Top 7 Ankle Arthritis Exercises to Do at Home
If you are one of the 10% of men or 18% of womenwho suffer from ankle arthritis (according to Murray et al. 2018), you may be looking for ankle arthritis exercises to relieve some of the discomfort. Pain, stiffness, and discomfort in your feet and ankles caused by OA can affect your quality of life by limiting your ability to walk or enjoy your hobbies.
Though medical interventions can help you navigate life with ankle arthritis, there is a much simpler option that can help fight pain and stiffness. Exercise can increase mobility, decrease pain, and increase range of movement and strength in ankles and feet affected by arthritis.
Ankle Exercises to Reduce Arthritis Pain
People with arthritis can integrate the following exercises into their routine to reduce ankle pain and retain strength and range of movement. Because some of these exercises require sitting down on the floor or supporting yourself, be sure to ask for help especially if you rely on mobility aids in your everyday life.
These exercises are designed to require minimal equipment. However, you may find that a yoga mat and a resistance band come in handy. These items are inexpensive, easily found in sports shops and malls in our local city of Denver, Colorado, and other major cities in the United States, and will make your exercises more comfortable and effective.
As always, ask your doctor or physical therapist for advice on how to perform these and other exercises safely following your diagnosis.
1. Ankle Pumps
Ankle pumps can help maintain or even improve your range of motion in the ankle joint:
Sit comfortably on a chair and lift the affected foot off the ground.
Stretch your toes away from you, pointing them in front, and hold for 5-10 seconds. You should feel a stretch on the front of your ankle and lower leg.
Point your toes toward the ceiling and hold for 5-10 seconds. While pointing your toes up, you should feel a tight stretch in your calf.
Repeat several times.
2. Ankle Rotation
Sit comfortably on a chair to do this exercise.
Pick up your affected leg and rest your ankle on the opposite knee.
Place one hand on the ball of your foot and the other just above the ankle joint.
Rotate your ankle clockwise for a few seconds. Pause if you need to before rotating it counterclockwise for another few seconds.
It's possible that rotating your ankle is more painful one way than the other. If this is the case, try warming the ankle up by rotating more in the less painful direction before trying again the opposite way.
If you have severe arthritis, you may feel a grinding sensation in your joints. If it causes you pain, stop the exercise.
3. Ankle Alphabet
Stay on your chair for this exercise:
Start the exercise with your feet on the floor.
Lift your foot off the floor and write the letters of the alphabet in the air with your toes. Your ankle should move slightly during the process.
If you find this exercise too easy, repeat it or go from Z-A. You could also change up the exercise by writing words in cursive.
4. Resisted Ankle Dorsiflexion
The aim of this exercise is to build strength in ankles affected by arthritis. You will need a resistance band for this exercise. Resistance bands are readily available in sports shops.
Remain on your chair with your feet on the floor. Push one leg out and straighten your knee.
Make a loop with your resistance band and, if you can, hold on to it strongly. If you are unable to hold onto the end, ask somebody else or anchor it around a heavy object or a closed door.
Wrap the loop you made around the top of your foot. You should focus on the affected foot and ankle.
Gently flex your ankle, bringing your toes toward your ankle. Keep your knee and leg straight while flexing.
Hold this position for 5-10 seconds before gently returning your ankle and toes to their starting position.
Repeat several times.
5. Resisted Ankle Eversion
Eversion is effectively turning something inside out. In this case, ankle eversion involves rotating the foot away from the body. Add a rubber band for resistance if you want to increase the challenge.
Start the exercise sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.
Hold one end of the resistance band in each hand.
Keep your lower leg off the floor by supporting it with a rolled-up towel or a cushion. Your heel should be off the floor.
Place the affected ankle into the loop you've made with the resistance band. Press the other foot against the rubber band to form an L shape from the affected foot to the other and back to your hands.
Push outward and away from your unaffected foot using the outside of your affected foot. Keep your knee facing the ceiling at all times—twist your ankle, not your knee.
6. Resisted Ankle Inversion
Inversion involves rotating your foot toward your body's centerline.
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
Hold one end of your resistance band in each hand. Place your affected foot into the loop.
Cross the other foot over. The band should go around the affected foot and behind the ball of the other foot.
Press your foot against the resistance band to move it away from the other foot. Keep your legs straight so you move the band with your ankle and not your leg.
Hold the position, then return the affected foot to the starting point. Repeat several times.
7. Calf Raise
The calf is the muscle at the back of the lower leg. You should feel a tight stretch in your lower legs when you do this exercise.
Stand up and hold the back of a chair or couch. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and feet flat on the floor.
Raise your heels off the floor until you stand on your tiptoes.
Hold the position for five seconds before you lower yourself back down.
Hold this position for 5 seconds before lowering slowly and returning your heels to the floor.
Perform a calf stretch to prevent cramping.
If you find this exercise easy and want to increase the challenge, try doing the exercise standing on one foot, then switch feet.
Take Control of Your Ankle Arthritis Pain
Performing graded exercises can reduce arthritis pain. Keeping active when you receive an arthritis diagnosis is important to maintain your mobility and reduce discomfort.
Far from being an excuse to do less exercise, arthritis should be a call to be more mindful of how and how much you stay active. Ask a healthcare professional how best to combine ankle arthritis exercises with your current treatment plan and be sure to check out our exercises for hip arthritis and exercises for knee arthritis for arthritis in the hips or knees.