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Ankle Pain & How To Relieve It

Ankle Pain & How To Relieve It

Even if you didn’t run, your ankles would be under a lot of stress and you could be experiencing ankle pain. They support your full body weight when standing still. Factor in the amount of abuse they experience on a jog or while playing tennis, however, and it’s no wonder most of us have experienced ankle injuries at one point or another. In fact, ankle sprains are the most common foot-related ailment.

Does your lifestyle influence ankle pain?

You don’t have to be a fitness nut to live through the occasional sprain, either. A sedentary lifestyle typically means being overweight, which can put a lot of pressure on the ankles. Whether you’re a marathon runner, a beginner in running, or less active, it’s important to know that there are simple exercises you can use to help relieve ankle pain caused by injury or fatigue.

Which exercises can help you?

These exercises don’t require fancy equipment or a huge time commitment, but they could improve the health of your joints significantly. By increasing circulation and building muscle, they can help ensure that any existing injuries heal faster and prevent new ones. For example, one of the easiest of these is to sit in a chair and lift one leg. Turning your foot in circles 10 times in each direction while keeping your leg still strengthens the joint.

Another effective exercise is to stretch your Achilles tendon. This can be done by extending your legs in front of you, putting a towel around the bottom of your foot, and pulling on both sides of your foot while keeping your knee straight. Hold this position for about 15 to 30 seconds, then relax and repeat two to four more times.

No matter how active you are, there’s a good chance you’ll be vexed by ankle pain at some point in your life. For more information about strengthening your ankles and reducing pain, see the accompanying infographic.

Ankle pain relief

Courtesy of Pain Resource