Common Causes Of Ankle Pain
The ankle joint is one of the most commonly injured joints playing sport. It has
strong ligaments surrounding the joint which are vulnerable to injury. There are also a number
of muscles and tendons which cross the ankle joint, making them vulnerable to injury. Below lists the
common causes of ankle pain. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it
does outline the more common conditions seen in the clinic.
Common Causes of Ankle Pain
Common:
Ligament sprain: injury to the outside/lateral or inside/medial
ligaments which attach the lower leg to the back of the foot
Joint Inflammation commonly due to poor foot posture leading to increased
joint forces while weight bearing
Tibialis posterior tendon pain (tendinopathy): inflammation or degeneration
where tibialis posterior tendon crosses the inside of ankle joint
Fibularis/Peroneal tendon pain (tendinopathy): inflammation or degeneration
where fibularis tendon crosses the outside of ankle joint
Less common:
Fracture of the tibia or fibula
Talar dome fracture: fracture to the bone inside the ankle joint
High ankle ligament sprain: injury to the ligaments which attach the two bones
of the lower leg together, the tibia and fibula
Osteoarthritis: degeneration of the cartilage which lines the bones in the joint
Physio for Ankle Pain
Physio for ankle pain will involve a thorough assessment to determine which structure is fault and
whether further investigation is necessary. We will then look closely at balance, control, foot and lower limb posture, footwear,
leg and ankle strength, flexibility and mobility to determine why the problem occurred and how to stop
it from happening again. Common treatment modalities include:
Deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy
Ankle and Foot mobilisation
Analysis of foot posture and footwear
Video analysis of lower limb biomechanics, often including a running and jumping assessment
Exercise therapy including prescription of strengthening, stretching and control exercises
