I have a painful ankle, possibly arthritis, if I...

[sawatdee2007]

...don't take anti-inflammatory tablets and pain killers I can't walk on it, if I take medication it makes walking a lot easier but by masking the pain, will I be causing more problems in the long term?

[Hector]

I know how you feel. My ankle was damaged many years ago and I've always had problems until arthritis set in. I've undergone surgery to have the arthritic bone removed and the ankle fused. It still gives me problems, stiff and painful, but nothing like it was before surgery. You need to take the pain killers, but they need to be anti-inflammatories, because the swelling puts pressure on the arthritis and makes the pain worse.Not taking the pain killers will probably make you worse in the long run. I wasn't prescribed any medication for many years and would walk tentatively on my painful (left) ankle. This meant that my opposite leg was taking more strain than it should and now I have arthritis in my right knee aswell. You need to see a specialist to confirm if you have arthritis, find out what can be done and what you should be doing to prevent further deterioration of your body. I urge you to push to get this resolved or you may regret it in the future. My biggest regret is not being able to play sports with my kids.