Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Cause Ankle Swelling?

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How does RA-related ankle swelling feel like?

Like most things in arthritis, ankle swelling caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be painful with movement, become very stiff, tender and warm – also followed with reduced range of ankle motion. Some of these discomforts (especially stiffness) usually worsen after inactivity (for example, in the morning).

It’s also possible to have symptoms or discomforts that don’t involve the joints, since RA is an autoimmune disease. These include fatigue, fever, anemia, appetite loss, weight loss, eye problems, or other problems in non-joint structures.

The symptoms can vary in severity. They usually come and go (chronic). Periods of when they worsen are called ‘flares’ – and ‘remission’, periods of when the symptoms are less inactive or disappear.

Both ankles are usually affected

What makes RA different from OA (osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis), again it can cause systemic inflammation throughout the body. And typically it affects the joints symmetrically. In other words, both sides of the body are usually affected.

If you have swelling or stiffness in your left ankle, for example, you usually will have the same problem in your right ankle. So it tends to affect both of your ankles, not just in one ankle.

What else?

1. Typically, the swelling develops gradually. A sudden swelling is less likely to be associated with RA.
2. Besides the slow development of the symptoms, RA usually starts attacking the smaller joints first (such as small joints between your toes and feet – or joints that connect your fingers and hands) before eventually it affects larger joints such as joints of knees and ankles.