Our ankle joints are complex joints joining each of our legs to our feet and are made up of ligaments, muscle, nerves, cartilage and blood vessels. They move each time we move our feet or legs and they allow our ankles to move in two directions - up (known as dorsiflexion) and down (called plantar flexion). The ankle joint carries our weight and so can be under stress a lot of the time, which can sometimes cause discomfort or pain. If you have pain at the back of your ankle, called posterior ankle pain, this can be very painful and interfere with normal activities such as walking, running, jumping or stretching. We know how frustrating this can be for you so in this article we look at the common causes and symptoms of posterior ankle pain. We’ll also give you advice on how to treat it - both medically and with self-care - how to prevent it, and what to do if you suffer from chronic pain in this part of your body. If you want to know how to get rid of that pain you’ve had for ages in the back of your ankle, read on! What are the causes of pain in the posterior ankle? There are a number of possible causes of posterior ankle pain and so you may need an opinion from a healthcare professional to get an accurate diagnosis if your symptoms do not settle with self care treatments. The usual causes of this pain are posterior ankle impingement, Sever’s disease, heel spurs, and inflammation or rupture of the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel. Posterior ankle impingement. Sometimes known as posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS), this usually occurs when a muscle, ligament or bone pinches the back of the foot and is common in sportsmen and women who move their feet repetitively in a certain way, causing their feet to point down repeatedly - such as in football players, ballet dancers and trail runners for example. Sever’s disease is heel pain that occurs when the Achilles tendon is too tight and puts too much pressure on the soft cartilage at the end of the heel bone, known as the growth plate. It is common in children between the ages of 8 and 14 years who do lots of running or jumping and who are going through a growth spurt. Fortunately this doesn’t cause any long-term damage and usually goes away as the child gets older. Heel spurs are bony growths that stick out from the bottom of your heel, where your heel bone connects to the ligament running between your heel and the ball of your foot. They usually develop over time and are quite common. Inflammation of the achilles tendon at the back of your heel (Achilles tendinopathy) causes pain, swelling and stiffness of that area and is thought to be caused by repeated tiny injuries to the Achilles tendon. It is common in runners and people who play a lot of sports or in people who exercise regularly in the wrong kind of footwear. If the Achilles tendon tears by more than 50% or snaps completely it is said to be ruptured and this is usually obvious at the time this happens, causing very characteristic symptoms. If you are not sure if you have ruptured your Achillies we have an artice on Achillies tendon rupture which may help you.

Pelvic pain occurs in the lower abdomen and pelvis. The pain can originate from organs close by, such as any of the reproductive organs, the digestive or urinary systems, or from the surrounding muscles and ligaments. It predominantly affects women, and may be acute, lasting a short time such as in period cramps or a urinary tract infection, or persisting as a chronic condition. Chronic pelvic pain is defined as intermittent or continuous pelvic pain that lasts for longer than 6 months and affects around 1 in 6 women.

We’ve all experienced physical pain in our lives – a cut finger, a stubbed toe, an ankle sprain, headache, sore throat, or even perhaps after an operation. We can understand that it varies from mild to severe, and can last briefly or a few days. Pain serves a purpose – if you break a bone in your leg, you avoid standing on it and rest up until the fracture heals. We also have a psychological response to pain, and it can really help to reassure us (and therefore reduce its impact or intensity) if we can understand the cause of the pain. Let’s consider the broad causes of pain and then hopefully we can tailor solutions to get ourselves better.

Neck pain is a very common complaint. It is estimated that over two-thirds of adults will experience an episode of neck pain at some time. In most cases, neck pain is not serious and resolves within a few days. Isolated neck pain, or simple neck pain, describes pain felt in the neck and/or around the shoulders without spreading into the arms or down the spine towards the lower back..

Back pain is a very common problem with around 4 out of 5 people having significant back pain at some time in their lives. Fortunately, most cases are not serious, require little in the way of treatment, and gradually get better over time although the exact cause of the pain may remain unclear. This is called nonspecific lower back pain. The usual advice is to keep active, and do normal activities as much as possible. Painkillers can help until the pain eases. Chronic (persistent) pain develops in some cases and further treatment may then be needed. In this article we look at what can cause low back pain after drinking alcohol, and how it can be treated.

If you're suffering from pain in your knee when you go up or down stairs, you're not alone. This is a really common problem, especially in people after they reach middle age as cartilage wears down around the joints. The pain you feel in your knee will differ from person to person and could start immediately when you go up or down the first step, or could happen later on, particularly if you've overexerted yourself. Read on to find out why you could be feeling knee pain on the stairs and how to treat it.

If you’re dealing with knee pain, you’re not alone. It’s a very common problem that many people experience every day and it can be brought on by lots of different things. The likely cause of your knee pain will depend on how or when it started, its location and if there are any other associated symptoms.

