Running is an excellent activity for engaging your muscles and cardiovascular health, but it comes with a catch: Running is a high-impact activity that can stress the joints in your legs and lower back.
Every step you take while running — especially if running on a hard surface or wearing improper footwear — introduces a heavy amount of shock from the impact of striking the surface with your feet. This shock can strain your muscles and joints, causing long-lasting pain and stiffness. One area that is commonly affected in runners is the ankles.
What causes ankle pain when running?
Your ankles are small but mighty joints that bear the responsibility of supporting the majority of your body weight while remaining strong and flexible enough for a wide range of activities. When we ask too much of them by stressing them in physical activities like running, they may develop long-lasting pain and stiffness that makes it difficult to move around.
Still, not all ankle pain is the same. What exactly causes ankle pain in runners varies from person to person. Usually, it’s related to one of these conditions:
- Sprain — Overstretching the ankle in a slip, trip or fall can cause a sprain. A sprain is a ligament that has been overstretched or torn. Mild sprains are usually easier to treat, but a full-on tear may require surgical intervention.
Be careful to avoid obstacles that can cause you to put unnatural force on your ankle and sprain it. Make sure to take plenty of breaks and stay within your limits to help lower your risk of overexertion and a sprain.
- Tendinitis — Each of your joints are connected to your muscles through your tendons. The largest tendons in your body are the Achilles tendons located at the back of your ankle. Overexertion and repetitive stress from running can cause irritation in this tendon, which can cause Achilles tendinitis. This is a form of inflammation in the tendon that causes long-lasting pain and stiffness.
- Flat feet — The arches in the bottom of your feet are supposed to have a nice, well, arch in them. When they’re flat, they don’t provide enough support for your feet, which causes more pain when running. This pain primarily affects your arches, but it can spread into your ankles as well.
Visit Panther Physical Therapy for ankle pain treatment
Does ankle pain when running make you want to sit on the couch all day instead of staying physically active? Our team at Panther Physical Therapy can examine your ankles and guide you through a personalized treatment routine to help reduce and prevent pain. Contact our team for more information about ankle pain when running or to schedule an initial appointment.