Recognize the Signs and Check for Ankle Pain

Sometimes you have some problem with your ankle. Weakness or pain in the ankles and other symptoms are common discomforts. Let's see what disease your ankle is suffering from!

Common ankle problems

Ankle pain is usually caused by some injury to the ankle such as a sprain, strain, or fracture.

Sprains

Sprains are the most common ankle injury. This is a condition in which the ligaments in your ankle are torn or stretched. You must have at least once in your life flipped or twisted your foot. If you have swelling and pain afterward, you may have sprained your ankle. Repeated episodes of severe sprains can cause chronic ankle pain later in life. Common symptoms of a sprain include:

• Swelling and bruising in the affected area;
• Pain when you move or put weight on your leg;
• Pain when you touch the ankle;
• Feeling like there's a tear in your leg;
• The pain gets worse if left untreated.

Muscle tension

A muscle strain is a condition in which the muscles are stretched and can lead to tearing. Common symptoms of ankle strain include:

• Pain in the muscles of the ankle and joints both when you are active or at rest;
• Swelling, bruising, redness in damaged areas;
• Muscle spasms;
• Reduced mobility in damaged muscles in the ankle.

Broken ankle

An ankle fracture is a break in one or more bones in the ankle area. Fractures can range from simple to severe. A mild fracture in one bone may not limit your movement, but a severe fracture can reduce your range of motion and may make it impossible for you to walk. If you break a bone in your ankle area, you may have these symptoms:

• Severe pain immediately after the injury;
• Swelling and bruising in the ankle;
• Pain when you touch the broken area;
• Ankle deformity.

Several other diseases in the body can affect the ankle and cause pain. These include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or septic arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. When you have osteoarthritis, the cartilage that cushions your joints is damaged. Common symptoms include:

• Pain in the ankle when you touch it;
• Pain in the affected area;
• Limited range of motion in the ankle;
• Unable to walk;
• Swelling and stiffness in the ankle joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own joints. This is a chronic condition, characterized by swollen, stiff, and painful joints. This condition can damage the cartilage and bone around the joints. If you have rheumatoid arthritis in your ankle, you may have these symptoms:

• Pain in the ankle;
• Swelling, stiffness;
• Fatigue and weight loss;
• The joint surface is slightly warm;
• Limit movement of the ankle.

Gout

Gout occurs when there is too much uric acid in your blood. Then, uric acid can form crystals in the joints. Over time, gout can damage joints, tendons, and other tissues in the body. Common symptoms of this condition are pain, swelling, redness, and heat that appear in the ankle joint. You may have difficulty walking or standing.

Infectious arthritis

Septic arthritis is an infection in your ankle joint. Infections can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Symptoms include:

• Pain in the joints;
• Swelling, redness in the affected area;
• Mild fever and chills;
• Difficulty walking or moving the ankle joint.

When to see a doctor?

You can try some home remedies first. But it's important to know when to seek help from doctors.

You should go to a hospital or medical center if your symptoms become severe and you see at least one of the following signs:

• You feel severe pain in your ankle;
• your ankle is swollen;
• You see an open wound in the affected area;
• Deformed ankle;
• You suspect that your ankle is infected, symptoms of infection include: low-grade fever (more than 37.8°C), red and painful ankle swelling;
• You cannot walk or move your ankle.

Your doctor will do?

Your doctor may prescribe certain medications or use physical therapy such as hot/cold packs; There are a number of home remedies you can use to treat ankle pain on your own. In the case of repeated sprains or severely damaged ankles that do not show any signs of improvement, doctors may use foot orthotics to help you stabilize your foot and ankle joint and normal sports activities.

How do doctors diagnose painful ankles?

When you visit your doctor, they will diagnose the pain to determine the exact cause.

Medical history

Asking you about your medical history is often the first step in making a diagnosis. Here are some questions your doctor may ask you:

• What are your symptoms? Do you feel pain, numbness or weakness in your ankle?
• How long do these symptoms last?
• Have you suffered a sports injury, fall or traffic accident?
• How did you treat yourself? Has the situation improved?
• Have you had any ankle problems before?
• What did you do in that situation?
• Has your ankle fully recovered from that problem?
• Depending on your situation, the questions may change. But in any case, you should try to answer them all correctly to help your doctor make a diagnosis.

Medical examination

After asking the patient, the doctor will examine your ankle. The doctor will look for abnormalities such as swelling, pain, or redness in the ankle.

Your doctor will move your ankle or ask you to move the ankle yourself. They will then check the sensations and movements in the ankle. Please answer the doctor's questions correctly.

Image analysation

Imaging is sometimes used to provide detailed information and pictures of the affected ankle. X-rays are used to show pictures of bones. A CT scan is a multi-slice scan that shows many of the structures in your ankle, such as organs, blood vessels, and bones. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan provides images of the structures inside your ankle, which is useful for diagnosing diseases of the cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.

Ankle pain is a common condition. It could be a symptom of a simple problem in the ankle. But it can also come from a serious illness. You should see a chiropractor or chiropractor to check for symptoms in order to detect the disease early and treat it promptly.