What causes chronic ankle pain and what is the treatment?
It is a term used to describe pain and discomfort that a patient complains about in the ankle area. You are dealing with chronic ankle pain if this symptom has been bothering you for more than 6 weeks (several months or even years).
Surprisingly, many patients cannot recall the specific situation or type of injury that caused the pain. When presenting with this complaint, patients often explain that the discomfort has progressed over time and the intensity of the pain has increased.
When describing the symptom, some patients describe the pain as sharp, stabbing, while for others, the discomfort is only a dull ache. Some patients experience swelling of the ankle or the entire lower limb along with the pain.
Typically, chronic ankle pain is bothersome during vigorous physical activity or prolonged standing, and is less bothersome when the patient is sitting or lying down.
The most common causes are:
- An ankle sprain that has not healed properly for some reason;
- A stress fracture;
- A blow to the ankle;
- A cartilage injury;
- Arthritis;
- Tendinitis;
- Problems with the spine, nerves, or immune system.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The doctor will assess the complaint, review the patient's history, and order an X-ray. In some clinical cases, additional diagnostic tests, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), may be needed.
Treatment methods include:
- Anti-inflammatory medications;
- Physiotherapy;
- Wearing special orthopedic shoes for a period of time;
- Corticosteroid injections;
- If conservative treatment is not effective, the doctor will prescribe a surgical procedure.
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