What to do when your ankle hurts
Legs are subject to constant physical exertion, which can be aggravated by excess weight of a person, walking in high heels or lifting various heavy loads. In this case, the main effect is on the ankle joint. As a movable connecting link of the shin and foot bones, the ankle performs an important function in the musculoskeletal system. But your ankles hurt not only from fatigue caused by excessive exertion. Ailments are often associated with the complex anatomical structure of the ankle joint, the stabilizing part of which is the inner and outer ankles. Tendons and ligaments connect and anchor the bones of the ankle, and muscles provide movement, abduction, and plantar flexion. The blood supply is carried out by the anterior and posterior tibial and peroneal arteries. The branches of the sciatic nerve perform its innervation. A functional impairment of each of the elements of this complex structure can cause its disease, while it is very difficult to understand why the ankles hurt.
Why do ankles hurt
If the ankle hurts when walking, this can be associated with both wearing uncomfortable shoes and with the presence of serious diseases, which are not always directly related to the legs. It is possible to establish the exact cause of the appearance of unpleasant sensations only by taking into account the nature of the pain sensations and the accompanying symptoms. Ankles hurt with the following diseases:
- Sprain, muscle tear, fracture of one or both ankles. Injury can result from an unsuccessful jump from a height or a sharp twisting of the leg while walking or falling. Severe pain is always accompanied by swelling of the affected area;
- Osteoarthritis. Deformation of the joints is caused by damage to their cartilage tissue. The most common causes of this process are excess weight and uncomfortable shoes. Pain can be when walking and at rest. The manifestations of the disease are different: the ankle is swollen and sore, gait is disturbed, joint mobility is limited, and a neglected form can lead to the complete impossibility of its work;
- Arthritis. Various types of joint damage caused by inflammatory processes, metabolic disorders, degenerative diseases. Distinguish osteoarthritis, in which age-related wear of the surface of the joints occurs, it is typical for the elderly, while the ankles hurt in any position of the leg. Post-traumatic stress disorder develops, as a rule, after injuries and bruises. Rheumatoid - often hereditary tissue inflammation, leading to the destruction of the joints;
- Gout. A disease associated with the accumulation of uric acid in the blood, which leads to its crystalline deposits on the joints in the form of the formation of gouty nodes on their surface. Caused by impaired renal function, clinically manifested as acute arthritis. It is considered a disease of the elderly, more often men, since the synthesis of uric acid can be triggered by an increased intake of alcoholic beverages, including beer;
- Achilles tendonitis. Inflammation resulting from prolonged overexertion. In this case, the ankle hurts along the tendon, and there is swelling near the heel. Long-term suppressed inflammation can even lead to tendon rupture. The disease occurs when playing sports, associated with a sharp increase in the load on the ankle joint, in women - when wearing shoes with an uncomfortable shoe with high heels. Disease prevention can be exercises aimed at stretching muscles and tendons and improving their elasticity;
- Fractures of the bones of the heel and foot. The ankle swells and hurts, while the pain can be unbearable and accompanied by visible limb deformity, hemorrhages and swelling.
Ankle pain treatment
In order for the therapy to be effective, it is necessary to accurately diagnose the reason - why the ankles hurt.
If the pain has arisen as a result of overwork, it is useful to make contrasting baths for the feet; in this case, it is always necessary to end the procedure with a cold drench. You should rest, keeping your legs in an elevated position, and to improve blood circulation, you can use special creams based on horse chestnut extract. At the same time, try not to abuse the overload of the legs with uncomfortable shoes, which can cause serious diseases.
If the ankle hurts due to the constant stress caused by the excess weight of a person, it is necessary to work on the cause. The transition to the correct diet will not only contribute to weight loss, but also improve metabolic processes throughout the body, including in the ankle joints. If you are overweight, then you can use an elastic bandage to fix and strengthen the joints of the feet and reduce the load on them.
For any injuries to the legs, it is important to immediately seek help from a medical institution; you should not self-medicate. Only an X-ray image can determine the degree of damage and serve as the basis for the appointment of appropriate treatment. Before the arrival of an ambulance, in order to reduce pain, you can use a cold compress on the focus, but it is important to prevent frostbite of the tissues in a panic. The ankle joint should also be fixed, ensuring complete rest.
Treatment of ankle pain caused by joint, muscle or tendon disease should be closely monitored by a healthcare professional. But on the basis of a visual examination, it is impossible to accurately identify the factor of malaise. Therefore, only carrying out special studies, such as magnetic tomography, X-rays, a complex of laboratory tests, will help to establish the reason why the ankles hurt.
In any case, if the ankle hurts often when walking, this should be a reason for an urgent visit to the doctor. Since untimely treatment can lead to a chronic form of various kinds of diseases, each of which is destructive, and in the future is likely to cause disability.
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