What Is Ankle Impingement?

Ankle impingement is a condition that can be painful and limiting. It may be caused by an abnormality in the soft-tissue or bone. 

Athletes that have experienced ankle sprains are most at risk for developing this condition. It can follow those types of injuries, especially if the person or athlete is involved in repetitive motion activities. An example of this would be sports that require running and jumping.

[Related article: Physical Therapy For Ankle Injuries]

What Are The Symptoms of Ankle Impingement?

There are two types of ankle impingement:

• Anterior ankle impingement
• Posterior ankle impingement

This condition comes with some common symptoms. If you notice pain when you point your ankle down or bend it up, it could be a symptom. If you notice you cannot move your ankle around as much as you used to, if it has limited range of motion, and/or if you have swelling in your ankle, these all could be additional symptoms of this condition.

If you are noticing any of these signs, you may want to talk to a physical therapist about a program that helps to ease your symptoms and improve your condition. 

Physical Therapy For Ankle Impingement

Physical therapy for ankle impingement will focus on improving the strength of tendons and muscles in and around the ankle. It will also focus on helping to improve the stability of your ankle. This is important to prevent injuring it any further.

[Related article: Physical Therapy To Strengthen Weak Ankles]

If surgery has been recommended, physical therapy can help prevent or delay the need for surgery, depending on the cause of the impingement. If you do have to have surgery, physical therapy can help you recover from it faster.

Physical therapy can help you safely return to the sports and activities that you love most if you have experienced this condition. Schedule a consultation at Above & Beyond Physical Therapy to see what we can do for you. Contact us today.