How to Get Effective Relief from Ankle Pain
Best Los Angeles ankle doctors first examine your ankle injury to determine the cause. They may order X-rays to get detailed images of your bones and to rule out bone fractures. They may also order an MRI to get detailed images of your ankle and foot tissues and ligaments.
Your doctor may recommend resting and elevating your ankle to reduce swelling. They may also recommend ice packs and over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Generally, the first step in treating any ankle injury is to rest. Your doctor will recommend avoiding activities that can cause pain until you’ve healed. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may provide temporary relief until you feel better. You can also try alternating heat and ice to help reduce swelling. Make sure to wrap the ice or heat pack in a towel to avoid burning your skin. Always elevate the injured area while applying ice or whenever you’re sitting or lying down to minimize swelling.
Heel pain, known as plantar fasciitis is a common foot and ankle issue that can be caused by stress on the ligament that supports the arch of the foot called the plantar fascia. Rest, ice, compression and elevation are the best at-home treatments to ease heel pain.
The foot and ankle support the weight of the body, absorb shock, control movement and provide balance and mobility. They are a complex structure of muscles, ligaments and tendons that must function properly. Injury or overuse can cause pain, swelling, inflammation and/or muscle spasm/cramping. Icing decreases circulation and metabolic activity, reduces inflammation, and numbs the skin. Ice packs (small cubes or crushed ice in a plastic bag) and/or an ice bath or whirlpool are effective for reducing swelling in peripheral joints such as an ankle sprain, deep thigh bruise, wrist sprain or severe shin splints. Prolonged icing can result in frostbite. Use only as directed.
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to an injury or infection. It causes pain, redness and warmth. Compression helps reduce inflammation and speed up recovery by moving fluids away from the affected area.
Varicose veins are a common cause of foot and ankle pain. When the valves in these blood vessels do not function properly fluid builds up within the vessels. Compression can help reduce the appearance of these large purple-looking vessels.
People with diabetes and vein problems are at a greater risk for developing leg ulcers which are open wounds that can be very painful. Compression helps prevent these ulcers by improving circulation. Medical tests have found that compression also enhances the amount of oxygen in muscles which speeds up recovery from a workout and from many types of operations.
Keeping your injured ankle elevated is one of the best things you can do to help reduce pain and swelling. By raising your ankle above the level of your heart, you allow gravity to help drain the excess fluid in your foot and ankle and encourage circulation. This can also help prevent or treat certain health conditions, like varicose and spider veins and skin discoloration around the leg. It is recommended that you elevate your leg while sleeping, sitting or resting. You can use pillows to prop your ankle up if necessary. This can also be helpful when driving or walking long distances. You may experience discomfort from the extra pressure, so it is important to monitor how your ankle feels.
The human foot is a complex structure containing more than two dozen bones, 30 joints and numerous muscles, tendons and ligaments. The feet and ankles support the weight of the body, absorb shock and provide balance and mobility. They are also susceptible to injury and degenerative conditions.
Medications, like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, can help to relieve pain. These drugs, called analgesics, don’t treat the cause of the pain (such as a pulled muscle) but they do block pain signals from reaching the brain.
Avoiding activities that can cause pain is also helpful. The pain is a signal that something is wrong, and you should listen to your body.
Foot and ankle surgeons offer superior surgical care for all lower extremity injuries and conditions at locations in Burbank, Santa Clarita, Northridge, and Los Angeles, California. Their fellowship-trained physicians use the latest regenerative procedures to restore your lower limbs’ natural beauty, mobility and function.
They repair damaged joints through techniques such as arthroscopy and joint replacement surgery, and they also perform revisions of failed procedures from other providers. They also perform ligament and tendon repairs.
They repair broken bones using open reduction internal fixation (ORIF), which puts the fractured bones back together and holds them in place with metal plates or screws while they heal. They can also perform bone surgery called osteotomy, which cuts a bone to shorten, lengthen or realign it.