Question
I have experienced puffiness just under the ankle bone which is quite sore, and worse when walking around.
Usually this only effects one foot at a time but at the moment I have it in both.
I wear a tight bandage round the ankle and rub on Antiflam when it is painful, removing the bandage late in the afternoon when not having to walk so much.
I would like to know what causes this problem and if I can do anything to help it.

Answer
Hey Wendy

Swolen ankles? Tight wraps? Been there! So painful that when I squeezed my ankles, it was excruciating pain. Had to wrap both ankles really tight just to walk.

What is happening is a combination of poor circulation and too much salt in your diet. Water and salt go to the lowest part of your body; your ankles, causing the skin to stretch so far that it hurts and squeezing the blood vessles, muscles, etc. Nothing but pain. If you do not do something about it, worse things can happen like tissue dieing.

Of course I tried all the podiatry cures. But I found what I really needed was to get the blood flowing again! That included getting rid of the salt; I now use "No salt." Not the same as salt in taste, but it helped me to eventually get rid of eating any salt, and reading labels on sides of foods as to how much salt they had. Now when I ocasionally eat out for dinner, I use real salt. But this is rarely.

Next, I started doing a SERIOUS aerobics program. I went to Walmart and bought The Step. I use it in the morning before I go to work, and before I go to bed. At work, we have stairs, so I go up and down them every chance I get; especially during morning break, lunch, and afternoon break.

Slowly, not quickly, but slowly! Have patience - the swelling went away, as well as the pain. And a bonus! My ankles got stronger! Now I can walk all day and have NO foot or ankle pain.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please write to me again.