Joint pain is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Whether it's a nagging discomfort or a debilitating sensation, joint pain can significantly impact daily life and limit mobility. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and available treatments is essential for managing this condition effectively. With many different possible causes, it’s usually best to speak to a doctor. Your doctor will narrow down different potential causes depending on how or when the pain started, how many joints are affected, and if there are any other symptoms alongside. In this article, we’ll take a look at the common causes of joint pain and how to treat it. Understanding joint pain Joints are the connections between bones in the human body. For example, the separate bones in the upper and lower arm are connected by our elbow joint. Joints provide the bones with stability and allow for easy movement, and are made up of several components including bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and synovial fluid. Joints can be rigid - such as the joints between your skull bones - or more commonly movable, such as in your shoulders, hips and knees. However, when joints don’t function as they should, this can lead to pain. As complex parts of the body, there are many types of joint pain that people commonly experience. The medical term for joint pain is ‘arthralgia’ and refers to discomfort in any joint in the body. It’s important to realise that this is different to the term ‘arthritis’, which specifically means joint inflammation. It’s possible to have a joint that is painful but not inflamed, but you can also have a joint that is both inflamed and painful. Types of joint pain Types of joint pain can affect various areas of the body, resulting in discomfort and restricted movement. Understanding the specific regions where joint pain commonly occurs is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment. Some of the most common types include: knee pain shoulder pain back pain hip pain foot pain, including your ankle and toes hand pain, including your wrist and fingers elbow pain neck pain

Headaches are very common and most people suffer from them at some point in their life. They are usually mild, go away without any treatment within a few hours, and in most cases are not a sign of anything serious. There are a number of different types of headache such as: Tension headaches Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and may occur occasionally or every day. Occasional tension headaches are often described as a mild to moderate constant band-like pain, tightness, or pressure around the forehead or back of the head and neck and can last from 30 minutes to several days, often starting in the middle of the day. Regular or chronic tension headaches come and go over a prolonged period of time with a throbbing pain affecting the front, top, or sides of the head. It helps to learn to avoid the triggers for these headaches (such as reducing stress, and improving the set-up of your workstation) and, if possible, taking a break and using a simple pain reliever. There is no single cause for tension headaches but for some people they are caused by tightening of the muscles in the back of the neck and scalp. This muscle tension may be caused by: Inadequate rest Poor posture Emotional or mental stress, including depression Anxiety Fatigue Hunger Overexertion Migraine A migraine headache may be like a tension headache but is usually recognised as being different by being one-sided, pulsating, more severe and debilitating. Migraine most commonly brings other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and aversion to light and noise. The migraine may or may not be preceded by gradual visual disturbances (aura, spectra) such as moving lights, patterns and shapes, which develop over a few minutes and disappear as the headache worsens. The most common migraine symptoms are; Throbbing, pulsating pain Sound sensitivity Pain on one side of the head Vision changes, blurred vision Aura Vomiting More women than men suffer from migraine, and it is common in children, teenagers and young adults but may begin at any age. Your genes are mostly responsible – no other single explanation has been found. Ways of treating a migraine include reducing lifestyle factors that can trigger it, using a ‘rescue medicine’ that relieves migraine attacks when taken at the first sign of migraine, and - if migraines are frequent – to take a ‘prophylactic medicine’ every day. If you are using ‘rescue medicines’ more than three times a month, talk to your doctor about taking a ‘prophylactic medicine’. Cluster headaches These are repeated, sudden, short-lived, usually one-sided and severe, frontal headaches (often ‘behind the eye’). They can recur many times over weeks or months and then the person may have a spell with no headaches. Men are more prone to these and, once diagnosed, treatment with ‘prophylactic medicines’ can help. Chronic daily headaches Some people have headaches daily or near daily for months and the headaches can be any of a number of types. However, a common factor in many people with daily headache is overuse of medicines for headache which in itself causes what is called a ‘painkiller headache’. This may sound unusual but overusing simple painkillers and other migraine drugs can trigger regular headaches. Women and headaches Migraine often happens around menstruation or at other regular times of the menstrual cycle and are called menstrual migraines. Non-migraine headache is also a common feature of pre-menstrual syndrome, with female hormone fluctuations influencing these headaches. The oral contraceptive, menopause and pregnancy also may affect migraine.

Foot pain is common, and there are many different causes. If you have had some sort of trauma like kicking something hard or dropping something on your foot, there may be the possibility of a broken bone. If you have not had any trauma, there are many different causes: skin problems like blisters and ulcers, joint problems like arthritis or gout, or muscle and tendon problems like Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. If you have severe pain, or pain that is not settling with simple pain relief then you may need to seek advice from your doctor.

The brain and the spine are a complex system that work together as part of the central nervous system. The spinal nerves send messages from the rest of the body to the brain, so it can process what’s in the environment and anything that might be feeling good or bad within the body. It is the brain that interprets some of these messages as pain. The brain’s response to pain is to one that has evolved to protect us, as animals, from threat and danger. In the simplest terms, it tells us of an injury so we can protect the area and recover. But pain can be complex: the brain occasionally misinterprets messages as pain when there is none, or the response to minor pain can be disproportionate. Pain is expected to settle down over time, especially when related to an injury or trauma, but chronic pain persists for more than 3 months and sometimes without any clear triggers. Behaviours build around this that can exacerbate the problem and reinforce the nerve signals, making treatment difficult.

Chest pain is a broad term, and feels very different depending on the cause. Most chest pain is not anything serious, but cause for concern depends on your particular symptoms, your age and any other medical problems or risk factors you might have for heart problems. Chest pain can be a sign of something serious and life-threatening, such as a heart attack. If there are any concerns, you should seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms can vary from short, sharp jabs, to dull and persistent aches. People are usually very specific about how it feels, and other descriptive terms include feeling heavy, tight, burning, crushing or searing. It can come on quickly or gradually. It can be fleeting for seconds to minutes, or last several hours. It can occur while walking or exercising, lying down or when sitting doing nothing, and you might notice other symptoms alongside, like a cough, sweating, feeling sick or feeling the heart beating fast or hard. All of these specifics help us doctors to determine which part of the body is causing the pain and what the underlying problem is. Let’s talk you through the causes, depending on which part of the body is involved, and also, importantly, when you should worry.