While podiatrists are often referred to as foot doctors, many also treat ankles. Since ankles connect to the feet and support them, good ankle health contributes to healthy feet. If your ankle pain suddenly onsets due to an injury, you should seek treatment right away. This is especially true if you are unable to put weight on your foot/ankle at all. If you cannot put weight on your foot, it could be a sign of a tear, fracture, or bad sprain. A doctor should evaluate your injury right away to rule out permanent damage or the need for a cast.
What Ankle Pain Can Be Treated At Home?
While a doctor should treat injuries as soon as possible, you can generally treat ankle pain resulting from Achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis at home. If you follow the directions listed below, you can help heal the pain while relieving symptoms.
Suppose your ankle pain does not respond to consistent treatment. In that case, you should make an appointment to see a podiatrist or other doctor as soon as possible, especially if the condition worsens. Best Foot Doctor in the NYC area is currently accepting new patients and can help. We would be glad to look at your ankles and run tests if necessary to diagnose the root cause of your pain. While at-home treatments can help in the short term, often professional care is needed to address the underlying causes of untreated ankle pain.
Read more in our blog: Ankle Sprains: Causes, Treatments, and Rehab Exercises in Queens, NYC
At-Home Treatments to Relieve Ankle Pain
If your ankle pain is not acute or severe, and you can still walk on it, the following treatments may help reduce your pain.
- Rest – one of the most important things you can do with any kind of ankle pain is to get off your feet as much as possible. Reduce exercise, walking, and standing as much as you can to help the injury or sore muscles heal.
- Ice – putting an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on the sore area can help relieve inflammation, swelling, and pain. Instead of applying ice directly to the skin (not recommended), use a tea towel or light cotton t-shirt between the ice and skin.
- One of the best ways to relieve ankle pain at home is to take pain medication—over-the-counter options like ibuprofen or naproxen can also help ease inflammation.
- If your ankles are stiff and sore, a relaxing warm bath of Epsom salts can help to relieve pain and stiffness. You can also soak them in apple cider vinegar to help release the soreness.
- Elevate your sore ankle above your heart to relieve pain and help blood flow.
If these options do not improve your condition or the pain worsens, you should schedule an appointment with a professional as soon as possible. If you are in the Queens, Brooklyn, or Manhattan area, please contact us at Best Foot Doctor to schedule your appointment.