Pain on top of foot near ankle? 4 reasons why and how physical therapy may help

Finding out where the pain on the top of your foot near the ankle comes from is the first step to treating it. The pain might stem from a few different sources. You might have a soft tissue injury, bone pathology or inflammation. Our team at KC Rehab can help you understand common causes of upper foot pain. Plus, you can find out how we might treat your pain.

Common reasons for upper foot pain

A little bit of transient foot pain might come from an uncomfortable pair of shoes. Another culprit might be a simple slip-up, like accidentally hitting your foot on furniture. You might be more likely to receive an injury if your job, a sport or your workout routine puts this part of your body under stress. 

However, severe or long-lasting pain on top of your foot near the ankle might have a more serious reason. Some causes that we see frequently are:

1. Soft tissue injury 

“Soft tissue” includes nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue. An injury to any of these parts of your foot or ankle can cause pain on top of your foot. Near your ankle, you may notice an ache, tension, stiffness or weakness. You can learn more about soft tissue injury and treatment here.

2. Bone pathology 

A damaged bone is a common cause of pain. There are quite a few small bones in your foot. It contains 26 bones, which are organized in categories. The groups are phalanges (your toes), metatarsal bones (the middle of your foot) and tarsal bones (your heel and ankle, the area that you’re feeling now). 

Damage involving any of the seven tarsal bones, especially the talus or ankle bone, might be at fault for pain around your ankle. The connection between the talus and navicular bones is a common site of osteoarthritis.

3. Inflammation 

Inflammation in your upper foot has several key characteristics. You may experience some or all of them. These symptoms are pain, swelling, redness, unusual warmth and a loss of function. Inflammation has many possible sources, including overuse, arthritis, gout, infection and injury.

4. Ill-fitting shoes

To find pain relief, you might need to lose some ill-fitting shoes. A review of 18 medical articles about foot pain found that many people had one thing in common: their shoes didn’t fit. In fact, 63-72% of these people wore shoes that weren’t right for their foot length or width.

As the review’s authors noted, “foot morphology is highly variable between individuals, and there is limited variety in the shape of lasts,” or foot mannequins, “used to construct footwear.” Your shoes might not be compatible with your natural foot shape. If you haven’t measured your foot length or width lately, pain on top of your foot near your ankle might be your cue to check again. Finding the correct shoe size can help.

So can looking for issues like flat-footedness, overpronation or supination. Overpronation occurs when your ankle leans inward, toward the center of your body. Supination is the opposite, when your ankle leans outward. Some shoe companies, especially athletic companies, design shoes with targeted support. Physical therapy can treat some imbalances related to pain on top of the foot near the ankle.

Foot pain treatment options our physical therapists commonly use

If you’re still working through the cause of your foot pain, our physical therapists can help you figure out the likely cause. We can also provide advice. We may recommend personalized treatments for pain relief.

Our team offers several treatments. Options include:

1. Therapeutic exercises

Physical therapy typically consists of strengthening, stretching and stabilizing exercises. This is often a fundamental part of pain reduction and recovery. 

You may begin with a simple, comfortable routine that expands as you progress through therapy. You might strengthen weak areas, release tension or increase your foot’s range of movement and functionality. This can help you prevent further damage and future pain.

2. Manual therapy

Manual therapy looks and feels a little like massage. However, it’s set apart by medical expertise. This type of therapy is often used to increase comfort and mobility by soothing tense muscles.

3. Aquatic therapy

Aquatic therapy uses water to enable movement that may ordinarily be difficult. Some people find that their pain, like pain on top of the foot near the ankle, lessens when water supports them.

4. Dry needling

Dry needling is an acupuncture-like treatment. A licensed clinician uses small, thin needles to reach trigger points. The clinician aims to reduce painful sensations and decrease functional impairments.

Let our team help you manage your foot pain

Your foot pain might be frustrating, but you don’t have to deal with it by yourself. You can turn to local professionals to identify the cause or causes of your pain. Plus, we can explain treatment options to you and help you navigate the issue. We offer everything from simple tips to tailored physical therapy.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.