Definitely one of the most miraculous times in any woman’s life is when she is pregnant. But, if you were to ask a lot of women who are already moms about one of the challenges that comes with carrying a growing baby, one of the things they would probably tell you is that it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming to try and keep up with all of the changes that the body tends to go through. One of them would be ankle pain and swelling, especially during the third trimester.
If you are currently pregnant, there are some things that you can do to help bring relief to the issue. If you’re interested in knowing about how you can help to prevent ankle pain and swelling during your pregnancy, we’ve got five great tips for you below:
Do some low-impact exercises
Something that can help to relieve pain and swelling, even in your ankles, it’s to do some low-impact exercises. Not only does it help to keep weight down and increase physical stamina, but it can make you feel mentally happier too. If your ankles are already providing you some level of discomfort, consider doing water aerobics. The water will help to soothe the pain in a truly effective way. Speaking of low-impact exercises, prenatal yoga and Pilates are two other great forms of low-impact exercise too.
Eat foods that reduce inflammation
Did you know that there are foods that you can eat that will actually help to reduce inflammation, including in the joint areas? Some of them include salmon, whole grains, dark leafy greens, nuts, low-fat dairy, tomatoes, and ginger. Make sure they are a part of your weekly diet.
Drink lots of water
Your doctor has probably already told you that one of your “best friends” during this time is a bottle that you constantly keep full of water. One of the many benefits that come with drinking it on a consistent basis is that water is another thing that helps to prevent ankle pain and inflammation within the body. Being that inflammation is our body’s natural response to removing certain types of irritants out of the body and drinking water also helps to flush out toxins, you can probably see how water is a natural, healthy and dependable response to preventing and also treating swelling.
Invest in some maternity support stockings
If you were to ask an Advanced Foot and Ankle Center about something that you can do in order to prevent ankle pain and swelling, something that they would probably say is that it’s definitely worth your while to invest in a couple of pair of maternity compression stockings. Being that they are designed in such a way that the strongest pressure is in the ankle area, it provides your ankles with the proper support that they need throughout the day.
Don’t stand or sit for a long period of time
There’s one more thing that you can do in order to prevent ankle pain and swelling: make sure that you don’t stand and sit for a long period of time. That also can put a lot of stress on your ankles and lead to discomfort and inflammation. For more information on how to properly deal with ankle issues that are associated with pregnancy, contact a reputable physician within your area.
