Causes of Chronic Ankle Pain: Tendonitis, Neuritis, Synovitis or Joint Instability

Chronic ankle pain can often linger after a serious injury. A number of successive ankle injuries can also cause chronic pain. This can be caused by instability or inflammation in the joint, tendonitis, or injuries that simply have not healed properly. Here are the four most common causes of chronic pain in the ankle joint.

Causes of chronic ankle pain: Tendonitis

Tendonitis is simply the imflammation of one of the ankle's tendons. The most common locations of ankle tendonitis are in the Achilles, lateral, or medial tendons of the joint. It is usually caused by overtraining, but can also occur as the result of arthritis or an injury. The symptoms often appear similar to those of an ankle sprain, so an MRI may be necessary to properly diagnose the problem. The visible symptoms of ankle tendonitis include pain, weakness in the joint, swelling, and tenderness in the area of the inflamed tendon. The best treatment for ankle tendonitis is anti-inflammatory medication along with rest. Severe cases may require immobilization of the ankle joint to give the inflammation a chance to die down.

Causes of chronic ankle pain: Instability in the tendons

Instability can occur after a serious sprain that tears one of the key ligaments of the ankle. Both the medial and lateral ligaments must be intact in order to keep the moving parts of the ankle in place. In the case of a severe sprain, surgery may be required to repair the torn ligaments and prevent future instability in the ankle joint.

Causes of chronic ankle pain: Synovitis

When the synovial lining is inflamed, the resulting synovitis can cause lingering chronic pain in the ankle. Synovitis is usually caused by an injury or series of injuries to the ankle. Lack of strength or stability in the muscles around the ankle may increase the risk of developing synovitis. Treatment for synovitis usually includes anti-inflammatory medicine, immobilization, and rest. In more serious instances, a cortisone injection in the ankle may be required.

Causes of chronic ankle pain: Neuritis

Neuritis can also cause chronic ankle pain because of all the nerves that are present in the joint. Instability in the ankle ligaments can lead to irritation of the nerves. Scar tissue left over from a previous injury may be compressing a nerve and causing it to become inflamed. Your doctor will usually look at your medical history to determine if neuritis is a possible cause of your chronic ankle pain. If he or she suspects that it is, an MRI will probably be required to confirm the diagnosis.