Ankle Pain

Ankle pain is usually caused by either a direct injury or ankle sprain where there is ligament damage. The other common causes of ankle pain are due to muscle weakness, calf tightness and/or myofascial trigger point build up from overuse of the muscles of the lower leg or poor foot biomechanics. The tibialis anterior and peroneal muscle groups of the lower leg are very important muscles to helping stabilise the ankle joint. When you experience an ankle sprain these muscles work extra hard to stabilise the ankle. As a result they can become knotted and sore causing referral pain into the ankle and foot.

Poor shoe wear can also put extra pressure on the ankle joint and stress the muscles and ligaments of the ankle and lower leg. We advise to avoid shoes which are flat and have little support in them such as pumps. Pumps have been the fashion over the last few years. They offer very little support to the arch of the foot. The arch falls inwards and can put stress on the ligaments and muscles which help support the ankle joint. Always opt for a shoe which offers good support and has a shoe pitch of approx 1.5- 2 inches. We also have physiotherapists who specialise in orthotic prescription. Orthotics are only prescribed if the arch profile has changed and cannot be fully corrected through exercises.