Post-running ankle pain can signal issues, from minor tweaks to more severe injuries. Ankle pain indicates potential strains, sprains, or stress fractures, and it shows up with typical symptoms like inflammation, swelling, and compromised running ability. You must identify it quickly and carefully address the underlying cause. It will help you prevent further complications, particularly if you want to maintain your fitness after 40.
Ankle Pain – First things first –
If you have been struggling with severe ankle pain for more than 4-5 days, please stop reading this post and visit a doctor immediately. Ankle pain could be due to many different reasons. Some pains will heal with proper rest, elevation, cold packs, flexibility stretches, massages, and strength training, whereas you will need help from an orthopaedic or podiatric physician for complex issues.
Muscles, tendons, and ligaments help with ankle stability. They may swell or feel tender when the ankle is injured. Sore or painful ankles hinder your running performance and cause a lot of discomfort in your daily activities like walking and getting up from a seated position.
Ankle pain can be tricky because you will involuntarily overcompensate it with the other healthy leg. That can cause excessive strain on your healthy ankle. Even if your ankle pain stops after a few days, you may take a month or more to rehabilitate and return to your former performance.
Certain pains may signal more serious issues where you need professional help. Let’s now talk about some causes of ankle pain and ways to get relief.
Why do your ankles hurt when running?
If your ankles hurt when you run, there can be any of the following possibilities.
Ankle Pain due to Overuse injury –
Overuse is a prevalent cause of ankle pain, mainly if you have been using the wrong techniques for an extended period. It is marked by
- Inflammation
- Swelling
- Redness
- Bruising
- Reduced mobility
- Warmness
It would help if you allowed adequate recovery time between workouts to reduce the chances of injuring your ankles. Even a sudden increase in speed or distance can make runners prone to overuse injuries. Follow a progression plan where you give time for your body to lift the intensity gradually. Besides rest and recovery, you must work on your running form to reduce the chances of overuse injury.
Ankle strain or sprain –
The primary culprits for running-induced ankle pain are usually strains and sprains. Ankle strains result from overstretched or torn muscles or tendons, while sprains involve rupturing of ligaments.
Unlike overuse-related pains, strains and sprains often result from a singular traumatic injury. For example, you could snap the connective tissues or muscles around your ankles when you abruptly change direction while running at a good speed. Runners also tend to sprain their ankles while playing other sports or cross-training. You could step on some other player’s feet and twist your ankle.
You can prevent sprains and strains by improving your running form and gait. Besides learning the technique, you need a keen eye to read even the small changes in your running track and manage the weight transfer accordingly. An ankle sprain is usually caused by an unexpected change on the track or by making a sudden awkward movement.
You can prevent injury even when you take awkward steps, provided you have complete control of the load. You will need good leg strength and mobility to reach that level. Calf and ankle exercises help to manage your body weight with less effort.
Ankle stress fracture –
Stress fractures develop when muscles weaken and cannot absorb the repetitive impact shock, causing tiny cracks in the bones that eventually give way under stress. It is a prolonged injury that you might be unable to identify in the early stages. You may wake up to the realization only when the pain becomes unbearable.
Your doctor will ask you to rest your ankles to heal from this injury, and you should do just that. Physical activity will only aggravate it further. It may put you out of action for about a month or 2. Your doctor will give you the green signal to resume your physical activities after confirming your healing with an X-ray or CT scan. It is advisable to go for a gradual return and work on rehabilitation.
Ankle tendonitis –
Tendinitis refers to the inflammation of a tendon caused due to fraying, tearing, or swelling. Various types of tendinitis in the foot region can contribute to ankle pain during running, such as:
- Tibialis anterior tendonitis
- Achilles tendonitis
- Posterior tibial tendonitis
- Peroneal tendonitis.
It is also a type of overuse injury triggered by poor running technique. Achilles tendinitis can happen when your heels are overstretched while running for some time. It is common among runners, especially those who run on slopes. You might not know how it started because the injury keeps progressing until the pain becomes intense. After that, you will feel the tenderness even while walking.
If the injury is minor, you could continue running as long as you do it with a proper form. Hard massaging is not recommended here. A soft massage around the tendons will help remove the scar tissues. Calves stretching exercises with heel-rises can help in rehabilitation after the healing.
Ankle arthritis –
Arthritis is often linked with old-age athletes but can impact runners of any age. Three types of foot arthritis can induce ankle pain during running, emphasizing the diverse nature of this condition:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Post-traumatic arthritis.
It would be best to work on your arthritis healing and rehabilitation plan with your doctor. It may be a prolonged treatment, where you may even need medication.
Ankle instability –
Weak ankles can lead to instability, causing biomechanics to falter under your weight. It could result in chronic pain and recurrent injuries during running. Strength and flexibility training of your hips, legs and ankles will help.
Flat-footedness –
Flat feet lead to arch collapse and inward ankle rolling, known as overpronation. It can be genetic, contributing to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD), or acquired in adulthood due to PTTD. Flat-footed people will still be able to run with proper footwear and by ensuring proper strides. It is advisable to stay away from uneven surfaces while running. Walking or running barefoot on soft surfaces like sand or grass can help in improving the toes engagement in your gait. You could also use custom orthotics on shoe soles to increase shock absorption.
Poor running technique can lead to Ankle Pain –
Poor running technique, such as excessively long strides leading to repetitive over-flexing, can result in ankle pain. Also, many runners lose focus after feeling tired but continue running with a compromised form. Weak or imbalanced ankle muscles will lead to some injury or the other. You can work on your balance and alignment with strength and flexibility training.
Ankle Pain can be avoided –
Post-running ankle pain may indicate minor or more severe injuries, but it is crucial to identify the cause and work towards healing and rehabilitation. Ankle strength and mobility are essential to enjoy your running journey or fitness after 40 for many years to come.