There are ample medical conditions responsible for pain in ankles. Soreness is mainly caused due to injury and inflammation in the muscles, tissues, tendons, joints and ligaments of the ankles. The causes of sore ankles are further explained in this article...

The joints of the ankle act like a hinge that add flexibility to our foot. The junction is formed by three bones of the leg and it is further supported by a knob like structure on its side, known as malleoli. The anatomy of the ankle joint is quite complex, and stability to the joints while walking, running or resting is provided by the malleoli. Ligaments that surround the ankle also stabilize the joints. Joints get inflamed more often than not due to an injury or sudden stretching of the ankle. The causes of sore ankles are also associated with bone diseases and deficiency of vitamins.

What Causes Sore Ankles?

The tissues surrounding the ankles swell and intense pain is felt when touched. Under such circumstances, you must immediately get a medical check up done to detect the underlying cause. However, the pain is not always accompanied by swelling and this happens due to minor injuries.

Sprain or Fracture
If your ankle gets twisted suddenly, then the tissue might get over stretched or pulled. Micro tears develop inside ligaments and tissues that cause terrible pain in ankles. A sprain in ankles is more common among athletes and sportsmen. Movement is considerably restricted due to the sprain. A fracture, on the other hand, is completely different from a sprain, where there is injury actually caused to the bone. The joints present in ankles develop cracks or they are fractured due to a severe injury. Traumatic injury is an utterly painful condition that lasts for a considerable period of time.

Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is the main reason behind an ankle getting affected with arthritis. Localized inflammation is caused and your ankle will pain at specific points. Initially you will experience intermittent pain of varying intensity. The infected area will swell up and become red. These are some common symptoms of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is also one of the probable causes of sore ankles. The pain is felt usually on the back of the ankle, and in chronic cases, deformation in ankle is also observed. Patients who have undergone ankle injury are prone to suffer from ankle arthritis.

Gout
Presence of high amounts of uric acid leads to formation of crystals that get deposited within joints. Such a condition is known as gout. The ankle and its surrounding areas swell and become painful. Initially, the pain is mild and is often mistaken for a sprain. However, it becomes excruciating after a few days and a sensation similar to a fracture is experienced. Gout occurs when uric acid excretion is hampered and thus, it gets deposited inside body. This happens mostly due to the presence of excessive proteins inside the body.

Tendinitis
The muscles of the ankles are connected to the bones by tendons. Any type of inflammation caused to the tendons gives rise to tendinitis. Movement of tendons is impaired and considerable irritation and soreness is caused to them, that include the tibial, Achilles and peroneal tendons. Movement of ankles become painful, and the condition becomes more chronic if the pain is neglected. Tendinitis could be the aftereffect of ankle injuries as well. Sharp movements of the ankles and performing high impact sport activities are more likely to cause tendinitis.

Other Causes
The aforementioned were the most probable medical causes of ankle pain. Ankle pain occurs during pregnancy due to mild disturbances in flow of blood. People suffering from vitamin C deficiency also experience pain in ankle and calf muscles. Water retention in legs or peripheral edema might also give rise to ankle joint pain and chronic swelling in the affected area. Obese and overweight people are more prone to developing peripheral edema.

A cold compress followed by soaking your ankle in warm saline water provides much-needed relief. You can continue this home remedy along with the medicines prescribed by your doctor for subsiding the pain. You should always get an X-ray done for detecting the actual cause behind the pain. Early treatment prevents aggravation of symptoms and with proper medicine and therapy, you will recover soon from an aching ankle.