You have difficulty walking without pain. You have trouble twisting or bending your ankle. These are just a few of the signs that you have ankle osteoarthritis.
Ankle osteoarthritis is less common than hip or knee osteoarthritis, but it does happen. One study estimates that up to 97% of people could develop some level of ankle osteoarthritis. Another found that 7.4% of the people surveyed had evidence of ankle osteoarthritis on an X-ray.
Physical therapists can do a lot to help people with ankle arthritis manage their pain. One way they seek to meet this goal is by showing people how to do specific therapeutic exercises. A few of the exercises that your physical therapist could show you for ankle arthritis include the:
- Ankle pump exercise
Purpose: This exercise seeks to increase ankle range of motion, which can also help improve ankle arthritis pain management.
How to do the ankle pump exercise:
- Sit up straight on the edge of a stable chair.
- Lift the affected leg up so that your foot is slightly off the ground.
- Slowly move your toes so that they’re pointing away from your ankle.
- Hold this position for five to 10 seconds.
- Slowly pull your toes as far toward your ankle as possible.
- Hold this position for five to 10 seconds.
- Continue to alternate positions until you’ve spent 15 to 30 seconds total in each position.
- Standing toe raise exercise
Purpose: This exercise is designed to help improve ankle arthritis pain management by increasing strength in your lower leg and foot muscles.
How to do the standing toe raise exercise:
- Stand with your hand on the back of a stable chair or on the kitchen counter or table.
- Place your feet shoulder width apart.
- Lift the toes of both feet off the ground, but keep your heels on the ground.
- Hold this position for three to five seconds.
- Slowly lower your toes back to the ground.
- Repeat this exercise eight to 10 times.
Find help managing your ankle arthritis pain at SOL PT
Determined to improve your ankle arthritis pain management? At SOL Physical Therapy, our dedicated physical therapists are primed to help you find ways to do so. We’ll first do a comprehensive physical assessment to learn as much about your condition as possible. Then, our team will construct a customized therapy plan intended to help reduce your pain and improve your ability to move.
Contact our team today for more information about our arthritis treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment to start getting our help with your arthritic joints.
