Why do I feel ankle pain after running?

The answer could be a problem with part of your ankle, but it could just as easily be connected to issues outside the ankle joint. A physical therapist can help you find out why exactly you’re feeling ankle pain after running. 

While running is a safe and effective way to boost your fitness when done properly, it’s also likely to cause you some sort of injury at some point. For instance, one medical study found that nearly 17% of runners end up with an ankle injury. Physical therapists can offer effective treatment for ankle pain after running, and they’ll start by determining what’s causing your pain. 

Common causes of ankle pain after running

A comprehensive evaluation will be the tool that your physical therapist uses to determine the cause of your ankle pain. Your evaluation could include various movement tests. It may also involve the therapist asking you questions about your daily activities, symptoms and medical history. 

Some of the common ankle issues your evaluation could uncover include: 

• Sprains
• Achilles tendinitis
• Stress fractures
• Ankle osteoarthritis

Your physical therapist may also uncover underlying issues that are causing your ankle to hurt, such as: 

• Running gait problems
• Unsupportive shoes
• Misalignment in other joints

What your physical therapist can do to treat ankle pain

There are many therapy methods that can help physical therapists treat ankle pain after running. Often, multiple therapy methods are combined into a treatment plan, and this plan is built to fit your specific needs. A few of the therapy methods that your physical therapist could use to help your ankle pain include: 

• Therapeutic exercises to stretch and strengthen the affected ankle. 

• Joint mobilization that can help improve range of motion and reduce pain in arthritis joints. 

• Myofascial release therapy where your physical therapist uses their hands to break down myofascial trigger points in ankle soft tissue. 

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) that can be used to break up scar tissue from previous ankle injuries. 

• Gait evaluations to pinpoint gait issues that could be causing your pain. 

Treat your ankle pain after running with help from Armor PT

Do you feel ankle pain after every running session? Our Armor Physical Therapy team is primed to help you find the source of your pain. We can do so by performing a free screening on your ankle. Additionally, our physical therapists excel at constructing individualized therapy plans designed to reduce ankle pain. 

You can even get therapy from us without leaving home, and our team uses services like at-home care and virtual therapy to make this possible. Even better, you don’t have to get a doctor’s referral before seeking help from us. 

Contact us today for more information about how we can treat ankle pain or to schedule your initial appointment.