Your ankles go through a lot on a daily basis because they have to support your body weight while you stand or walk. So when you’re experiencing an ache in your ankle, it can be difficult to carry out your daily physical activities. When that ankle pain is persistent for months, it can interfere with your quality of life.
Chronic lateral ankle pain can make you feel like the pain will never go away. The good news is that physical therapy can be an effective treatment option for alleviating the pain. But how do you know when you should seek physical therapy? What does chronic lateral ankle pain actually feel like? That’s what we’re here to answer.
Read on to learn about the basics of chronic lateral ankle pain, potential causes of the ache and how physical therapy can help.
What is chronic lateral ankle pain and how do I know if I have it?
Chronic lateral ankle pain refers to persistent pain on the lateral region of the ankle, or the outer side of the joint. For a medical condition to be considered chronic, it usually must last for more than three months.
If you believe that you’re experiencing lateral ankle pain, here are symptoms to be aware of:
- Constant dull ache.
- Instability
- Stiffness
- Tenderness
Even though pain is the most prominent symptom, people with chronic lateral ankle pain often experience ankle instability at the same time. In fact, a study showed that up to 79% of research participants had ankle pain associated with chronic ankle instability.
3 potential causes of chronic lateral ankle pain
The key to treating your ankle pain is to determine what caused it. There are a variety of reasons why you could be experiencing chronic lateral ankle pain, but it often stems from sustaining an acute ankle sprain, especially one that hasn’t properly healed. The injury can also lead to painful scar tissue. Up to 40% of ankle sprains lead to symptoms such as chronic pain and instability that can last more than a year.
Besides an ankle sprain, here are three other potential reasons for lateral ankle pain:
- Arthritis — Since the ankle consists of multiple joints, it’s a common location for arthritis. Arthritis in the ankle can occur when the cartilage breaks down in the joint, causing pain and reduced mobility. The types of arthritis that are most common in the ankle are osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Tendon injury — There are two tendons that run along the foot, called peroneal tendons, that start behind the outer ankle bone. Injuring the peroneal tendon that runs along the outer side of your foot can cause chronic ankle pain and weakness. A tendon injury can occur from wear and tear, trauma, or wearing unsupportive shoes. You can also develop peroneal tendinitis due to overuse.
- Fracture — People who perform repetitive, weight-bearing activities on their feet, such as running or playing sports, could develop a stress fracture in one of the bones that make up the ankle joint. The lateral ankle pain from a stress fracture often worsens during activity and fades while at rest.
How physical therapy can help chronic lateral ankle pain
Ankle pain is one of the most common reasons that people seek physical therapy. The goal of physical therapy is to not only help reduce your ankle pain and accelerate the healing process from an injury, but to also restore its strength, function and mobility.
A physical therapist will determine the best techniques to help alleviate your pain and restore your ankle’s range of motion based on the cause and severity of the injury or medical condition.
One of the most effective physical therapy treatments for lateral ankle pain is a guided therapeutic exercise plan. A physical therapist will walk you through exercises that will strengthen the muscles surrounding your ankle to decrease the pressure placed on the joint and increase support to reduce the risk of injury. They will also show you stretching exercises to increase your ankle’s flexibility and range of motion.
Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch PT for chronic lateral ankle pain
At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’re proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need.
Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that’s close to you and that can help you address chronic lateral ankle pain.
Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform.
Come find help for your ankle pain today!
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