Synovium is a type of soft tissue which is present in all types of synovial joints. Synovitis refers to the swelling in the soft tissue of the joints. This would lead to the severe pain in the joints. This is commonly found in serious joint disorders like gouty arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or sometimes with fracture.
When talked about ankle Synovium, Synovium is the soft tissue layer which protects the ankle joint. This would act as a lubricating membrane around the joint. This allows easy and free flow movements without any discomfort for the person.
What Is Ankle Synovitis?
Synovitis is basically an inflammation of the synovial membrane. And when its ankle Synovitis it is the inflammation caused in the synovial membrane of the ankle.
As such there is no specific reason for the ankle synovitis to occur. But a muscle weakness or a muscle strain would be a major cause. This condition also occurs in the auto immune joint disorders.
Ankle synovitis is also found in athletes very commonly. This is because of their over usage of the ankle joints. Maximum wear and tear of the joint has also been a main cause seen for this problem.
Other ankle synovitis causes may include:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Over usage
- Instability of the ankle joint
- Inappropriate footwear (hard, high heels etc.)
Ankle Synovitis Symptoms
How to know whether you have ankle synovitis?
- Pain and Redness in the affected area
- Swelling in the affected area
- Stiffness, sometimes morning stiffness (morning stiffness is a condition in which the person would not be able to move his legs as soon as he wakes up in the morning. After few minutes it gets relieved automatically)
- Restricted movements
These symptoms may be found aggravated when you try to jog, walk or run. To confirm what the exact problem with your ankle is, it is always better to get in contact with your doctor and take an X-ray of the feet. This would reveal any fractures or reduction in the joint space of the ankle. By this the inflammation could be accessed.
Synovitis Ankle Treatment Options
It is always better to know that when the ankle synovitis is due to the autoimmune disorders, then it is not possible to cure it. There are sufficient methods to relieve the pain and keep it in control. It is also possible to prevent the condition from getting worse.
The main aim of the treatment would be to provide- a good pain relief, increase the range of motion, decrease the swelling and prevent further damage.
How to reduce the pain?
To reduce the pain in case of joint pains due to Synovitis of ankle, a cold compress for ankle would always help. The better option would be to take cold mustard compress.
Mustard seeds should be powdered and sieved nicely. This can be mixed with warm water and kept for 30 minutes to get softened. This can be applied to the ankle and left for 15 minutes, then washed out. This helps to relieve the pain and also reduce the inflammation of the ankle.
How to increase the range of movements?
Once the pain is relieved then you can go for simple stretching exercises to reduce the stiffness and thereby increasing the range of motion.
Once range of motion is increased and the patient is able to do his day to day work without discomfort, regular exercises will help the patient to prevent worsening of the condition.