Video:Overview of Ankle Pain
with Dr. Robert FenellThere are a lot of different ways to injure your ankle and a lot of ways to treat your ankle pain. Here's a quick overview to the causes and solutions for ankle pain.See Transcript
Transcript:Overview of Ankle Pain
Hello, I'm Dr. Robert Fenell, founder of HandAndFootClinicsOfAmerica.com, and I'm here today on behalf of About.com to talk to you about the causes of ankle pain.
Causes of Ankle Pain
Ankle pain can be the result of an acute injury, such as an ankle sprain, or from some inflammatory process such as arthritis. Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries to the ankle, causing pain, discomfort, swelling and loss of function. Ankle sprains will usually be the result of the foot being turned or twisted while walking in rough terrain or on uneven surfaces. When a sprained ankle occurs, the ligaments that hold the bones of the ankle and foot to the leg become overstretched and partially torn. This causes an inflammatory response and causes swelling to develop in the local area. Another less common cause of ankle pain is from rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis. When this occurs, there is typically swelling that builds up in the ankle joint, causing pain, dysfunction and a loss of strength.
Drugs to Treat Ankle Pain
There are a couple of different common methods for alleviating ankle pain. The first one is over-the-counter or prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS. This can help to reduce the swelling and inflammation and alleviate the symptoms. In more severe cases, such as with rheumatoid arthritis, the doctor may even prescribe a corticosteroid type medication.
Alternative Methods of Treating Ankle Pain
A conservative approach to treating ankle pain successfully is by using chiropractic or osteopathic joint manipulation to the misaligned ankle bones that are causing the pain. By improving the healthy alignment of the joints of the ankle, this can help to restore function, strength and range of motion, and alleviate the symptoms associated with the ankle pain. Once the ankle pain has been corrected and resolved, it's a good idea to strengthen the ankle joint, and do various exercises or stretches to improve range of motion and strength in the local area. Consulting with a physical therapist or a chiropractor is a great way to get the proper stretches for your particular condition.
Thanks so much for joining me today. If you would like to find out more, please visit us online at About.com.
