When you suddenly feel ankle pain, you may believe that you’ve injured your ankle in some way. However, there are actually several issues that can cause sudden ankle pain without any injury at all. Physical therapy can often be used to treat injuries and other issues that cause ankle pain. In fact, there are two sources of this type of ankle pain that a physical therapist can help you treat. 

1. Osteoarthritis

One issue that can cause sudden ankle pain without an injury is osteoarthritis. This condition is a natural result of the aging of your body, and it typically causes cartilage and bones in your joints to become worn out or damaged. In turn, these issues can lead to a number of debilitating symptoms.

For example, osteoarthritis damage typically causes sudden pains to occur in the joints that are affected, such as the ankle. This condition can also lead to swelling and inflammation in the ankle, and these symptoms may make it harder for you to walk. They may also make it more difficult to stand up for even short periods of time, and this can make normal daily activities like washing dishes or walking to the mailbox a challenge. 

2. Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is another condition that may cause sudden pain in your ankle without an injury. Unlike osteoarthritis, this condition is not a natural one. In fact, it’s an autoimmune disorder where your immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints. Joints that are commonly affected by rheumatoid arthritis include the ankles, knees, hips and finger joints.

This type of arthritis can be difficult to distinguish from osteoarthritis because it has several similar symptoms. For instance, it can cause sudden joint pain, and it may also lead to joint swelling and inflammation. It also commonly makes activities that require joint movement more difficult. 

However, there are several symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis that are different from osteoarthritis. This includes the fact that this condition may cause you to have a fever. It may also lead to high levels of fatigue and a loss of appetite. 

Feeling sudden ankle pains without an injury? Continuum Wellness is here to help!

If you’re someone who has a condition causing you sudden ankle pain without an injury, our team at Continuum Wellness is here to help. We can perform an initial evaluation to determine what condition is causing your ankle pain. Then, our team can build a personalized physical therapy plan designed to treat the specific cause of your pain, and such a plan may include physical therapy methods like: 

• Manual therapy
• Joint mobilization
• Therapeutic exercise
• Electrical stimulation

Our plans are also designed to benefit you in many ways. For example, they’re intended to reduce pain, decrease swelling, increase range of motion and improve your ability to perform everyday tasks. 

Are you ready to take the next step to treat the source of your ankle pain? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.