When Running Causes Ankle Pain
Jogging provides myriad of health benefits, but it comes with a downside: It can be rough on your feet. Depending upon your running style, your feet can experience three to seven times your body weight while jogging. When running causes ankle pain, there are several possible roots for your injury.
While you can alter your form to prevent injury once ankle pain sets in, it’s likely too late to change bad habits. Ankle pain while running can be caused by:
- Achilles Tendonitis: Run long enough, and your Achilles tendon – the long tendon at the back of your ankle – will come down with tendonitis. Caused by stress and overuse, tendonitis is when tendons fray, tear or swell. It’s often caused by improper form, medications or bad footwear. Tendonitis typically heals with rest.
- Ankle Impingement: Your ankle is a complex joint, and conditions can cause impingement, or painful obstruction when the joint is contracted. It has a variety of causes, from fluid collection to cartilage growth, and may be treated with therapy or surgery.
- Stress fracture: All the force placed on your feet when you run occasionally is too much for your bones to bear. Stress fractures are caused by overuse, and are small cracks in anklebones. You’ll need to seek professional treatment for a stress fracture.
- Ankle Sprain: Rolling your ankle or suffering a misstep can tear ligaments in the joint. While it’s painful, it’s also one of the easiest injuries from which runners can rebound. Resting and icing the injured joint is typically enough to recover from a sprain.
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: Similar to carpal tunnel in wrists, tarsal tunnel syndrome causes pain or numbness n the ankle above the heel. It’s caused when ligaments and other tissues swell, putting pressure on nerves in the heel. Many neurosurgical options are available t treat tarsal tunnel syndrome.
It’s likely your pain is easily managed, but it’s impossible to find a treatment plan without consulting with a physician. When running causes ankle pain, Front Range Orthopedics & Spine offers three locations – Longmont, Lafayette and Frederick – with the most respected staff in the area to help you recover. Call 303.772.1600 or visit our New Patient Appointment page to schedule a visit.
