Ankle Pain, ouch! Support & Strengthen Your Ankle

Many different injuries and infirmaries cause ankle pain, but one thing is sure, when you have ankle pain, you will be off your feet for a while. In some cases, adjustments can be made to keep you upright and function at some level, but the pain will be with you night and day.

Your ankle is made up of bones, tissues, ligaments and tendons that work in concert to help a person walk, run, stand upright and engage in many other movements.

Working from home during the pandemic has been a trying experience for many; when you have ankle pain, the experience can affect performance. You can’t sit or stand for any period of time you need to complete the tasks assigned by your employer.

When you are in pain and are looking for a place to help reduce and alleviate the ankle pain you feel, know that help is just a phone call away. We at Care-Med have a medical devices to help keep you active in less than ergonomic circumstances to help keep you at a high productive level.

Working with your physician’s instructions, we will provide a medical device that keeps your medical condition from impairing your ability to earn a living. Our certified, credentialed practitioners have a wealth of experience in ankle care.

We know that you are in pain, and we would like to help you understand why you are in pain and help you with the decision-making process to get you back to where you need to be.

What causes ankle pain?

Ankle pain comes from many different afflictions. It can be a pain that shoots through the ankle to a dull ache that never seems to subside. Sprains and strains are commonplace because rolling your ankle is an injury that occurs from many different activities.

An Achilles tendon rupture

The Achilles tendon connects your heel bone to your calf muscle. It is a band of tissue that be torn because you have overstretched, taken a fall or injured in a sports-related incident.

Some drugs have side effects that affect the mobility of the Achilles tendon and sometimes cause it to weaken and become ruptured. You know there are problems with your Achilles tendon if you experience the following symptoms:

1. You have a lack of range of in motion in your ankle during activities
2. You have a shooting pain that comes on quickly without notice, in your calf or ankle at rest or during activities.
3. You hear the sound of popping or snapping in your ankle when moving around.
4. You have problems that are created by extending onto tippy toes or climbing stairs at any time.
5. You have increased swelling at the back of your leg or ankle by causes undetermined.

Surgery is the only treatment for an Achilles tendon injury.

Ankle fractures

When you have a broken or fractured tibia or fibula, you have a fractured ankle. It is defined as one or more bones in the ankle that lost structural integrity due to impact or movements that don’t align with the ankle’s radius of movement. A fracture or bone break can be a clean break or a bone that splinters into pieces.

Symptoms that confirm a fracture or ankle break are as follows: pain that runs through the lower portion of your leg, swelling – in the ankle area or higher up the leg, blisters form at the area where the injury has been felt, you can’t walk or move your foot, and a broken bone that is creating pressure against the skin in your ankle foot area. Sometimes a person will need surgery to address the problem; at other times, a cast can correct the break.

Soft tissue damage

When you sprain or strain your ankle, it is classified as a soft tissue injury. The severity of the injury will determine the pain a person will feel, and discomfort from the injury is a byproduct of the problem.

A sprain is classified as an overstretching of a ligament – it is a band of tissue that connects bones together like a rubber band. An ankle strain, on the other hand, is an injury to the muscles or Achilles tendon. Tendons are the linchpins that attach your bones to muscles in your ankles and legs. The ankle is one of the most complex joints in the human body, and sprains and strains often occur when you are active or have accidents.

The symptoms that will tell you that a sprain or strain has occurred are: you hear a popping or snapping sound that come from the ankle region and you can’t stand with confidence, swelling is prevalent, your ankle is exceptionally tender.

Gout

Gout is an arthritic condition that comes from too much uric acid building up in your ankle area, causing swelling and pain. Gout will travel through the ankle to the foot, and the big toe is where it comes to rest.

Heredity plays a role in gout, as does diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Gout symptoms are pain in the evening or after a walk, swelling, and radiating heat around the ankle joint.

Infections

An open cut, a trauma to the ankle or surgery can be a place for bacterial infections to grow and prosper, entering your ankle joint through the broken skin.

An ankle infection can cause the following symptoms: fatigue and feeling poorly, a fever caused by the infection, pain/redness, swelling and warmth that is released in the infected area. If you suffer from an ankle infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to counter the problem – if the infection is minor is can be dealt with in a few days.

Osteoarthritis

When your cartilage erodes, it causes bone on bone rubbing, and that, in a nutshell, is osteoarthritis. Symptoms include but aren’t limited to: ankle pain, bone growth in the ankle region, a sense of stiffness in the ankle, a swollen ankle and trouble with walking or bending of the ankle are all symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Flat foot

Also known as fallen arches or posterior tendon dysfunction affects one foot, and it is a problem of the tendon that works to support your foot’s arch. Your arch will receive impact from the ground, as it will contact the ground when walking, running, climbing stairs or any other activity that involves standing.

When you see your foot’s arch flatten: you experience pain at the outside of your foot, pain is experienced during activities that use the tendon (walking/running/climbing stairs), and intense swelling in the foot and around the ankle indicates flat feet.

This is a condition that gets worse over time and can be corrected by a physician.

Rheumatoid arthritis

When your joint lining is under attack, it is caused by rheumatoid arthritis. It causes your immune system to recognize you’re your joint lining as a threat and works to eliminate it, and it is a problem for the ankles and feet.

If you have difficulty moving your ankle, have acute pain and swelling, you may be experiencing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

What to do next

If you have any of the problems outlined in this article, consult a physician immediately to get the treatment you need.

Once you have a physician’s diagnosis and recommendation to amend the problem, come to us at Care-Med for the help you need. We have been serving the Greater Toronto Area for more than 13 years with excellent medical devices that help eliminate pain and suffering for any individual who consults our services.

At Care-Med, we accept all major insurance carriers. We accept the following benefits packages: Veteran’s Affairs, Circle of Care, ADP, ODSP and Ontario Works to help with your payment.