How to Avoid Ankle Pain When Running
Injuries are common in the sport of running. Besides the feet and the knees, the ankle is the most commonly injured part of a runner's body. This is largely because of the tremendous amount of impact on both the foot and the ankle when someone runs or jogs. Several types of ankle pain and injuries can affect runners: stress fractures, sprains, tendinitis and neuroma. Ankle injuries should be diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible, because an ankle injury can put a runner out of commission for an entire season of races.
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Instructions
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Make sure that you are wearing proper running shoes. Many runners do not have a perfect gait or stride. Although some runners have a neutral gait, most runners over- or underpronate. Pronation is the term used to describe that way in which the foot rolls from toe to heel over the ground during a step. Proper, or neutral, pronation is characterized by rolling the foot from heel to toe evenly. Overpronation is the inward roll of the foot, and underpronation occurs when the foot doesn't roll inwardly enough. Properly fitted running shoes will correct these imbalances, helping to prevent ankle pain when running. Wearing the wrong type of shoe can cause or aggravate any preexisting ankle injuries.
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Avoid running on uneven surfaces such as trails and cobblestone. Loose gravel can be particularly problematic if you have problems with your lower legs. If you are particularly prone to ankle injuries, try to avoid running too many hills. If you are just starting out, build up your hill workouts. Doing too much, too soon can lead to injuries.
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Listen to your body. If you start feeling pain during running, stop or at least modify the work out until the pain subsides. Running too many miles too quickly can lead to ankle pain, so remember not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent per week. If the pain doesn't go away after some rest or after cutting your weekly miles, see a doctor.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have history of ankle pain or problems, you should consider wearing a brace or taping the ankle to prevent injuries in the future.
If you do twist your ankle during a run, stop running immediately. This is crucial, as it will help to prevent any further swelling if you have sprained the ankle.
