Living in Colorado, running and hiking trails near us are favorite go-to activities after work and on weekends. Ankle pain is prevalent when running, but sometimes it is not enough to make a determined runner stop. There may be many triggers of ankle pain, so understanding what really triggers the pain (and when) is crucial in dealing with the symptoms.

What happens in your foot and ankle with each move can influence your whole body. Running places force on your joints over and over again. Common symptoms of ankle pain may show in different ways, but let’s first refresh your ankles’ physiology quickly: together with your toes and hips, ankles enable the body to carry your weight on most occasions. The stabilization of your bones and the resilience of your Achilles Tendon enable you to push your toes forward and upwards in the next stage of the ankle, recognized as Plantar Flexion. The ankle also operates together with your feet to allow inward foot motion.

By getting a certain quantity of flexibility in the bones in the ankle, it is both capable of adjusting to irregular twist movements, but it is also great at stabilizing — activating various muscles around the joint to facilitate motion when you need robust pivoting assistance. Muscles in and around the ankle push your body forward and retain power when running. The pressure on the ankle joints rises when you boost your velocity, rendering it more susceptible to accidents.

What causes Ankle pain when running?

Maybe you’ve suddenly increased your mileage or running frequency and your body hasn’t been ready for the increased workload. You may not have had an opportunity to stretch between workouts. You may not have exercised or activated other significant structures like the glutes.

Whatever the trigger, reducing the stress on your joints momentarily is essential and allows your body to recover. If your pain persists for more than three days or limits your ability to return to running after a week, it is better to seek particular advice from a medical practitioner.

Chiropractic Ankle Pain Treatment

Running with an ankle injury may lead to more injuries elsewhere. Pausing your running course while you are out there and feel the first signs of an injury might be tough to do, for a lot of reasons. However, continuing to exercise before bones and ligaments are rehabilitated can contribute to more damage.

A chiropractor will ask what movement resulted in the ankle being overused and painful. It can be distinct for each individual, but generally, overuse injuries happen when more stress is placed on the bone. No athlete should simply run – make sure you incorporate a healthy workout regimen that ends with stretching, and a bunch of reinforcement for the feet, shoulders, and knees.

Be proactive by reinforcing your ankle with single-leg grip activities, and knee reinforcement so your legs have the built-in power and flexibility to lower the strain on your ankles and enhance your general running shape and endurance.

Ankle pain is a bummer, and on their running routine, no runner likes to stop. But, for long-term progress, it is sometimes essential to stop for a bit. Paying attention to your ankle and building a well-rounded running schedule is the best thing you can do to avoid injuries.

I hope this helped answer some questions you may have had and if you or anyone you know are experiencing pain and would like to take the first steps toward getting relief, just call Atlas Chiropractic in Boulder at (303) 442-5911 and we’ll gladly get you scheduled for an appointment or feel free to fill out a web form here on our website. We look forward to helping you heal and get moving!

Dr. Cort Musolf, DC