Suggest Treatment For Stiffness And Discomfort In Ankle

Posted on Mon, 17 Aug 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 Answered on

Mon, 7 Sep 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I am a middle - long distance runner and I have recently (for a few weeks) experienced some discomfort in one ankle.
It is felt on the outer side of the ankle at the top of the malleolus bone.
It is more of a stiffness/ache and is not painful enough to make me stop running.
It usually occurs at they start of a run and gets better, then returns later in the day, usually as an ache when I resting.
Sometimes there is a small amount of pain radiating up the sode of my leg too.
Then there is some discomfort in the morning.
I can press and feel a sore spot, but again the pain is not very bad. There is no visible swelling.
I have concern regarding the location of the soreness and what could be causing this
Please do you have any advice? Whilst I am perfectly able to train as normal, I do not want something worse to develop.

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Varicose veins, Osteomalacia, Stress fractures

Detailed Answer:
Hi there.

Thanks for the query.

According to the history you have provided, you appear to have possible venous congestion of the veins in your legs. This is more common in persons who stand most of the time during the day. The other cause of the aching pain could be weak bones due to less calcium and vitamin D.

There could be subcutaneous and skin inflammation due to the venous congestion which can cause redness and pain. If you have small swellings the shape of veins in many regions of the leg it could be varicose veins. The venous blood gets pooled in the leg and can cause a dull aching pain and get relieved on movement.

I advise you to keep your limbs elevated as this will drain away the pooled venous blood from your legs. Also apply ice to the painful aching areas. Take plenty of water and electrolytes like Gatorade for replenishment. Perform warm up before running. Eat a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D like eggs, milk, cereals, pulses, chicken, lean meat. Get adequate sunlight exposure.

Kindly get seen by a Surgeon to rule out varicose veins and also get an Xray to see the strength of your bone and if it is less dense than it should be. Consult an Orthopaedician for a proper examination and proper investigations like Serum calcium, Serum Vitamin D levels and appropriate management.

I hope I have answered your query.

I will be available to answer your follow up queries.

Regards,

Dr. Aashish Raghu

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Neel Kudchadkar