Ankle Pain

There are many potential causes of ankle pain, ranging from acute injuries such as an ankle sprain or break to chronic conditions like arthritis. These can affect the ankle’s bones, muscles, cartilage, ligaments, or tendons.

Ankle pain may be burning, aching, or throbbing, and it may come on suddenly or gradually. Details about your pain can help your healthcare provider figure out the cause of your ankle pain.

This article covers the common and rare causes of ankle pain, how a diagnosis is made, and typical treatment methods.

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Common Causes of Ankle Pain

If you are experiencing ankle pain, there is a good chance it may be due to one of these common causes.

Sprains 

An ankle sprain is an injury of one or more ligaments (tough, fibrous tissues that connect bone to bone). Ankle sprains may happen from stepping off a curb, walking on an uneven surface, falling, or playing a sport like tennis or basketball, where a rapid change in direction causes the ankle to roll or twist inward.

Most commonly, ankle sprains happen in the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), which is on the outside of the ankle. Symptoms include throbbing pain on the outside of the ankle, along with swelling, bruising, and/or a feeling that the joint may give out.

Medial sprains, involving the ligaments on the inside of the ankle, occur much less frequently. Medial ankle sprains cause throbbing pain on the inside of the ankle and result from the ankle rolling outward.