Pain in the ankle joint: treatment in Moscow

Not only beginner athletes, but also professional athletes are not immune to unpleasant sensations. We all know that muscle pain after physical exercise within reasonable limits indicates that the body has received sufficient stress and requires recovery. As for pain in the joints, it always signals an injury or a developing disease, so it should not be ignored. Among specialists, the sports most susceptible to joint damage are running, tennis, weightlifting, as well as contact sports: football, basketball, hockey, etc.

Why do my joints hurt after training?

The cause of pain can be too intense exercise or non-compliance with the exercise technique. This is especially true for those new to the gym. The desire to quickly achieve a goal pushes novice athletes to train too frequently and extensively. There are also several factors that influence the occurrence of joint pain after strength training:

• a sharp increase in working weights;
• neglect of warm-up: warming up muscles and joint exercises;
• insufficient recovery time for full functioning of muscles, joints and ligaments.

Although the causes of pain are individual and may vary depending on the individual, there are common mistakes that lead to it.

If your shoulder joints hurt after training, then pay attention to the correct execution of exercises such as bench press with a barbell or dumbbells and push-ups in parallel bars and from the floor. They are considered the most traumatic and require high concentration. Pain in the elbow joint can occur due to an unnatural position of the joint during work or from a wide range of motion. Incorrectly weighted dumbbells cause pain in the hands and wrists. Although women are more prone to hip injuries due to increased flexibility and a tendency to sprain the ligaments, men should also be careful to perform “heavy” exercises. These include barbell squats and leg presses. Also, due to defects in the ligamentous apparatus and abrasion of the cartilage membranes, problems arise with the knee joints. Treatment and restoration of this joint is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming, and in most cases, leads to restrictions on sports activities.

In addition to damage received during physical activity, painful sensations may appear due to the development of a disease or a previous injury. Before starting active training, be sure to check your joints for inflammation (arthritis, arthrosis), ligament damage, wear and tear, as well as bruises, sprains or fractures.

Pain and crunching in the joints during training

Joint pain can occur not only after training, but also directly during it. In this case, the best thing you can do is stop the activity and analyze the damage. Ignoring the problem will result in more serious injury and a longer recovery.

If you experience discomfort while performing specific exercises, then exclude them from your training program and choose a more suitable alternative. To prevent pain during exercise, be sure to perform the movements smoothly, gradually increasing the load. Let your muscles and joints get used to the work. For problem joints, it is best to perform exercises with free weights rather than in machines, as the body will move more freely. An additional guarantee of safe training will be “auxiliary” exercises, which are a lead-in to more complex and energy-consuming ones.

But when playing sports, you can encounter not only pain in the joints, but also their crunching. Most often, the hands, pelvis and knees are affected. So why do your joints crack during and after exercise?

This is primarily due to the mechanics of the movement: ligaments and tendons change their position and when returning to their original place we hear a characteristic sound. In addition, the joint contains synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint and contains nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. And when the joint moves, the gases come together and a popping noise occurs. Also, crunching joints can cause inflammation and salt accumulation, which reduce the elasticity of the ligaments. If you experience such a problem, seek advice from a specialist.

Ankle pain

The ankle is a joint that connects the three largest bones of the limb (talus, fibula and tibia). The muscles that move these bones allow a person to move and stand.

Ankle pain in beginning runners may occur due to a sudden start to training for the body. Even with the correct technique and performing all the warm-up activities before the race, the chance that you will be able to avoid problems is far from 100 percent. This happens because the joints are simply not ready for such a heavy load.

As you get used to it, your ankle will stop hurting. Most often this happens after a certain period of time (for specifics, let’s estimate this period as 5 races). However, you do not need to overexert yourself at all during this time, and in general it is recommended to fix problem joints with an elastic bandage.

How to stretch your joints before training?

In order to ensure safe joint function, it is necessary to warm up before any physical activity. Depending on the sport you are involved in, the content of the warm-up may vary. There are special sets of exercises for runners, wrestlers, boxers, etc.

The main objectives of warming up the joints are to increase blood flow to them and increase their mobility. Also, by doing simple exercises at the beginning of your workout, you improve blood circulation not only in the joints, but also in the muscles, which increases the effectiveness of the exercise as a whole and increases strength indicators.

A proper warm-up in the gym should include working all muscle groups without exception, even if you plan to train only the upper body. Joint warm-up starts from the top and goes down. Focused attention is paid to those joints on which the maximum load is planned. In this case, we first warm up the large muscle groups, then move on to the smaller ones. You should take a vertical starting position with your feet shoulder-width apart. When warming up, maintain even, calm breathing.

