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 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 schedule an appointment to see a podiatrist or other healthcare professional 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 happy to examine your ankles and conduct tests, if necessary, to diagnose the underlying 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 Sore Ankles
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 – applying an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas to the sore area can help relieve inflammation, swelling, and pain. Instead of applying ice directly to the skin (which is not recommended), use a tea towel or a light cotton t-shirt to place between the ice and the 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 diluted 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 NY to schedule your appointment.