Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Take immediate action
• Part 2 of 3: Treating aching ankles at home
• Part 3 of 3: Preventing aching ankles in the future
• Tips
• Warnings

A painful ankle is often the result of overload and tired feet. The strain or painful feet may have been caused by wearing new shoes or when you have walked a greater distance than usual on foot. A sore ankle is different from sharp pain, bruising, numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation. You can use the instructions in this article to relieve pain when you have ankle pain. If you are experiencing more than pain, such as not being able to put stress on the ankle without support, you may have sprained your ankle or suffered other injuries. In such a case, you should seek medical attention.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Take immediate action

1. Rest for at least thirty minutes. Lie down or sit and make sure that your legs and feet are no longer strained. Place them on a soft object and try not to move them as long as you see fit. Depending on the degree of pain you are experiencing, you may not need to strain your legs and feet for more than 30 minutes. In some cases this can take up to a whole day. Consider stopping the activity that caused your ankle pain, or interrupting the activity several times to take a break.
   • If your foot is very painful, immobilize it and avoid touching it for the first few hours after the injury.
   • Try to put your ankles above the level of your heart. This makes it more difficult for blood to flow to the area of ​​injury, reducing the risk of swelling.
   • Rest in a place where others will not disturb you, for example in a chair in your living room or on your bed.
   • If your ankle continues to hurt, you should use the RICE method. This method is further described in the second section of this article.
2. Examine your aching ankles. Does anything look different from normal or do you feel something strange? Pay particular attention to swelling, discoloration, asymmetry between both feet, limited range of motion, or pain. A painful ankle is usually accompanied by mild swelling, but you can probably still put strain on your ankle. If you experience more than pain and mild swelling, examples are listed below, you should contact your doctor. You will probably need an X-ray of your ankle for the following symptoms:
   • Rapid and sudden swelling that you did not see coming
   • Discoloration
   • Visible skin injury, bruises, open wounds, or infections
   • Asymmetry between both feet or legs
   • Abnormal joint movement
   • More than just pain (a sharp pain, burning, cold or tingling sensation)
   • A big difference in the temperature in your foot or ankle and the rest of your body
   • Lack of feeling in your foot or ankle
3. Determine if you need further medical attention. In most cases, painful ankles are the result of overuse. So for example when you have walked or run too much. However, a sore ankle, swelling, and other pain can also be the result of more serious medical conditions. Contact your doctor if you notice any of the points below regarding your painful ankle:
   • If you are more than 20 weeks pregnant and your ankles are quickly and considerably swollen. Sudden swelling in the ankles can indicate pre-eclampsia, or high blood pressure. Pre-eclampsia (more popularly known as preeclampsia) requires immediate medical attention.
   • When you experience pain in only one of your ankles, even though you have put the same strain on both ankles. This can be a sign that something is wrong with your ankle and that the pain is not caused by overload alone.
   • The pain persists or gets worse over time.
   • Pain in ankles and feet has been included as a possible side effect of any medication you are taking.
   • Ankle and foot pain has been described as a symptom of a more serious medical condition that affects you. This includes diabetes.
   • You may need to walk with crutches until the pain is gone and you can walk normally again.

