How to manage ankle bursitis
It is prudent to get your condition diagnosed early and then followed by early treatment in order to recover from Ankle bursitis quickly.
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Many individuals with ankle bursitis undergo physiotherapy management for pain, reduced movement of the ankle joint etc. to improve their functional abilities.
Initially emphasis is placed on rest, decreasing the pain and swelling and improving blood circulation. When the swelling improves, the individual undergoes a programme regime of stretches and strengthening exercises to restore movement and strength in order to decrease the stress on the ankle joints.
Management of the condition includes:
Cold therapy
Individuals may apply ice over the ankle joint several times a day for 10-15 minutes. This helps to reduce pain and swelling in the joint and allow movement in the ankle joint. The application of ice is effective for a couple of days.
Appropriate footwear
High heels are not appropriate and would only aggravate your condition. Obtain comfortable shoes to wear daily with heel pads to further cushion your ankle joint from any irritation of the shoes.
For individuals with flat feet, you need to obtain shoe inserts to align your feet properly in the shoes you wear to prevent abnormal movement in your feet. The shoe inserts work by increasing the arch in your feet.
Exercise modification
There is a need to stretch the Achilles tendon regularly, especially before and after exercise or after sitting for a long time.
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You are also required to place a halt on running on hard surfaces or running uphill as this may aggravate the condition.
Stretching exercises for ankle
Stand in front of a wall with your legs spread apart and the heel of the affected leg should be positioned on the floor with the knee straight.
The front knee should be bent forward while you place your hands on the wall as if you want to push the wall.
Lean forward towards the wall until you feel a gentle stretch in your affected leg. The stretch should be held for 10-15 seconds and repeated throughout the day.
Calf stretch
Stand on a step with the affected ankle on the border of the step in front of you and with your knee bent. Hold the stretch for about 15 seconds and repeat throughout the day.
Appropriate footwear
Regular changing of your footwear is one of the most essential forms of management for the condition. You may also wear open-backed shoes as this reduces pressure on the ankle joint.
Some individuals experience pain in the ankle whenever they change from high-heeled to flat shoes or vice versa hence they need to use footwear that is of a medium heel height.
If you are an athlete, you should be aware that shoes need to be changed on a regular basis because the shoes' fit, and the support the shoes provide, may modify over time
You may also take away a portion of the heel of your shoes or can be cut away and replaced with a soft leather insert to reduce friction at the site where the heel meets the skin.
Ensure that shoes without laces are not tight or do not fit too closely and hence prevent excess stress on the ankle.
You may also insert a heel cup into each shoe as this may help to reduce the stress on the ankle.
Heel cups provide comfort and further cushion the ankle joints as you walk or jog. However, the insert should not be too high as to cause one leg to be longer than the other.
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Restriction of movement
Restriction of movement is essential to reduce pain and swelling in the ankle joint. Most at times many individuals want to continue their daily activities and this may cause re-injury to the ankle and eventually prolong the management.
Individuals need to receive early treatment for the condition to obtain a good prognosis and reduce the risk of re-injury or recurrence.
The writer is a Senior Physiotherapist at the 37 Military Hospital,
panerius @live.com