Your ankle is a complicated grouping of bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It supports your weight while standing, walking, and running. It’s rather common for injuries or conditions to affect your ankle and this can trigger pain while walking.
What May Cause General Ankle Pain When Walking?
A lot of ankle pain is triggered by an injury to the ankle during physical activity. There are a few conditions that could cause ankle pain while walking too.
Conditions
Some conditions that can cause ankle or foot pain when you place weight on your ankle include:
- Gout. Gout is a kind of arthritis. It happens when uric acid doesn’t liquify into your blood like it’s expected to. Instead, it crystalizes, builds up in your joints, and triggers pain. You may initially notice pain in your big toe which might then move to your ankle, heel, and other joints.
- Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most typical kind of arthritis. It’s triggered by a breakdown of the cartilage in your joints. This may be the reason for your ankle pain, specifically if you’re older, overweight, or have formerly injured your ankle.
- Peripheral neuropathy. Damage to your peripheral nerves can trigger pain in your ankles while walking. Nerve damage can be caused by growths, trauma, infections, or illness.
Injuries
Ankle injuries can occur throughout any sort of activity, even just walking. Injuries that typically result in ankle pain include:
- Bruising. If you’ve significantly bumped your ankle, such as from a hit or kick, it may trigger pain while walking. Normally, pain from this type of trauma will go away in 2 to 3 weeks.
- Sprain or stress. Sprains and strains happen from an injury to the softer tissues in your ankle. This could be a stretched ligament or tendon. Typically, a sprain or strain will heal in a few weeks.
- Fractures or breaks. If a bone is broken or fractured, you’ll likely have intense pain when walking. Breaks are typically accompanied by swelling, redness, or loss of sensation in toes. Ankle breaks can take weeks or months to heal completely and generally need a physician’s care. Breaks can likewise set the stage for arthritis later in life.
What Causes Pain in the Back of Your Ankle or Heel When Walking?
Pain in the back of your ankle, similar to pain in any part of your ankle, could be caused by a break, fracture, sprain, or strain. However, there are a few particular conditions more likely to trigger pain in the back of your ankle or heel.
Achilles Tendon Rupture
Achilles tendon ruptures typically occur if you’re active or participating in an energetic sport. It happens when your Achilles tendon is torn or ruptured. It’s more than likely due to an injury such as falling or accidently stepping into a hole while walking or working on uneven ground.
Symptoms include:
- calf pain
- pain and swelling near your heel
- inability to bear weight on your toes
Preventing rupture may involve:
- running on softer, level surface areas
- preventing fast boosts in training strength
- stretching prior to exercising
Heel Bursitis
A bursa is a pocket and lube that acts like a cushion around a joint. There’s a bursa that secures the back of your ankle and heel. It helps to shield your Achilles tendon. It can break with overuse or exhausting activity.
Symptoms include:
- pain in your heel
- pain when standing on your toes
- swollen or red skin on the back of your heel
Treatment includes:
- avoiding unpleasant activities
- ice or cold compresses
- over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Achilles Tendinitis
Along with a rupture, Achilles tendinitis is triggered by an injury to the Achilles tendon. Overuse or intense stress can trigger the band that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone to stretch, resulting in tendinitis.
Symptoms include:
- stiffness.
- tenderness.
- mild or extreme pain in back of ankle and calf.
Treatment includes rest and self-care, such as elevation and hot or cold compresses.
What’s the Outlook?
If you have severe ankle pain when walking, you ought to seek medical help. It’s likely that you might have damaged your ankle or Achilles tendon.
If your pain is minor and you can recall twisting your ankle or tripping, you may have a sprain. These will generally heal in one to two weeks with ice, elevation, and correct rest. Talk to your medical professional if your pain doesn’t diminish or if you’re concerned.
