I have a dodgy left ankle which keeps reoccuring. I haven't rolled on it but I think it is from hitting a heavy skinny bag with lower part of shin and somehow it has affected my ankle.

I will wake up some mornings and it will feel stiff and sore (in the same way I would imaging arthiritis to feel). Then as mentioned above, I might catch my lower shin when throwing a kick on a bag or person and then it wrecks and hurts inside.

I have put some ice on it tonight and will sleep after typing this, but I am sure it will be sore tomorrow, but fine day after untill I catch shin funny again!?

Is there ways of conditioning the ankles? Has anyone felt this pain before? It is very clicky too - but both ankles are like that... was told in past that it was gas in my joints?

By the way I did this while wearing supports too - they didnt seem to help? And it is a pretty big click I can make with my left ankle??? :-(

supports - the body takes the path of least resistance. I don't know the cause, though I would suspect one factor might be the supports. Support it and it doesn't have to work as much. The body is lazy it gets support externally and goes "ok so I don't need to support that any more". I do not know if you would have had trouble if you didn't wear. I am of the opinion that ankle supports as SOP is asking for trouble (doesn't help with circulation either I think)

Is you foot held strong and ankle tensed on impact?

I try not to always wear supports and I do try to embrace foot - although on the odd instanc I may have let it 'flop', which could be how I have done it? How could I strenghten the ankle?

Cheers for the response

Strengthening

After a basis of giving your body the energy and building blocks it needs from food and normal body systems are supported through water and oxygen etc

Bare foot goes a long way - it allows proprioceptors in the feet and lower legs to work which will activate balance mechanisms which includes the muscles used to balance and support the feet, ankle and lower leg.

Getting on uneven and unbalanced surfaces.
Gets all the above working and strengthening.

Walking barefoot on uneven terrain
using balance tools (balance and wobble boards all the way to swiss balls for more advanced -standing here)

Use it or loose it. Work it (without injury and with enough recovery) and strengthen it.

Working on the injury to heal properly will go a long way.

Cheers Mark - your advise is much appreciated!