The ankle made up of a complex variety of bones, ligaments, tendons, veins, nerves, and other tissues are susceptible to injury and disease, resulting in pain and discomfort. For severe ankle pain, it’s always the best idea to seek treatment from your podiatrist to get the proper diagnosis and care and to prevent reinjury and chronic ankle pain and instability.
Common ankle problems that cause pain and discomfort include:
- Stress and acute fractures
- Achilles tendonitis or rupture
- Ankle sprains and strains
- Bursitis
- Gout
- Plantar fasciitis
- Various types of arthritis
Initial treatment for severe ankle pain mainly consists of the RICE protocol:
- Rest—Stop what you were doing when the injury occurred and immediately take the weight off the affected foot to prevent worsening the injury.
- Ice—Apply an ice pack two or three times per hour for ten-minute intervals.
- Compression—Wrapping the ankle with a compression bandage will reduce movement and swelling.
- Elevation—While lying on your back, raise your foot on a pillow above the level of your heart to help reduce fluid retention and swelling.
Take NSAIDs to reduce pain and inflammation. Severe cases involving tendon breaks or bone fractures may require surgery.
If your ankle pain and discomfort do not improve after the first day, it may be a sign of a more severe problem requiring treatment by your foot doctor. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.