Bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles make up the ankle. It’s strong enough to bear body weight and move the body. The ankle can be painful when injured or affected by illness.

The pain might be on the inside or outside of the ankle. Or it could be in back along the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon joins the muscles in the lower leg to the heel bone.

Mild ankle pain often responds well to home treatments. But it can take time for the pain to ease. See a health care provider for severe ankle pain, especially if it comes after an injury.

Causes

Injury to any of the ankle bones, ligaments or tendons, and several types of arthritis can cause ankle pain. Common causes of ankle pain include:

Achilles tendinitis
Achilles tendon rupture
Avulsion fracture
Broken ankle
Broken foot
Gout
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Lupus
Osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis)
Osteochondritis dissecans
Osteomyelitis
Plantar fasciitis
Pseudogout
Psoriatic arthritis
Reactive arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sprained ankle
Stress fractures (Tiny cracks in a bone.)
Tarsal tunnel syndrome

Print