Part 2 of 3: Treating aching ankles at home

1. Apply the RICE method. The abbreviation stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This is a standard method of treating a painful joint.
   • Make sure to rest the joint and walk with crutches if you are unable to put weight on your ankle.
   • Cool the painful joint with ice. Applying ice should be done every two to three hours for 15 to 20 minutes at a time for the first 48 hours after the injury or until the swelling has subsided significantly. You can use a sealed bag of ice, cold compress, frozen meats, frozen peas, or any other cold object. If you leave the ice on your skin for more than 30 minutes, you run the risk of frostbite which can cause long-term damage to your body part. Placing a towel between your skin and the ice can make cooling the injury more comfortable, but it will slightly diminish the benefits of the cooling. The sooner you start cooling the painful ankle after you first notice the pain, the more likely the pain will disappear soon.
   • Use a compression bandage, such as an elastic bandage, to reduce swelling and inflammation.
   • Keep your ankle above the level of your heart so that blood and lymph fluid flow back to your heart.
   • The use of NSAIDs is also characterized by its anti-inflammatory effect.
2. Consider applying heat. Wrap your painful ankle in a warm object once a day for ten to fifteen minutes to promote blood circulation and reduce joint stiffness. Heat can promote flexibility and relaxation of the muscles.
   • You could use a pitcher, a bottle suitable for hot water, a towel, or an electric blanket.
   • If you use a hot object, you run the risk of burning yourself or irritating your skin in addition to irritating the damaged muscles around your ankle.
   • Placing a towel between your skin and the warm object can make it more comfortable and better regulate the object's heat.
3. Gently massage your aching ankle to relax the muscles. Also try massaging the rest of your foot and calf to relax the other parts of the body that may have contributed to the pain you are experiencing in your ankle.
   • Ask someone else to massage your foot, but give yourself a massage when no one else can do it.
   • Place a tennis ball under your sore foot and roll your foot over the ball. Make sure you place your weight gently on the ball so that you don't slip and fall, but still apply enough pressure to simulate a massage.
   • Dive into the physiology of the foot before deciding to give yourself a deep and intense massage.
4. Move your foot up and down. While sitting, you can use your muscles in your shin and the top of your foot to make a right angle and raise your toes. Count to ten. Then lower your foot to make a straight line with your shin and top of your foot. Count to ten again. Repeat this ten times a day.
5. Bend ankle inward. While sitting, you can bend your foot inward so that the outside of your ankle is close to the floor and you can see the side of your big toe. This will stretch your ankle. Count to ten. Repeat this ten times a day.
6. Bend your ankle out. While sitting, you can bend your foot outward so that your big toe and heel are touching the ground, but use your ankle and the outside of your foot to lift your little toe off the ground. With this you train the muscles in your ankle. Count to ten. Repeat this ten times a day.
7. Stretch the muscles in your ankle with the help of a kick. Stand on the edge of a step, lower your ankles a few inches down to stretch the back of your foot and calf. Hold this position for ten seconds. Slowly and steadily bring yourself back to the starting position. Repeat this ten times a day.

Part 3 of 3: Preventing aching ankles in the future

1. Develop a plan for reducing or addressing sore ankles.
   • If you've been running or exercising too much, you may want to slow down from now on or slowly increase the intensity of your physical activity to avoid pain. Use the different exercises described in this article to strengthen the muscles in your feet, even if your ankles are no longer bothering you.
   • If a medical condition is the cause of the pain, you should work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan. This may include losing weight, taking medication, or making lifestyle changes.
2. Warm up before exercising. By doing stretching exercises and a warm-up, you can significantly reduce the risk of muscle injuries and pain. Ask your trainer or coach which warm-up is best for your sport.
   • A warm-up usually consists of light exercises that target your ankles, not literally warming up your ankle with a heat source. However, some exercises developed by experts focus on temperature control.
3. Take other measures throughout the day to make sure you maintain strong and healthy ankles.
   • Wear comfortable and supportive shoes with a heel no higher than an inch. Consider wearing high shoes during activities that can strain your ankles.
   • While sitting you should adopt a good posture and place your feet flat on the floor. Do not cross your legs or bend your ankles to an abnormal position when you sit.
   • Sleep with your legs and ankles in a relaxed position and keep them as stretched as possible. Your ankles should not be bent or stretched.
   • Exercise regularly so that periods in which you exercise intensively do not lead to sore ankles.
   • Make sure your diet has the right nutrients to keep both your bones and muscles strong and healthy. A lack of calcium, vitamins or other minerals can lead to increased muscle stiffness and weaker bones.
   • Do plenty of stretching, muscle strengthening and proprioception exercises.
   • Consider getting your ankle taped.

Tips

• If the pain gets worse, you should contact your doctor to seek advice or make an appointment.
• In general, the RICE method is recommended for minor sports injuries. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. These four treatments for sprains can also be used to treat painful ankles.
• If you have no choice but to put weight on the painful ankle, wear a brace temporarily. These are available online, at pharmacies or drug stores, among others.
• Persistent pain in ankles (and aching joints) can result from carrying extra weight over a long period of time and may be a sign that you are overweight for the joints of your body.
• If none of these physical treatments are feasible, try over-the-counter pain relievers.
• You can prevent sore ankles by strengthening your ankles and doing more frequent exercises targeting your ankles.
• You just don't have to cool yourself with ice and warm up with a heat source. Choose one of the two methods that works best for you. You also should not cool your ankle and then warm it up. Only expose yourself to room temperature after cooling or heating it.
• Place your foot in a small bucket of water and ice for at least five minutes at a time.

Warnings

• If you are pregnant and the pain is accompanied by rapid swelling, you should see your doctor.
• If the pain persists, gets worse, or is more than simple pain, see your doctor.
• If you have diabetes and experience pain in your foot, you should see your doctor.