Ankle pain is an incredibly common complaint that can arise from various causes. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a professional athlete, or simply someone who enjoys a good walk, ankle pain can hinder your mobility and reduce your quality of life. Fortunately, there are multiple treatment approaches offered at Wisbey Osteopathy that can help alleviate discomfort, promote healing, and restore function.
Ask Sam about her ankle injuries, she’s been there, done that, dealt with the road to recovery twice! She will also be the first person to advocate for early intervention and a consistent, progressive rehab routine. This is because her first major ankle injury at 20 yrs old was not looked after, her second one at 24 years old was properly cared for and there is a big difference between the two now, even though she still practices ankle strengthening exercises.
Common Causes of Ankle Pain
- Ankle Sprains – One of the most frequent causes of ankle pain, particularly in athletes, is a sprain. This occurs when the ligaments that support the ankle are stretched or torn due to sudden twisting or turning movements. Ankle sprains can range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of ligament damage.
- Achilles Tendinitis – The Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone, can become inflamed due to overuse, particularly in activities like running or jumping. Achilles tendinitis often manifests as pain and stiffness along the back of the ankle.
- Plantar Fasciitis – While plantar fasciitis primarily affects the heel, the tension in the plantar fascia can also lead to referred pain in the ankle, especially after prolonged standing or walking.
- Arthritis – Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis can also cause chronic ankle pain. These conditions lead to inflammation of the joint, resulting in stiffness, swelling, and discomfort in the ankle.
- Other Ankle Tendonitis – Overuse injuries affecting the tendons surrounding the ankle, such as the peroneal tendons, can lead to pain and inflammation. Tendonitis can develop gradually and is often associated with repetitive motion.
- Fractures – Ankle fractures are often caused by high-impact trauma, such as falls or accidents. These fractures can cause intense pain, swelling, and an inability to bear weight on the affected foot.
How Wisbey Osteopathy Can Help Treat Ankle Pain
Osteopathy
Osteopaths use a range of manual manipulations to reduce tension and improve joint mobility. For ankle pain, Sam osteopath may focus on the ankle itself, but will also assess and treat other areas such as the knee, hip, and lower back to ensure proper function throughout the body. This comprehensive approach can help improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and promote natural healing.
Sports Therapy
Sports therapy involves the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries sustained through physical activity as well as specific conditions, like arthritis, and day to day aches and pains. It’s an excellent choice for both acute injuries, like sprains, and chronic conditions, such as tendinitis, that often affect athletes or active individuals.
Tas will assess the root cause of your ankle pain and develop a personalised treatment plan that will include exercises to strengthen the muscles around the ankle, balance training, and proprioceptive drills to enhance stability.
Massage
Massage therapy is widely used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation in injured tissues. It can be particularly effective in treating conditions like tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and sprained ankles.
Tas and Sam use a variety of techniques, including deep tissue massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy, to relieve muscle tension and improve the mobility of stiff joints. These techniques help to increase blood flow to the affected area, speeding up the healing process.
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave is our first choice for achilles tendonitis, plantar faciitus and other tendonopathies that have been a problem for 3 months or longer. It encourages the body to kickstart it’s healing process in tissues that have gone past the initial phase of healing without pain resolution.
Both Tas and Sam are qualified to use shoackwave therapy, which uses sound waves to penetrate the inflammed tissues and encourage healing. It often resolves inflammation/tendonitis that has been resillient to other manual therapy like massage, physio and osteopathy. It also only requires between 3-6 sessions, no need for treatment plans that could take weeks or months to see results.
Dry Needling
Dry needling involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points in the muscle or fascia to release tension and stimulate healing. The technique is similar to acupuncture but it focuses on trigger points that contribute to pain rather than working on meridian lines of the body as is common in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Dry needling can be particularly useful for treating chronic ankle pain caused by muscle tightness, tendonitis, or plantar fasciitis. The technique helps to break up knots in the muscle tissue and improve mobility, reducing pain and restoring function. Sam favours this for particularly stubborn knots, extreme muscular tightness and acute pain that is otherwise too tender to manipulate by hand.
Choosing the Right Treatment for Your Ankle Pain
When it comes to treating ankle pain, the right approach depends on the original cause and the severity of your condition. Our therapists at Wisbey Osteopathy can help you determine the best course of action to suit your needs, schedule and budget. Often, a combination of treatments can provide comprehensive relief and support your overall recovery.
We understand that ankle pain is frustrating but manageable. Whether you’ve suffered an acute injury like a sprain or you’re dealing with chronic pain from conditions like tendonitis or arthritis, our treatments are able to offer effective solutions. By addressing the cause of your pain and helping your body heal, these therapeutic approaches can get you back on your feet—literally.
If you’re experiencing ankle pain, don’t wait for it to get worse. Contact us at Wisbey Osteopathy for advice and to explore the treatments that will best support your recovery.
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