“Can swollen ankles be fixed with exercises?”
My ankle is swollen. Can swollen ankles be fixed with exercises?
2 Answers
Great question! The answer depends on whether the 'swelling' is due to a new 'acute' soft tissue or bone injury, or infection, or after several injuries where now the 'swelling' is considered 'chronic' (more than 3 months old).
Presuming you are also not referring to an infected joint or one that had surgery at some point, individuals that participate in high-intensity repetitive activities, or those who suffer from high uric acid/gout, autoimmune or connective tissue diseases like Rheumatoid or Psoriatic Arthritis can also have 'acute on chronic attacks' on their joints.
So, it is important that the actual cause of 'swelling' is confirmed before treatment begins.
Newer acute 'swelling' is conservatively treated with rest/activity avoidance, physical therapy, support/bracing, cool compress/ice applications, and anti-inflammatory type of medicines. An infection requires antibiotics or worse case scenario, a surgical 'washout' which flushes the infection out with antibiotic-concentrated water. If the patient is having a reaction to surgical metal and/or cement components (a rarer occurrence), this is also usually addressed via a consultation with an Orthopedic Surgeon.
More progressive options to treat acute swelling seek to improve the circulation and tissue that is suboptimal due to the injury. These may include Cold LASER (photomodulation), PEMF or ICES, steroids injections or iontophoresis (which I try to avoid if possible), injections of concentrated dextrose (sugar solution) or saline (salt solution) referred to as prolotherapy, and sometimes Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections to enhance self-healing of tissues using the patient's own blood components.
Chronic swelling is thus due to the long-term effects when acute episodes of inflammation were not well-addressed - or the immune system was 'overreactive' after each injury. Essentially what happens is that the spaces between cells and tissues is changed by the poor circulation, waste products from inflammation, and 'remodeling' due to the body's attempt to heal and stabilize those tissues - via creating scar-like material. What is left is not really normal tissue at all, but deformed and poorly supported mixture of muscle, fascia and other supportive tissue - generally referred to as myofibrosis. This myofibrosis is thicker, stiffer and holds fluid between tissues in a different way than normal tissues - which gives the impression of being 'swollen'.
Only if myofibrosis is actually composed of more scar and adhesions is it surgically treated. Otherwise, this injured tissue can be treated by tissue 'manipulations', along with adjunctive use of LASER, PEMF/ICES, prolotherapy and PRP. There has also been some limited clinical use using topical or injected hyaluronidase (which breaks down hyaluronic acid within the tissues which tends to make them stiffer and 'fuller') - which seems to be showing some promising results (but still investigational).
I personally offer most of the abovementioned treatments - except for PRP and LASER (although support both of them for smaller joints like ankles).
I hope that this answers your question!
Presuming you are also not referring to an infected joint or one that had surgery at some point, individuals that participate in high-intensity repetitive activities, or those who suffer from high uric acid/gout, autoimmune or connective tissue diseases like Rheumatoid or Psoriatic Arthritis can also have 'acute on chronic attacks' on their joints.
So, it is important that the actual cause of 'swelling' is confirmed before treatment begins.
Newer acute 'swelling' is conservatively treated with rest/activity avoidance, physical therapy, support/bracing, cool compress/ice applications, and anti-inflammatory type of medicines. An infection requires antibiotics or worse case scenario, a surgical 'washout' which flushes the infection out with antibiotic-concentrated water. If the patient is having a reaction to surgical metal and/or cement components (a rarer occurrence), this is also usually addressed via a consultation with an Orthopedic Surgeon.
More progressive options to treat acute swelling seek to improve the circulation and tissue that is suboptimal due to the injury. These may include Cold LASER (photomodulation), PEMF or ICES, steroids injections or iontophoresis (which I try to avoid if possible), injections of concentrated dextrose (sugar solution) or saline (salt solution) referred to as prolotherapy, and sometimes Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections to enhance self-healing of tissues using the patient's own blood components.
Chronic swelling is thus due to the long-term effects when acute episodes of inflammation were not well-addressed - or the immune system was 'overreactive' after each injury. Essentially what happens is that the spaces between cells and tissues is changed by the poor circulation, waste products from inflammation, and 'remodeling' due to the body's attempt to heal and stabilize those tissues - via creating scar-like material. What is left is not really normal tissue at all, but deformed and poorly supported mixture of muscle, fascia and other supportive tissue - generally referred to as myofibrosis. This myofibrosis is thicker, stiffer and holds fluid between tissues in a different way than normal tissues - which gives the impression of being 'swollen'.
Only if myofibrosis is actually composed of more scar and adhesions is it surgically treated. Otherwise, this injured tissue can be treated by tissue 'manipulations', along with adjunctive use of LASER, PEMF/ICES, prolotherapy and PRP. There has also been some limited clinical use using topical or injected hyaluronidase (which breaks down hyaluronic acid within the tissues which tends to make them stiffer and 'fuller') - which seems to be showing some promising results (but still investigational).
I personally offer most of the abovementioned treatments - except for PRP and LASER (although support both of them for smaller joints like ankles).
I hope that this answers your question!
Exercise can help reduce swelling in ankles by improving circulation and lymphatic drainage. Low-impact activities like walking, ankle circles, and calf raises may be beneficial. However, it's essential to consult a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause of swelling and receive appropriate treatment and guidance.