A universal warm-up, which is widely used in gyms, usually takes 5-10 minutes and includes:

• rotations and tilts of the head;
• swing your arms back and forth;
• extension and flexion of arms at the elbows;
• rotation of arms and hands;
• body bends;
• regular squats;
• rotation of the pelvis and each leg separately;
• raising your toes;
• circular movements of the knees and ankles.

The exercises are performed smoothly for 10-16 repetitions. In addition to this warm-up, you can do a short cardio session: 5-7 minutes of light jogging or cycling. But full stretching should be left until the end of the workout or performed on a separate training day, because it reduces the ability to concentrate during strength work.

Sports nutrition for healthy joints and ligaments

An additional measure to maintain the health of joints and ligaments is to take special supplements - chondoprotectors. Most often they contain chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium. Supplements can be multi-component or contain only one active ingredient. Taking chondoprotectors helps restore damage to cartilage surfaces and strengthen the joint. Let's take a closer look at the most popular additives.

Chondroitin sulfate

Chondroitin plays a major role in the full functioning of the joint. This is a polysaccharide found in cartilage, responsible for building bone tissue and lubricating the joint. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Taking chondroitin accelerates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, suppresses the action of enzymes that destroy cartilage tissue and increases joint mobility. The daily intake is no more than 1200 mg. It is best taken in combination with glucosamine.

Glucosamine

It is an amino sugar in chondroitin and is obtained from the hard body covering of insects and shellfish - chitin. In the human body, it is produced by the cartilage tissue of the joints. Numerous studies confirm that long-term use of glucosamine slows down the development of joint diseases and significantly reduces pain. The supplement is available in the form of powder and capsules, the recommended dose is from 1500 to 2000 mg per day.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)

MSM is widely used as an anti-inflammatory agent, in particular for diseases of the joints and ligaments. The additive serves as a source of sulfur, which is involved in the formation of new tissues. It has a beneficial effect on the condition of the ligamentous apparatus by accelerating the flow of nutrients into cell membranes. MSM also has an antioxidant effect, slowing down aging and strengthening the body's protective functions. Most often it is used in conjunction with chondroitin and glucosamine to obtain a more pronounced result.

We recommend taking glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM together. Both during physical activity and during breaks, to support recovery processes.

Collagen

This is a protein that serves as the basis of the connective tissues of the human body; it consists of many fibrils. Collagen is responsible for skin elasticity, ligament elasticity and joint mobility. Thanks to these properties, it is actively used to restore cartilage tissue and synovial fluid.

The most easily digestible form is collagen hydrolyzate. In the Prime Kraft online store you can choose from four bright flavors. By the way, pomegranate extract also has a positive effect on the condition of joints and signs of aging in the body as a whole.

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These supplements have a cumulative effect and require long-term use, so you should not expect noticeable results after 1 week or even a month. This is due to the fact that the joints do not have their own blood supply and it takes a lot of time for nutrients to enter the joint cavity. Playing sports and any other physical activity accelerates the effect.

Ankle pain: causes

Before prescribing therapy, we carry out diagnostics and identify the origin of the illness, injury or disease.

Painful sensations can provoke chronic pathologies:

• feet (transverse, longitudinal flat feet);
• inflammation;
• varicose veins;
• arthrosis;
• osteochondrosis;
• heel spur.

The ankle joints hurt, the reasons for this condition are:

• dislocations;
• ligament damage;
• fractures or sprains.

Ankles hurt in people who are overweight and in the fair sex if they often wear high heels.

Pain in ankle when running

If discomfort is felt only during such an exercise, then gout and rheumatism can be immediately ruled out.

When these diseases appear, the ankle hurts all the time; it does not appear with the beginning of the load and does not disappear later. Therefore, the main etiology of pain syndromes is traumatic injury. This is a sprain, bruise, crack or dislocation. When bruised, the ankle ligaments hurt and the limb swells.

Arthrosis

As a result of arthrosis, cartilage tissue is damaged and the cartilage becomes much thinner. Timely treatment prevents the functional destruction of cartilage. The disease occurs in 4 stages:

• at the first stage, stiffness is observed in the morning, which disappears after a quarter of an hour; a muffled crunching sound is heard when the feet are rotated in a circular motion;
• on the second one feels tired when covering distances of less than 1 km. Morning paralysis becomes longer;
• the third is characterized by pain in the front leg in the evening and in the morning. Joint inflammation is accompanied by its enlargement and deformation;
• on the fourth, there is a threat of dysfunction, despite the fact that the tumor completely disappears. The cartilage is destroyed at this stage, so it is important to contact a specialist as early as possible to save the mobility and health of the joint.

