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Does arthritic pain flare up and make your ankles uncomfortable to walk on from time-to-time?

Arthritis isn’t fun to have. But you can minimize the discomfort and disruption it causes in your life.

If you have arthritic ankle pain, here’s what you can do about it:

Wear Shoes with Low, Flared Heels

While your stilettos may make you feel attractive, they’re the opposite of what you want to wear if you have arthritis in your ankle. You already have low stability because of their structure. And since you have arthritis in your ankles too, that makes you much more vulnerable to taking an awkward step and rolling your ankle, which could lead to a fracture or break.

Avoid Flat Footwear like Sandals and Flip-Flops Too

Flatter shoes don’t offer the greatest arch support. If you have arthritis, this can lead to pronation. That’s when your foot and ankle roll inward to your arch. Flat footwear doesn’t ease this painful movement.

Enclosed shoes with lace and heels no higher than 1 ½ inches give you the best support.

Watch What You Do With Your Feet When You Sit

Crossing your feet behind you and pointing them down puts additional pressure on your toes. This leads to more soreness and stiffness in your ankles.

You might do this because you get anxious in social situations. So, it’s a great opportunity to not only relieve a factor agitating your arthritis, but you get to learn how to feel a little more comfortable and relaxed in social situations too.

Ice Your Ankles When the Pain Flares Up

Cold works wonders to keep freshly injured ankles from swelling and resulting in more pain. But that’s not the only situation where you should use it. If you have your arthritis flare up, ice your ankles for 15-20 minutes to help relieve the pain.

Consider Losing Weight

This is a little tricky if you have arthritis in your ankles. Your ankles bear the weight your body places on them. So, the less you weigh, the lesser arthritic pain you may experience also. You know there’s many other benefits to weight loss too. So, it’s never a bad idea to consider.

Condition Your Ankles to Become Stronger

Just about any part of your body benefits from strength conditioning. Your ankles are no exception. Strengthening them improves stability. Do simple exercises like stretching your calf or writing out all the letters of the alphabet with your feet. Both are simple and take just a few minutes.

By doing these things, you keep your arthritic pain to a minimum.