Ankle pain is most often due to an ankle sprain. A sprain is an injury to the ligaments that connect bones to one another. In most cases, the ankle is twisted inward (inversion injury), and there are tiny tears in the ligaments that may make the ankle somewhat unstable. This tearing leads to swelling, inflammation, and bruising about the ankle, making it difficult to bear weight on the joint. Occasionally, bones can be broken from a severe blow or fall.

Once an ankle is sprained, the injury may take a few weeks to many months to fully heal. Often, the injured ankle remains a little weaker and less stable than the uninjured one. A proper rehabilitation program can prevent this problem.

Other structures in the ankle that can be damaged, and thus cause pain, are tendons (which join muscles to bone), cartilage (which cushion joints), and blood vessels (which leads to bruising). Occasionally, adjacent areas can cause pain to be referred to the ankle -- these include the foot bones, lower leg bones, knee joint, and even hip joint.

In addition to ankle sprains and other injuries, ankle pain can be caused by arthritis, gout, pseudogout, and infection.

Gout occurs when you produce too much uric acid (a waste product in the body). The extra uric acid gets deposited and forms crystals in joints, rather than being excreted in the urine.

Pseudogout is similar to gout. In this condition, calcium deposits in one or more of your joints, causing pain, redness, and swelling.

The types of arthritis that can cause ankle pain include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Chronic gouty arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Septic arthritis