Treatments A Foot And Ankle Specialist Might Try When You Have Anterior Ankle Impingement

If you've played a lot of soccer, football, or other sports and you have chronic pain in the front of your ankle, you might have anterior ankle impingement. This condition develops from repetitive motion over the years in the form of dancing, running, or kicking. Here's why this foot condition develops, the symptoms you might experience, and the treatment a foot and ankle specialist might recommend.

Bone Spurs May Cause This Painful Condition

Repetitive motion causes irritation over time that triggers the formation of bone spurs, scars, or stress fractures. These spurs then press against the tissues and nerves in your ankle to cause pain. Your pain may get worse when you play sports. Bone spurs can be verified on imaging scans, but it's possible the spurs can show up on scans even if you don't have any symptoms.

Symptoms Of Anterior Ankle Impingement

Pain is the primary symptom. If the pain is caused by repetitive motion, then the pain eventually becomes chronic and gets worse when you exert your ankles. Your ankle might also experience swelling due to the irritation from the bone spurs.

Treatments A Foot And Ankle Specialist Might Try

When you have ankle pain that doesn't go away, you should see a foot and ankle specialist to get a diagnosis. If you don't treat an injury promptly and properly, you could make the damage worse and set yourself up for chronic pain. Plus, the pain could affect your ability to play sports, dance, or run to the best of your ability.

Your foot and ankle specialist may start with rest and anti-inflammatory treatments such as ice and medications. You may have to stop playing sports so the irritation to your ankle stops. You may need to go to a podiatric sports medicine clinic for treatment by a physical therapist trained to treat sports injuries.

You might continue with alternative exercises such as swimming that don't bother your ankle. You might also be instructed to use crutches during the resting stage so you don't have to move your ankle or bear weight on it. Other treatments your foot and ankle specialist may try include tissue massage, the application of heat to increase circulation, and wearing a foot brace to limit movement.

If rest and physical therapy don't help, your ankle doctor might recommend surgery. Surgery for anterior ankle impingement involves removing bone spurs and damaged tissue using a minimally invasive technique to reduce the risk of complications.

Recovery from anterior ankle impingement could take a few months. During that time, you might need to undergo more physical therapy to get your ankle back in shape so you can return to your usual sports activities.

For more information, contact a foot and ankle specialist near you.