Foot and ankle arthritis can begin insidiously in the patient, and that means it can come on very slowly. So you may not notice much at first, except some pain every now and then. It can come and go. It can take days before it hurts you. It's usually associated with activity level, so the higher the activity level, the more an arthritic joint will hurt you. Usually, once it starts getting more severe is when swelling starts to develop, and you start to notice swelling around the areas of those joints, and that can be the big toe, the mid foot, the hind foot, or the ankle. Any of those joints can show swelling as it becomes more advanced.
