The ankle is a hinged joint which connects the leg and the foot, and is held in place by tendons, ligaments and muscles. Occasionally, swelling and bruising around the ankle can make it very difficult to exert even the slightest pressure on the ankle and can make even standing impossible. Hence, it is very essential to establish the cause of the pain in order to administer pain relief.
Causes Of Pain In The Back Of Ankle And Heel When Walking
- Sprain: The ligaments in the ankle can get stretched if you accidentally twist your foot inwards or outwards.
- Plantar Fasciitis: About 90 % of those suffering from foot pain are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous tissue band situated at the base of your foot. It traverses the heel to the toes. When this fascia gets inflamed, it causes pain. Overuse of the foot often leads to plantar fasciitis. Not doing warm up exercises before running is an important trigger.
- Achilles Tendonitis: The Achilles tendon runs from the heel to the calf. It assists the toes to support your body weight.Where the Achilles tendon connects with the heel bone becomes inflamed, it causes pain.
- Achilles Tendon Tear or Rupture: An overstretching of the Achilles tendon damages it. There will be swelling and inflammation which sets off tremendous pain.
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: This develops when the posterior tibial nerve gets compressed. The tibial nerve, a branch of the sciatic nerve, travels down the leg and connects with the ankle. Standing or exercising for protracted periods of time exerts a lot of pressure on the ankle, causing agonizing pain behind the heel.
- Fracture: When you injure the bone, it can crack causing excruciating pain.
- Gout: When there is an excess of uric acid in the blood, it gets deposited in the form of crystals in the joints. This deposition causes pain, commonly around the big toe and ankle.
- Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis of the ankle or heel joint causes the bones to rub against each other, triggering a weakening of the muscles and causing pain.
- Psoriatic Arthritis: Psoriatic arthritis is associated with psoriasis of the skin. Long with dry red patches over the body, certain joints, particularly at the ends of the fingers or toes and heels get inflamed and painful.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which afflicts various joints in the body, including the heel.
- Septic Arthritis: Septic arthritis is inflammation of a joint because of bacterial infection. It manifests as swelling, intense joint pain, and low grade fever.
Home Remedies To Relieve Ankle And Heel Pain
- Rest the foot; do not move the affected area and avoid putting weight onto it.
- Apply ice over the inflamed area for the first 24 hours. Use an ice bag every couple of hours for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Follow this with warm application; it will help ease the pain and discomfort in the ankle and heel.
- Massage the affected area with warm oil. Aroma oils are beneficial too. Clove, nutmeg and ginger essential oils have proved to be really effective in managing pains. Schedule appointments with a licensed masseur.
- Ginger is an excellent home remedy. Have a glass of ginger tea daily; it’ll allay swelling and pain quickly.
- Confer with your health care provider as well as carry out the necessary tests and investigations to understand the precise cause in your case.