Pain in the back of the ankle can make it difficult for you to run or walk. It may even affect your ability to stand, which makes your daily life quite a bit more challenging.
Occasional soreness in the ankles is a normal part of life, but when you have long-lasting ankle pain, it may be time to visit a physical therapist for treatment. Take a look below to learn more about what causes pain in the back of the ankles and how it can be treated.
Common causes of severe pain in the back of the ankle
Ankle pain can be related to some simple overexertion from a long day of physical activity. Often, it can go away after a couple of days of rest and gentle stretches. However, ankle pain that is more intense than usual or lasts for longer than a week may be related to one of these conditions:
- Sprain — A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. When walking, running or jumping, you may roll or twist your ankle too far, which causes its ligaments to sprain. This is extremely painful and limits your range of motion. Strains vary in severity with some needing no more than a week or two of rest and others needing more comprehensive professional treatment.
- Arthritis — Arthritis causes the cartilage in the joints of your body to wear down, which can affect your ankles. When the cartilage in your ankles is damaged, it can be painful to put weight on them and they may become stiffer.
- Tendinitis — Repetitive use of the ankles can cause inflammation in the tendons. This can affect your Achilles tendon, which is a long tendon that runs along the back of your ankle from the heel to the calf. Inflammation in this tendon causes pain in the back of the ankle and limits your range of motion.
- Bursitis — Small sacs of fluid known as the bursae keep your tendons from rubbing against the bones and other soft tissue. Repetitive use of the ankles for physically demanding activities can cause the bursae in them to become inflamed, which is painful and limits your range of motion.
- Achilles tendon rupture — A hard impact to the ankle can cause the Achilles tendon in the back of it to partially or completely tear. When this happens, there will be in pain in the back of your ankle and you may be unable to put any weight on it.
Visit Border Therapy Services for ankle pain treatment
Our physical therapists at Border Therapy Services specialize in many treatments for reducing pain and improving range of motion in injured ankles, including:
- Therapeutic exercise
- Gentle stretches
- Joint mobilization
- Soft tissue mobilization and more
If you’re suffering from long-lasting pain in the back of your ankle, talk to one of our team members to find out what we can do for you. Contact us today to talk to our team about ankle pain treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.