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Swollen
Ankles
Prevention Tips
There are a number of medical reasons ankles can swell up, including heart
failure. As such, the condition should always be checked out by a doctor.
However, in my case I've been to many doctors and no one ever found a
cause for my condition. Listed below are the factors I've uncovered on
my own to help me keep my ankles a normal size.
1. I realize
now my ankles swell up because of muscle tightness constricting my
blood flow to and from my feet. If I do yoga exercises where I stretch
my arms upward and put a lot of tension on my legs, this causes my ankles
to swell up afterwards. I realized this after I had physical therapy on
my upper body for thoracic outlet syndrome and a frozen shoulder. My upper
body got much better as the therapy progressed, but my ankles got swollen
and painful from all of pulling as a result of the arm and shoulder exercises.
I did some checking on the web and noticed a number of medical sites do note the links between swollen ankles and factors that can cut off blood flow, such as varicose veins and blood clots, but I've never seen tight muscles listed as a cause. I suspect there may be other people who tend to suffer from fibromyalgia who have swollen ankles from knotted muscles putting pressure on veins and arteries.
In order to reduce muscle tension in my legs and swelling in my ankles, I've found a number of stretches that are helpful. The first one is where I lie on my back and put my legs up the wall for few minutes. I can usually see my ankles getting thinner just as I'm lying there.
The best book I've found with a wide variety of leg stretches is Stretching by Bob Anderson. It has a whole section called Leg and Groin Stretches with Feet Elevated, which all help my swollen ankles quite a bit. The legs up the wall stretch is illustrated in the book on page 91. Besides this section, I've found the standing stretches on p. 74 - 76 in this book also very helpful.
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Stretching : 20th Anniversary Edition by Bob Anderson |
There is one yoga pose that I've found especially effective for swollen ankles that is not in the Stretching book. It is called One Leg Up, One Leg Out. With this pose, I lay near a doorway and put one leg up the frame of the door and keep one leg flat. Then I switch legs to stretch them out evenly on both sides. I found this pose in the book Back Care Basics : A Doctor's Gentle Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief. This pose is also very good for scoliosis and back pain in general. It is on page 100 of the Back Care Basics book.
2. Regular trigger point therapy on my legs also seems to help relax my legs, which in turn lets the blood flow better and reduces swelling. The book I recommend on trigger point therapy is The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook. Trigger point therapy is a form of self massage that I have found to be extremely effective for pain relief and muscle relaxation.
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The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief "A piriformis muscle that is shortened and swollen by trigger points can entrap numerous nerves and blood vessels coming out of the pelvis, making all kinds of trouble. One result can be a sense of swelling in the buttocks, leg, calf, and foot." Clair Davis, author of The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook |
3. My ankles get worse if I sit at the computer for too long, especially if I cross my legs. So I try to take frequent breaks and try to elevate my feet throughout the day as much as possible.
4. My ankles get better when avoid foods with a lot of salt, especially Chinese food. I love Chinese food, so I eat it anyway, but not too often. When I do have it, I avoid the soups, which I think usually have the most salt. I also try to cut down on salt at home. I make a lot of my own soups from scratch. When I have time, I'll make up a big batch in the crock pot and freeze them, giving me a convenient meal at a future date without a lot of salt.
5. Wearing flat shoes or no shoes at all helps my ankles. Even a small heel makes a big difference in the swelling. Flat shoes may not be the most stylish, but for me they are easiest on my feet. I think this is because when my feet are tilted at an angle, it makes it harder for my heart to pump the blood to and from my feet and toes. So the blood pools up near my ankles.
6. My ankles get worse when I lift something heavy, push a heavy shopping cart, or as noted above do a yoga pose that put a strain my body, especially my legs. One of the worst episodes of swollen ankles for me occurred when I lifted a whitewater canoe all loaded down with camping gear. My ankle and whole leg was swollen for a couple of months after that.
Swollen Ankles and Heart Disease - What's the Cause and What's the Effect
Another thing I've noticed in the web medical literature is that doctors have noticed a link between swollen ankles and heart problems. The conventional medical view is that when the heart starts to malfunction, it means the heart is not being efficient in pumping blood through the legs, and as a result, blood pools in the ankles and feet. That's why they say swollen ankles may be a sign of heart disease.
That may well be true scenario for some people, but I suspect in some cases the medical profession may be mistaking cause and effect. In my case the tight muscles in my leg crimped my veins and arteries. In turn I suspect this must have put extra pressure on my heart, like water backing up to the faucet from the point of a bend in a garden hose. Both heart problems and tight muscles are very common in people like me with connective tissue disorders, and perhaps tight muscles cutting off circulation and putting extra pressure on heart muscles are a cause and effect relationship. In this case the heart disease is the effect, not the cause.
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