My Ankles Are Always Swollen: Can You Help?
Aug 19, 2025
Some occasional, minor ankle swelling after spending a day on your feet generally isn’t anything to worry about, as long as it’s uncommon and clears up with some rest and elevation. On the other hand, persistent or recurrent swelling is a concern and a reason to schedule a medical evaluation.
At Forward Foot & Ankle, our team is skilled in determining the cause of chronic ankle swelling and stiffness, providing treatment and guidance that can help relieve swelling and prevent complications. Here, learn why ankle swelling happens and how we can help you find relief.
Also called edema, swelling happens when fluids build up in the soft tissue under your skin. Lots of issues can cause swollen ankles, like traumatic injuries, pregnancy, lifestyle factors, prolonged standing or sitting, or even underlying medical problems.
Swollen ankles are a common side effect of diabetes, heart disease, and liver or kidney problems. That’s because all these diseases interfere with normal circulation in your legs and feet, resulting in excess fluids leaking from your blood vessels into the surrounding tissues.
Other times, diseases like arthritis, gout, or degenerative conditions can lead to joint or tendon injuries that lead to inflammation. Blood vessel problems, like peripheral artery disease (PAD) or chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), can impair circulation, too, and so can blood clots.
With so many possible causes of swollen ankles, it’s almost impossible to determine the cause on your own. Scheduling a medical evaluation with our team is the best way to determine the cause of ankle swelling and find a treatment to resolve it.
Sometimes, ankle swelling is accompanied by other symptoms, like:
These symptoms may indicate a serious problem that needs to be evaluated right away.
Swollen ankle treatment begins with an evaluation to learn the underlying cause. During your visit, we’ll ask about your symptoms and review your health history. We’ll also perform a physical exam, typically alongside diagnostic imaging and lab testing, in some cases.
For mild swelling due to overuse or prolonged standing or sitting, we may recommend simple therapies, like elevating your legs or performing stretches to improve circulation. Wearing compression socks may help, too, along with limiting sodium intake and drinking plenty of water.
When swelling is due to underlying joint inflammation, ankle sprains, peripheral neuropathy, or soft tissue injuries like tendonitis, many patients respond well to low-level light therapy (LLT). This gentle, noninvasive therapy uses targeted wavelengths of light to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and support tissue healing.
Sometimes, ankle swelling is caused by gout, a type of arthritis that happens when pointed uric acid crystals collect in your joints, like your ankle. This type of swelling is usually accompanied by sharp pain in your ankle, along with tenderness and warmth when touched. In this case, our team recommends medications to reduce uric acid buildup and relieve joint pain and inflammation.
Swollen ankles might not seem like a big deal, especially if you don’t have pain or your symptoms don’t interfere with regular activities. But swelling is not normal, and in many cases, it’s related to an underlying problem that needs to be treated.
To find out what’s causing your swollen ankles and how we can help you find a treatment that provides relief and prevents complications, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Forward Foot & Ankle in Midtown Manhattan and Staten Island, New York, today.