type of pain is usually only experienced by a small percentage of patients and typically only affects those who have suffered from severe trauma.

The best way to tell if your pain is due to a non-healing fracture is by seeing your doctor. He or she will be able to examine you and determine the cause of your pain. If necessary, they can give you medication to take home to reduce the discomfort.

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Reasons Your Ankles Hurt From Running

When your ankles hurt from running, its important to identify the source of the pain and treat it immediately. Some pains may indicate more serious issues. Continue reading below to learn more about some of the causes of ankle pain and how to relieve it.

Theres nothing more frustrating than persistent, nagging pain when youre trying to run. The repeated impact of each step when running puts stress on our bodies which can result in sprains, tears, fractures, and chronic pain. Thankfully, with the right preventative measures in place, you can avoid a host of ankle-related challenges. Believe it or not, many runners run pain-free all the time because they take steps to avoid and prevent injury.

Ankle pain is one of the most common injuries that stop runners in their tracks. What starts as an annoying twinge can quickly turn into a throbbing mess if you dont nip it in the bud. So, how do you cope with consistent ankle pain? Lets take a look at the five of the most common reasons your ankle might be flaring up.

Sore Ankles from RunningOut of all the common running injuries we experience, sore ankles can be particularly brutal. Not only do they cut your training routine short, but they also seep into your day-to-day life. Want to take your dog for a walk? BAM! Ankle pain. It doesnt have to be that way. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to prevent, alleviate, and treat your ankle pain so you can get off the sidelines and back in the game.

What Kinds Of Ankle Injuries Are There

Ankle injuries are defined by the kind of tissue — bone, ligament, or tendon — that’s damaged. The ankle is where three bones meet — the tibia and fibula of your lower leg with the talus of your foot. These bones are held together at the ankle joint by ligaments, which are strong elastic bands of connective tissue that keep the bones in place while allowing normal ankle motion. Tendons attach muscles to the bones to do the work of making the ankle and foot move, and help keep the joints stable.

A fracture describes a break in one or more of the bones. A sprain is the term that describes damage to ligaments when they are stretched beyond their normal range of motion. A ligament sprain can range from many microscopic tears in the fibers that comprise the ligament to a complete tear or rupture. A strain refers to damage to muscles and tendons as a result of being pulled or stretched too far.

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You Ignore Pain Flare

If youre suffering from arthritis or a minor knee injury, you should take care to treat pain flare-ups. Treating the pain when it happens can help manage it. Follow the RICE procedure rest, ice, compression, elevation to calm your knee pain.

If your knee hurts, stop what youre doing and rest. Apply ice to reduce inflammation, consider wearing a compression bandage, and elevate your knee when resting.

What Can I Do For Ankle Pain After A Run

Some common ankle problems associated with excessive running are Achilles tendonopathy, a sprain, a stress fracture, and osteoarthritis. Whether it is sore or tight ankles or Achilles tendonitis, here is what you can do when your ankles are painful after running:

• Rest Your body has a natural healing process as new cells replace damaged ones, but it takes time and requires rest. So, stop running until your pain is completely gone, otherwise your injury can get worse. Either relax in the meantime or find alternative ways to exercise swimming is a good alternative while your ankle heals.
• Ice and cold therapy Applying ice packs to the affected ankle is an effective way to reduce your pain, as well as to reduce inflammation and swelling. The numbing effect can also be soothing for pain.
• Compression Wrap your painful ankle with KT tape , or use a splint that supports and stabilizes the ankle and controls any swelling.
• Elevate Keep your ankle raised above heart level when youre sitting or lying down in order to help reduce swelling.
• Stretch Gently stretch and massage your injured ankle to help reduce the pain and tension.
• Pain relievers Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, as recommended by your healthcare provider, can help ease the pain and inflammation of your injured ankle.

If pain and discomfort continues despite these efforts, see your healthcare provider for more advanced treatment.

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