Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects the joints and causes pain and stiffness. The condition can affect any joint, including the small foot and ankle joints. If you have foot and ankle arthritis, consult a podiatrist to customize your treatment. Here’s how arthritis affects your foot and ankle and the treatment options available:
Impacts of Arthritis
Foot and ankle arthritis fall into broad categories, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when you overuse your joints due to aging, heavy lifting, or intense activities. The soft, slippery cartilage that covers the bones where they form a joint deteriorates over time. As the cartilage breaks down, the joint bones start to rub against each other, resulting in pain and stiffness. The pain can intensify in the morning, after rest, and during weight-bearing activities like walking or jogging. Rheumatoid arthritis develops from an autoimmune disease that attacks your joints from the inside.
Post-traumatic arthritis is a result of a traumatic injury to your joints and tissues. Arthritis causes varying levels of pain and discomfort in the affected areas because your foot and ankles bear your weight. Inform your podiatrist immediately if you experience tenderness, warmth, stiffness, and swelling in the midfoot, ankle, and toes. The pain and inflammation make it difficult to move properly, resulting in reduced range of motion and poor gait. Arthritis can also lead to hammertoes, bunions, and other joint deformities. Inflammation and deformities that compress your nerves lead to neuropathy, with symptoms like numbness or tingling.
Arthritis Treatment Options
Foot and ankle arthritis can be addressed using various approaches depending on your unique requirements. Possible treatments include lifestyle modification, medication, and physical therapy. Lifestyle modifications involve resting, changing activities that put more stress on the joints, and weight management. Your doctor can also recommend supportive footwear, braces, or splints to stabilize affected joints. Physical therapy helps restore muscle strength and range of motion to prevent mobility problems. Medication like NSAIDs and corticosteroid injections help relieve the pain.
Other non-surgical treatment options include assistive devices to reduce the weight-bearing load on your foot and ankle. If surgery is required, your doctor can recommend joint fusion, replacement, or removal. Joint fusion fuses bones in the problematic joint, eliminating the pain caused by the rubbing motion. Ankle and toe joint replacement use artificial implants to enhance your mobility and reduce pain. Joint removal or debridement removes the damaged cartilage and bone spurs.
Arthritis Long-term Management
Since arthritis is a progressive condition, effective treatment requires ongoing management. No cure exists but you can slow down the cartilage deterioration process, relieve the pain, and maintain your range of motion. Long-term management involves identifying and addressing the causes of arthritis and adapting your lifestyle to avoid further damage. Your doctor can recommend low-impact exercises to maintain muscles and joint health without straining your foot and ankle. Other approaches include dietary changes and doctor-recommended home remedies for temporary symptoms.
Regular checkups with your foot and ankle doctor allow you to monitor your condition and make rapid adjustments based on your needs. These visits can identify inflammation-related issues like bone spurs, hammertoes, and deformities and address them with plantar fascia release and orthotics. Weight management, posture training, and regular stretching also reduce the risk of causing more damage to your joints. Long-term care allows you to live a full life despite your condition.
Speak to an Experienced Podiatrist Today
Arthritis is a manageable condition that doesn’t have to bring pain and discomfort. With the help of an experienced foot and ankle institute, you can slow down the process, manage the pain, and improve your joint health. Contact a reputable podiatrist today to find out more about arthritis and other foot and ankle conditions.
