5 Ways To Prevent Ankle Pain From Running
At some point, a runner will experience ankle pain. It can start as a dull ache to sharp, shooting pain. When ignored, it can turn into an even graver condition that can cause runners to retire their running shoes permanently. The best way to deal with ankle pains and stop the same from turning into a major issue is simple—prevention.
By taking the proper preventive measures, you can alleviate pain and soreness, as well as improve your overall health and mobility. 
Ankle Joints: A Short Overview
Your ankle joint is a synovial joint located at your lower limb. Basically, a synovial joint is found between bones. They move against each other and feature a joint cavity filled with synovial fluid—a clear sticky substance that nourishes and lubricates your cartilage surfaces as they move against each other. You can think of it as the oil lubricating a piston.
This joint is formed by the tibia, fibula, as well as talus bones. These three bones attach to your talocrural joint, or the synovial hinge joint connecting the end parts of the tibia and fibula.
Primary Movements Of An Ankle Joint
Your ankle joint moves your foot in two primary directions:
Dorsiflexion–toward the body
Plantarflexion–away from the body
However, the ankle joint also allows side-to-side movement, mainly inversion and eversion. It supports your weight while doing weight-bearing movements such as jumping, running, or simply standing. This is why your ankle joint is susceptible to overuse and injury, particularly when running frequently.
A study revealed that an average runner takes about 1,700 steps/mile when jogging or running at a speed of 10mph. Although the precise leg turnover differs in other aspects such as your height, stride length, and speed, you're still putting a lot of stress—about 1,700 times, on your ankle joints with every mile you run.
Pain-Free Running: Preventing Ankle Pain
You wouldn't want ankle pain to hold you back or stop you from training. Thus, you want to be proactive about it by following preventive measures. If you want to know the proper preventive measures and treatment for your ankles, it would be a smart move to contact an ankle pain podiatrist. They can help prevent further pain and damage to your ankles, as well as expedite recovery.
You can also prevent excruciating ankle pains from happening, especially when running, through the following ways:
Strengthen Your Ankle Joints
Most runners have unstable ankles. This is usually due to weak or less trained muscles around the ankle joint. Thus, if any of your ankle-surrounding muscles are proportionally fragile, particularly the exterior ones, you'll run a higher risk of injury and pain.
You need to strengthen your ankles in all four directions—inversion, eversion, dorsiflexion, and plantar flexion. Here are some stretching exercises you can do to improve both your ankle stability and strength:
Shin raises
Calf raises
Ankle alphabet
Ankle circles
Single-leg balance on unstable surfaces
Resisted ankle eversion, inversion, dorsiflexion, and plantar flexion
You can perform 12–16 repetitions of these exercises three times a week for two months. If you run trails more often, make sure to do more reps.
Improve Your Balance
While strengthening your ankle muscles can help reduce the risk of injuries, if you lack kinesthesia, then strength training will not be of much help.
Basically, kinesthesia or proprioception is the sense of self and body position, allowing the body to control or balance itself.
This kind of training can help your brain and muscles work together, offering stability to your wobbly ankle joint. As a result, you will gain stronger and more stable ankle muscles. Examples of proprioceptive training for the ankle joint include:
Balancing on an ankle disk or wobble board
Balancing on one leg with your eyes closed
Balancing on one leg while throwing or catching a ball
Such exercises allow your sensorimotor system to adapt to a changing environment and protect your body from injury.
Wear The Proper Running Shoes
This is one of the more common causes of ankle pain. Most people wear running shoes based on the shoes’ appearance and design. However, you should focus more on its functionality and comfort when worn.
For instance, if your running shoes cause you to overpronate (rolling of the foot inward while moving), then you’re more likely to end up with an ankle injury. Overpronation can add more strain to your ankle tendons. This is why it's crucial to select running shoes that are specifically suited to your foot type and size and the terrain you're running on.
See to it that the heel counter and the heel are stable. In addition, to prevent the risk of ankle injury on rough or slippery surfaces, your running shoes must have a good grip and low profile. It's also recommended that you change your running shoes when the tread or heels wear down. Replace your running shoes every four to six months and after running about 400–500 miles, especially if you run regularly.
Don’t Run On Uneven Surfaces
There's a reason why ankle injuries and sprains are common among trail runners. Holes, muds, rocks, tree stumps, roots, and grasses all contribute to ankle pain. And running on patchy, uneven terrains can cause too much force on your ankles, placing undue strain and stress on your joints. Moreover. running on such surfaces can also contribute to knee pain.
Try avoiding uneven or rough surfaces to protect your ankles. Stick to the even roads, particularly if you already have chronic ankle pain. If possible, choose a good surface and be extra careful when running on hills with rocky terrain or loose gravel.
Don't Forget To Rest
Lastly, ankle pain may also be caused by running too much. Logging longer miles can increase your risk of injuries and sap your muscles with inflammation, sprains, and strains. To avoid these injuries, don’t run miles in one go. Instead, you can increase your training load gradually.
If you're already experiencing extreme pains, try to reduce your training load or stop it altogether. Even athletes need to take a break from training. If you've been suffering from muscle or ankle pains from all the running, listen to what your body is telling you. If your ankle still hurts after resting for a few days, then it's high time for you to seek the help of a doctor or podiatrist.
Conclusion
Ankle pain can be frustrating and excruciating. At some point in your running, an inflammation or sprain will slow you down and even cause you to halt all your physical activities. But now that you know how to prevent it, you can enjoy running to your heart’s content without the nagging pain caused by ankle injuries.
