No one wants to deal with pain in their outer, or lateral, ankle. After all, your ankles are vital to everyday activities like walking your dog or working the pedals in your car, and these activities can become much more difficult if your ankle hurts. 

Unfortunately, you’re likely to end up dealing with lateral ankle pain at some point. One study reports that 15% of all the people surveyed had frequent ankle pain. Determining if you’re at higher risk of developing outer ankle pain can help you avoid it, and physical therapists can help you learn if you’re at risk of developing this type of pain. If you do develop it, they can help you find effective lateral ankle pain treatment as well. 

Three factors that can increase your risk of outer ankle pain

It’s true that anyone can develop lateral ankle pain, but there are some people who are more likely to do so. Speaking with a physical therapist can help you determine if you’re affected by risk factors like: 

1. Previous ankle injuries — Old ankle injuries can leave scar tissue and other damage behind and leave you susceptible to future ankle injuries. This is especially true if your injury wasn’t properly treated at the time. For instance, a medical study found that 61% of people who sprain an ankle do so again. Dealing with recurring ankle sprains can lead to chronic lateral ankle pain and instability. 

2. Playing sports — Sports like football, soccer, rugby and basketball are hard on the ankles. For one thing, they require frequent and sudden changes in direction. The forces generated by such movements can easily cause a painful injury in ankle soft tissue. These movements can also cause accelerated wear and tear in ankle cartilage and other structures. 

3. Family history — Often, issues like ankle arthritis and other progressive conditions run in families. It’s not entirely clear what genetic factors contribute to some forms of arthritis. But doctors believe that there are genetic factors in play, especially in people who develop osteoarthritis at younger ages. 

How can physical therapists help address your outer ankle pain?

Physical therapists are trained to treat the human musculoskeletal system, which includes the ankle. They’re also schooled in a wide variety of treatment techniques. This combination of knowledge and treatment techniques allows your physical therapist to help you: 

• Learn about the cause of your outer ankle pain. 
• Develop a treatment plan that’s unique to your needs. 
• Retrain your movements to decrease your risk of a future ankle problem. 
• Reduce your pain, swelling and other ankle symptoms. 

Find treatment for outer ankle pain at Franklin Rehab

Are you concerned about developing outer ankle pain? Are you already feeling it? If you answered yes to either question, our Franklin Rehabilitation team can help you. We can do a free screening of your ankle to reveal underlying issues that can trigger lateral ankle pain. These screenings can also be used to pinpoint the cause of any current ankle pain. 

Additionally, our physical therapists are adept at building personalized therapy plans designed to:

• Reduce pain.
• Improve ankle mobility.
• Increase your ability to do normal daily activities. 
• Decrease your risk of future ankle issues. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can address your ankle concerns and issues or to schedule your initial appointment.