The foot and therefore, the ankle, is a necessary part of walking and human movement. When injured, foot or ankle pain make even short walks for work or daily activities unbearable. Because we rely on our feet as a support function for a number of other tasks, a small foot injury can become a mild inconvenience. This makes taking care of your feet important.
Quite a lot of things can cause ankle pain, but the most common is gout, arthritis, Reactive Arthritis, and foot inflammation. Injury in the ankle can be divided into 3 different levels of severity.
The different levels of ankle pain severity
- The first, is a general tear in the ankle.
- The second, is a larger tear in the ligaments that support the foot.
- The third level, is a complete tear in the ligaments. In all cases, the joints are swollen and painful, the ankle can be considered “fractured”, and the foot, hamstring, and glutes, are all affected as a result.
How should ankle pain be treated?
Inflammation should be treated with a cold compress on the swollen (and often red) areas. The cold compress can be either with ice or a gel-based cooling pad. Redness, heat, and pain will very likely occur in the first 24-48 hours after injury, so it might be wise to take a mild pain reliever.
After 48 hours have passed, switch to a warm compresses on the affected area to help the muscle recover from injury the injury. Because heat causes blood vessels to expand, blood flow is increased which supplies the muscle with the necessary oxygen and nutrients it needs to heal.
After the inflammatory condition of the muscles is improved, gentle massaging and very gentle stretching can then be used to relieve muscle tension or to help improve the movement of the ankle
For more information and tips on this, drop by any time at our clinic.