Only highly qualified doctors who are familiar with the symptoms of the disease can eliminate discomfort, find the correct treatment, and conduct an accurate examination. All therapeutic procedures are aimed at:

• pain relief;
• reduction of swelling;
• restoration of mobility.

We use chondroprotectors, non-steroidal drugs with anti-inflammatory effects, and glucocorticosteroid hormones.

Chondroprotectors are used to stop the destruction of cartilage tissue, they strengthen and regenerate them. After taking a full course of chondroprotectors, the tendon structure is completely restored.

Anti-inflammatory medications relieve swelling and destroy the source of infection. The doctor prescribes taking anti-inflammatory pills until the foot returns to its natural shape.

Analgesic drugs are taken only in the first days. They can reduce pain, relieve the patient from suffering and restore mobility.

Antibiotics are used when identifying an infection in the joint capsule. On average, the course of therapy lasts from 4 to 8 days.

Arthritis

Pain without injury is the result of arthritis. There are several types of inflammation:

• rheumatoid;
• psoriatic;
• septic.

Rheumatoid. It represents failures observed in the immune system, which lead to pathological reactions in the tendons. It appears gradually and progresses over time, causing swelling.

Psoriatic. The cause of swelling is skin rashes. In this case, psoriatic plaques are visible on the affected area and spread throughout the body.

Septic. It begins to develop when microorganisms enter the bloodstream during a generalized bacterial infection. If effective treatment for the disease is not started in time, the patient is likely to become disabled.

Obstruction

Do your ankle joints suddenly hurt? If the plexuses hurt on both legs, this is the initial syndrome of impaired blood circulation in the peripheral vessels. This condition is always accompanied by severe swelling of the veins.

Orthopedic doctor Andrey Sergeevich Litvinenko comments:

Diagnosis consists of clinical studies of the patient's blood test, computed tomography and Doppler ultrasound. To eliminate pain, the doctor applies a compression bandage, selects special physical exercises, and tonic ointments.

Pain in the left ankle: causes

They arise due to curvature of the spinal discs. When it is deformed to the right or when the sciatic nerve is inflamed, a tingling sensation is felt in the left limb.

Calcaneal dislocation

Does your heel hurt when walking? This is the first sign of a heel spur, characterized by the proliferation of bone tissue.

The bone can be damaged after falling from a height of 1 meter. Dislocations are always characterized by sudden pain. With fractures, it is difficult to step on the foot, the surface of the foot thickens, and a hematoma appears. To identify it, radiography and tomography are performed.

A professional traumatologist then administers local anesthesia and manually reduces the deformity into place, after which a tight plaster cast is applied.

Infection

Feeling discomfort? It may appear if the ankle and soft tissue become infected. The main features of the lesion are swelling and redness. Painful foot syndromes depend on the etiology of the pathology, ranging from minor to burning and quite sharp.

To diagnose, the doctor examines blood and synovial fluid, does an x-ray or ultrasound.

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Achillitis

Severe and sharp pain in the ankle without injury occurs due to inflammation of the Achilles tendon. Signs of achillesitis are:

• swelling or redness of the tendon;
• roughening of the skin;
• thickening of the tendon.

Painful syndromes appear at the beginning of walking and then subside. Diagnosis of Achillitis is carried out by radiographic or ultrasound examinations, using MRI. The disease is eliminated by a surgeon or orthopedist. For people with this diagnosis, they select physiotherapy, gymnastics, as well as effective analgesic ointments.

Women often twist their ankles when walking in high-heeled shoes. These symptoms indicate flat feet, sprains, strains, or heel spurs. Properly selected shoes with a thick heel less than 2.5 cm can help get rid of debilitating pain. The heel must be stable. Wedge shoes are the best alternative to uncomfortable heels.

Metabolic disorders in the body, daily wearing of low-quality shoes, flat feet, unbalanced nutrition are the main reasons for the development of osteophyte. The disease manifests itself in the occurrence of bone growths or ossification of areas of the ligamentous apparatus. As a result of the appearance of osteophytes, the capsule between the surface of the bone (talus) and the growth is pinched, creating serious discomfort while walking.

Deforming arthrosis is considered a chronic pathology. It causes degenerative changes in cartilage, which subsequently lead to its destruction. As the pathology develops, the joint hurts only when under load. At the second stage, the following clinical manifestations occur:

• sharp pain at the top of the foot in the morning when trying to stand on one's foot;
• every movement is accompanied by crunching and creaking;
• a feeling of difficulty in movement prevails;
• the legs swell and the temperature rises.

People with this diagnosis are at risk of permanent dislocations.