How to Relieve Your Chronic Ankle Stiffness

Our ankles are designed to be flexible, supporting all sorts of movements, like walking, running, climbing stairs, and even standing still. If you have chronic ankle stiffness, these activities can trigger painful symptoms and even increase your risk of serious falls.

At Forward Foot & Ankle, our team takes ankle stiffness seriously, working with each patient to find options focused on relieving stiffness and the discomfort it can cause. In this post, learn why ankle stiffness happens and what we can do to help.

Understanding ankle stiffness

Ankle stiffness can happen for lots of reasons. Age-related changes and degenerative conditions like arthritis can cause or contribute to stiffness, and so can prior ankle injuries, like sprains. You might develop ankle stiffness as a result of overuse or if you have ankle pain that causes you to avoid moving the joint.

Reduced or impaired mobility is one symptom associated with ankle stiffness. Still, many people have other symptoms, like joint pain, swelling, or cracking noises when they move their ankles. Because ankles play a key role in helping you balance, stiff ankles can interfere with the way you stand or walk, increasing the risk of falls and fall-related injuries. 

Ankle stiffness can become more common with age, and it can also be more common among athletes or people who use their ankles a lot for repetitive, high-impact, or weight-bearing activities.

Relieving chronic stiffness and its symptoms

Ankle stiffness can worsen over time, so seeking medical treatment as early as possible is important.

Rest and ice

Resting your ankle and applying ice can help relieve minor ankle stiffness symptoms, including symptoms associated with overuse. Wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a light cloth and apply to your ankle for 15-20 minutes several times throughout the day. Avoiding activities that put extra pressure or strain on your ankle and keeping it elevated can help, too.

Medication

Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen help relieve mild to moderate ankle pain and stiffness, along with the inflammation that causes it. Topical analgesic creams can also help, restricting the effects of medication primarily to the ankle area. For more severe pain, our team may recommend corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation and improve mobility.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy can play a pivotal role in managing ankle stiffness. It uses a variety of stretches and exercises designed to improve mobility and flexibility while strengthening the muscles that support your ankle. Therapy also helps improve your balance and reduce your risk of falls. Plus, physical therapy is completely customizable, which means your therapist will work with you to find a routine targeting your specific needs and lifestyle.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy uses highly focused beams of energy to painlessly penetrate your skin, targeting injured tissue and inflammation contributing to ankle stiffness and pain. Laser energy interacts with cells and tissues, triggering natural healing responses and improving circulation to help reduce inflammation.

Arthroscopy

When conservative options are ineffective, our team may recommend surgery using a minimally invasive technique called arthroscopy. This technique uses tiny incisions and special instruments to view, evaluate, and repair ankle damage. Because it’s minimally invasive, you can expect a shorter recovery time compared to traditional surgery that uses larger incisions.

Amniotic fluid injections

In some instances, we may recommend restorative therapies, like amniotic fluid injections, in combination with minimally invasive treatments. These injections supply the injured area with collagen, growth factors, and other substances that aid in healing and recovery.

Give your ankles the support they need

Ankles are designed to move freely and without pain. If you’re experiencing ankle stiffness, pain, or other unusual symptoms, we can help. To learn how, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Forward Foot & Ankle in Midtown Manhattan and Staten Island, New York, today.