Common causes of ankle pain, shin pain, and calf pain, including shin splints, calf strain, Achilles tendinitis ankle sprains, and a broken leg. Lower leg and ankle injuries are either acute sudden onset injuries such as an ankle sprain or they may come on gradually through overuse or poor foot biomechanics.
Common Symptoms:
- Pain developed gradually
- Pain increases with exercise
- Pain at the back of the heel
- Tender to touch the heel bone
- Swelling
- Red and warm to the touch
- Footwear rubs and aggravates the pain
- Pain eases with rest
- Pain after exercise
- Sudden onset of pain
- Bruising
- Pain when rising onto tiptoes
- Tenderness when pressing the Achilles tendon
- Nodules or lumps felt in the Achilles tendon
- Pain worse in the morning
- Pain in the calf
- Tender to press into the calf muscles
- Tight calf muscles
- Pain when stretching the calf muscles
- Tingling or numbness
- Deformity
- Pain on the outer midfoot
- Pain on the outer ankle
- Tender to touch on the outer midfoot
- Pain when running a curve
- Reduced ankle movement
- Pain on weight bearing
- Tender to touch on the outer ankle
- Decreased sensitivity on the front/side of the leg or top of the foot
- Spasm of the muscles
- Pain in the back of the knee
- Pain when pressing the inner top of the calf muscles
- A hard area in the calf muscles
- Pain on the inner ankle
- Pain when pointing the foot down
- Pain on kicking a ball
- Pain when the ankle is forced into plantar flexion (downward)
- Pain inside the ankle joint
- Inability to weight bear
- Pain in the shin
- Pain the morning after exercise
- Tender to press just inside the shin bone
- Pain on stretching the shin muscles
- Pain when starting exercise which fades throughout
- Pain when pressing a specific point on the bone
- Pain on the outer leg
- A bony lump at the front of the ankle
- Pain when pushing the foot outward against resistance
- Pain when turning the sole of the foot in against resistance
- Tender to touch the inner ankle
- History of tibialis posterior injuries
- A fallen arch
- Pain when the ankle is forced into dorsiflexion (upward)
- Weakness when lifting the foot upward
- Constant pain
- Pain at the front of the ankle
- Pain when lifting the foot up against resistance
- No pain
- Foot drop
- Pain in the Achilles tendon
- A popping/snapping sound or sensation
- A gap may be felt in the Achilles tendon
- Inability to stand on tip toes
- No foot movement when squeezing the calf muscles (Thompson’s test)
- Pain at the back of the ankle
- Stiffness in the mornings
- Tender to touch the ankle bone
- Clicking, catching or locking
- Tender when pressing in the front of the ankle