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Dec 02
2019

There are two different types of ankle impingement, but if you have been experiencing pain in the back of your ankle, you may be most interested in knowing about posterior ankle impingement symptoms.

A second type is called an anterior ankle impingement, which is most commonly experienced by people who have had an injury such as an ankle sprain. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the other — a posterior ankle impingement.

Posterior Ankle Impingement Symptoms

The term posterior refers to the back of the ankle, while the term impingement generally refers to pinching.

A posterior ankle impingement is most commonly experienced from overuse of the joint. It can also be associated with an extra bone behind the ankle. This bone can become inflamed and begin rubbing on other parts of the ankle structure, thus causing pain.

[Related article: What Is Ankle Impingement?]

Symptoms of posterior ankle impingement include:

Pain while being active, especially when pointing the toes

Noticeable pain between the Achilles tendon and back of ankle

Pain upon bending or straightening the ankle

Treatment For Posterior Ankle Impingement

Treatment for posterior ankle impingement begins with conservative measures. First, if a certain activity is aggravating the pain, it will be recommended that you take a break from that activity. Doing so will give your body a chance to rest and heal and allow the inflammation to go down without further aggravating the condition.

After rest, physical therapy is also recommended for posterior ankle impingement. Physical therapy may include ice, dry needling, taping, soft-tissue mobilization and/or ankle/leg stabilization with a cast or brace. 

Your physical therapist will then help you focus on restoring full motion — in a safe way — to the ankle, to allow you to resume normal activities. Your physical therapist will also work with you to help restore strength to the tissues surrounding the ankle to prevent future injuries.

Although surgery is not common for this condition, if surgery is experienced, a physical therapist will help you to properly rehab to prevent the injury from recurring.

Now that you know more about posterior ankle impingement symptoms…

..if you have found yourself experiencing this type of ankle pain, or any other, you may benefit from a consultation with a physical therapist. At Above & Beyond Physical Therapy, we have physical therapists available at two convenient locations in both Queen Creek and Phoenix.  Contact us today.