My MS doc explained to me that the swelling is due to the nerves not signaling the veins and lymph system to pump the fluids back up so they can be eliminated. I use a combination of compression socks (moderate compression, as the really snug ones are too much of a struggle to get into!), increased fluid intake, and elevation . . . but none of it works very well. Exercise will help, because it will cause your heart to pump more, but most of us hurt too much to walk on our sausage-feet.

A drop in barometric pressure, or a low system moving in can also trigger more problems with swelling, because low atmospheric pressure allows tissues to swell more. Ask anyone with arthritis . . . that's why it flares when rain is imminent!

Aggravating as heck, this is the one issue I had hoped I could resolve, since there is no cure for any other of the zillion issues I deal with daily. Between the pain and the swelling, there isn't a pair of shoes anywhere that I can walk in anymore. If you have ever worn rock-climbing shoes, that is what even the best fitting shoes feel like now . . .