When we think of an “injury,” we assume trauma that comes from the outside. An ankle injury is often a sprained ankle.

However, as is often the case with the body, an injury can develop internally due to normal age or wear-and-tear from overuse. In the case of the ankle, an injury can develop mainly because of arthritis or an issue with the arches in your feet not providing full support to the lower legs.

Ankle pain should not be ignored, because it could otherwise become chronic pain. Let’s explore the common internal causes of ankle pain and ankle injury, and where you can go in Cincinnati for outstanding podiatry care.

Your ankle is a very complex joint consisting of several bones, and protecting the bones in the ankle is soft, cushiony cartilage. If the cartilage between the bones in the ankle wears down over time, the bones can rub against each other every time you move – thereby causing pain and inflammation, which in this case is called osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear condition, and it is usually called just “arthritis” because it is indeed the most common type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis usually develops over time, and it is a type of “overuse injury.”

Obesity or being overweight is hard on the weight-bearing joints in the body, including the feet, hips, knees, and ankles. The excess pressure from the downward weight every time you take a step puts a bit of trauma on the cartilage, so it breaks down faster, causing arthritis and ankle pain.

The risk of ankle arthritis increases with age. It is very common for people in their 60s to experience ankle pain because of the cumulative years of pressure on the cartilage in the ankles.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is very different from osteoarthritis insofar as its cause. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own synovial fluid in the joints and elsewhere in the body.

The synovium is a type of joint lining that provides lubrication. Rheumatic disease can also attack other parts of the body, which is why you may experience RA in organs such as the eyes, lungs, and skin. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain, swelling, redness, localized warmth, tenderness, malaise, fever, and fatigue.

Arches that are too high, too low, or flat can cause many foot and ankle problems. If you have irregular arches, this can put an unnatural strain on other parts of the foot and lower leg to compensate for the irregularity.

You are likely walking while putting pressure on either the outer sides or inner sides of the feet in order to compensate. However, this can hurt your ankles.

Our experienced podiatrists at Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care can diagnose the precise cause of your ankle pain and recommend treatment that can give you immediate relief from your symptoms. Whether it’s arthritis, an arch disorder, or some other cause, ankle pain is something our medical team treats regularly and with great success.

To schedule an appointment with one of our podiatrists, call our podiatry clinic nearest you or use our convenient online appointment request form. We look forward to helping you get your feet into good shape!