What causes ankle pain?

Some potential causes of foot and ankle pain are:

• muscle, tendon or ligament injuries (e.g. sprains, strains or tears)
• age-related changes, also known as osteoarthritis.
• sudden changes in activity levels – doing much more than usual or being much less active
• poor sleep, stress, feeling low or very tired can also make pain worse
• repetitive or overuse injuries of the muscles/tendons around the foot and ankle.
• specific conditions such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinopathy

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms can be different for everyone, but may include:

• pain around the foot, heel or ankle
• swelling around the joint
• stiffness in the ankle
• pain when walking, standing or using the stairs
• a feeling of weakness or of the ankle feeling wobbly or unstable

Pain can change from day to day. This does not mean you are doing damage.

Self Help

Most new foot and ankle pain improves within 6-8 weeks. Following some of these useful tips should help with your recovery:

• change activity levels – don’t stop completely, but reduce or adjust what you are doing at first
• keep the foot and ankle moving – gentle movement helps prevent stiffness and won’t cause harm
• use simple pain relief – ask a pharmacist or GP for advice before taking
• look after your sleep and stress – both can affect pain
• stay at work or return as soon as you can – your employer or GP can help with adjustments
• try gentle exercises – moving regularly and doing simple exercises can help
• use heat or ice – a heat pack, hot water bottle or ice pack can ease pain (don’t put this on to bare skin)
• wear comfortable, supportive footwear

Should I refer myself to Physiotherapy?

You may benefit from physiotherapy if:

• your foot or ankle pain hasn’t improved after a few weeks, despite the above advice
• pain is affecting your work, sleep or daily activities.
• pain is affecting your ability to walk or exercise
• you keep getting repeated ankle pain or repeated ankle sprains

If you have tried the self-help measures on these pages and the symptoms have not settled, you can self-refer to MSK Physiotherapy if you live in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland.

For more information on how to self-refer to MSK Physiotherapy visit our Service Page.

When should I seek urgent medical advice?

Foot and ankle pain is rarely serious, however go to Accident & Emergency or an Urgent Care Centre now if you have:

• foot/ankle pain following a fall or injury
• a visible deformity to the foot or ankle
• a significant loss of movement in the foot/ankle and difficulty walking or putting weight through your foot
• sudden swelling, redness, warmth around the ankle with an associated fever

Contact your GP or call 111 urgently if you have:

• new, unexplained foot or ankle pain, with a history of cancer, HIV, TB or inflammatory arthritis
• foot or ankle pain, along with feeling unwell, a loss of appetite, fever, unexplained weight loss or night sweats
• pain affecting both of your feet or ankles with a lot of stiffness in the morning

Advice and Information Leaflets

Leaflets:

• Foot and Ankle Pain - pdf (LPT MSK Service)
• MSK Pain - pdf (LPT MSK Service)
• Pacing - pdf (LPT MSK Service)
• Graded Exposure - pdf (LPT MSK Service)
• Load Management - pdf (LPT MSK Service)
• Sleep and MSK Pain - pdf (LPT MSK Service)

Advice and Information Videos

Videos:

• Pain Education - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Why Stress Matters - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Why is Exercise Important - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Improving Your Sleep - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Flare Up Management - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Load Management - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)

Exercises

Virtual Exercise Classes:

• Balance Class - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Lower Limb Class - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Rehabilitation Class - Level 1 - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)
• Rehabilitation Class - Level 2 - YouTube (LPT MSK Service)