Inside ankle pain: 3 common causes

Ankle pain can cause a variety of physical limitations to a person’s everyday routine, including daily exercise and standing for long periods at work. It affects nearly 184 out of every 1,000 people. If you’re one of them, learn what may be behind your ankle pain. Then, consider why you should get physical therapy to alleviate discomfort.

What are some of the most common causes of pain on the inside of the ankle?

There is more than one reason why someone might experience pain on the inside of their ankle. The most common causes include:

• Nerve entrapment — Nerve entrapment is a condition that develops when a nerve becomes compressed and quite literally entrapped between two parts of the body. It’s often the result of injury or repetitive overuse. Nerve entrapment can cause numbness, burning pain, tingling and weakness in the affected area. The pain that results from nerve entrapment can seem sudden and can occur without an injury. Some examples of cases where nerve entrapment may become possible include extreme swelling and tumor or cyst growth. When someone experiences nerve entrapment on the inside of their ankle, pain, numbness or tingling are likely to follow.
• Posterior tibialis tendinitis — This is a condition that results in pain on the inner side of the foot and ankle. It may be caused by overuse or biomechanics. 
• Ankle fractures — Ankle fractures are another type of injury that can cause pain on the inside of the ankle to develop, whether moderate to severe. Ankle fractures are most often the result of physical trauma, such as from a sports injury or vehicular accident. However, there are times when a fracture can result from overuse, such as stress fractures. Whatever the case may be, a fracture on the inside of your ankle can cause pain there until the fracture has completely healed.

What can a physical therapist do for pain that occurs on the inside of the ankle?

If you’re struggling to manage pain on the inside of your ankle, here is how a physical therapist can be able to help you:

• Joint mobilization techniques — Joint mobilization techniques are designed to stabilize the ankle joints, reduce pain and improve the joints’ range of motion. During joint mobilization therapy, your physical therapist will use manual pressure to help release stiffness around the area and increase mobility. Improved mobility may help reduce pain in the ankle gradually.
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — IASTM is a technique that involves specialized tools, rather than hands, to break up areas of dense, soft tissue and promote circulation to specific areas of the body, like the ankle. Your physical therapist may use IASTM to promote healing in your ankle, reduce pain and swelling, and improve your ankle’s range of motion.
• Building muscle strength — Your physical therapist can help you build strength in the muscles around your ankles so that your ankles are better supported. While the joints and ligaments themselves within the ankles can’t be strengthened, strong muscles can protect them and prevent injury.
• Videotaped gait analysis — Utilizing video, your physical therapist will evaluate your walking or running mechanics to see how this could be contributing to your pain. 

Armor Physical Therapy can help you find relief for the pain on the inside of your ankle

Are you ready to get relief from the pain on the inside of your ankle that is disrupting your daily routine? Our team of physical therapists at Armor PT can help you start treatment for your ankle injury or condition. We perform free screenings designed to determine the root cause of your ankle pain so that you can confidently begin the right treatment. Once you’ve undergone a screening and we know what the source of your pain is, we can create a personalized treatment plan to alleviate your pain and reduce other symptoms so that your quality of life can begin to improve. 

If getting to and from your therapy sessions is your main concern due to your ankle pain, don’t worry. Our physical therapy team offers virtual physical therapy services to treat you at home.

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