If you experience constant feelings of "wobbliness", soreness, swelling, or tenderness in your ankles, you may have a condition known as lateral ankle pain. This condition can cause you to suffer from sprains much more frequently than someone without the condition. It can also be uncomfortable and make walking and doing other activities much more difficult.
Causes
There can be many different causes for lateral ankle pain. If you have had an ankle injury in the past, the nerves may have become torn or stretched. This will cause pain in and around the ankle area. This could also happen if you've had a fracture of any of the bones that make up the joint of your ankle. Arthritis of the joints can also cause lateral ankle pain. If you have ever sprained your ankle, scar tissue may have formed that is now taking up space within the ankle's joints, making it harder for them to move freely. This will press on the nerves and cause the tender feeling or soreness in your ankle.
Potential Treatments
Depending upon the severity of your lateral ankle pain, the doctor may diagnose one or several different ways to handle the problem. If the problem has just been recently bothering you, the doctor may suggest you take anti-inflammatory medications for a while to see if the pain subsides. An ankle brace or other form of ankle support might be needed for a period of time to see if the ankle heals properly and straight, which may reduce the irritation. In some instances, steroid injections might be needed to help with pain related issues. Physical therapy is another way to help reduce lateral ankle pain and can help to increase the range of motion in your ankle over time. For more severe cases, surgery on the ankle might be recommended.
Surgery
If your doctor feels that surgery is the best option, it's most likely that your pain is extremely severe and is getting in the way of your normal routine. Some surgical methods use the arthroscopic technique to remove loose bone fragments in the ankle, or to simply clean off the surface of the ankle's joints. Open surgery might be needed if more detailed procedures have to be performed, such as repairing or reconstructing the nerves, tendons, or ligaments. Your ankle will take time to heal, and the standard recommended healing time can last anywhere from six to ten weeks. You may have to stay off your feet or use the help of crutches during this time to ensure there is no pressure put on your ankles so that it can fully heal and recover.
Share23 January 2015
Seniors are like any other specialized group of people. They need services specific to their needs. Everything from nutrition to housekeeping to travel is different for seniors, and the services they receive should reflect that. I am a mental health care provider, and I work exclusively with people over the age of 65. My goal is to help educate the general population about the special needs of seniors and to inspire people to make their homes, businesses and lives more acceptable to the older generations. Seniors deserve our care and attention, and I hope that I can show others how to provide it.