Ankle Sprains happen all the time during sports or during life in general. Usually, ankle sprains will heal up without any issues going forward. However, sometimes as much as 3-6 months later, people can still suffer from ankle pain due to the ankle sprain. Many people do not know how to proceed. Most likely you stopped seeing your doctor or never saw a doctor for your ankle sprain in the first place. However, you still suffer from the pain associated with the ankle sprain.
What are possible causes of this Ankle pain following the Ankle Sprain?
There are many possible causes. One of the most prevalent causes of ankle pain is that the ligaments of the ankle never completely healed. In an ankle sprain, one to three of the ankle ligaments are damaged and torn. Normally, these heal up without incident, but occasionally, the ligaments do not heal. Now the only way to definitively determine whether the ankle ligaments are still damaged is to see a Podiatrist or have an MRI performed to examine the ligaments. Now, if you think this is a problem, you will most likely feel unstable on your ankle and may even sustain another ankle sprain or two following the initial ankle sprain. If you think this is your problem, then consider using one of these ankle braces to help stabilize your ankle joint:
Another treatment that can be peformed for the ankle ligaments is physical therapy to help strengthen the ligaments, and have ultrasound applied to the area which will help break up the scar tissue from around the ankle joint. This can be done at a physical therapy office, or you can purchase your own ultrasound unit very cheaply:
If the braces fail, you may need surgery to repair the ligaments or reinforce them. For that surgery you would have to see a Podiatric surgeon for a full examination.
A common cause of referred ankle pain following an ankle sprain, is a talar dome lesion. What happens in a talar dome lesion is the tibia comes down and scrapes the talus causing cartilage to be flaked off. This would be characterized by a feeling of your ankle popping while you are walking around. The only way to determine that this is the cause of your ankle pain is to order an MRI and see a Podiatrist. There are only two treatments for this injury. One is to wear a boot for about six weeks straight, which can be purchased here cheaply
The other treatment is to have an ankle scope and have a cartilage transplanted onto the ankle cartilage. This surgery can be performed by Podiatric surgeons but you will need a thorough evaluation.
Another possible cause of your ankle pain is a bone contusion or bone bruise. This is caused by the trauma of the ankle sprain causing an inflammatory response in the bone that has the contusion. This will feel like a dull pain typically located above the ankle. This as well can be definitely diagnosed via MRI. But the best and only treatment for this cause is rest in a long leg boot allowing the ankle bone to rest. These braces can be bought here: