Arthritis is a thing we believe strongly comes with age, and as people age they sometimes get worried they may come down with arthritis, but is arthritis just a thing, no it is not because it is a general term used to describe more than 100 diseases. It involves inflammation and swelling around and in your joints as well as nearby soft tissue.
Arthritis affects one or more of the joints, it could cause stiffness and pain in any joint of the body, and it is common in the small joints of the foot and ankle. All existing types of arthritis can make it difficult to walk and perform all the other activities you enjoy.
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There is no cure for arthritis at the moment, but there are several available treatment options, which would help slow down the progress of the disease and at the same time, relieve symptoms. With good treatments, people with arthritis will be able to manage their pain, remain active, and also live a fulfilling life.
Let's describe what goes on.
During the process of standing, walking, and running which all have to do with the leg, the foot and ankle provide support, balance, shock absorption, and several other functions that are important for motion. Three bones actively make up the ankle joint, they enable up-and-down movement. For a wide range of movement to be allowed, there are 28 bones in the foot and over 30 joints that make it happen.
In many of the joints, the ends of the bones are usually covered with articular cartilage, which is a slippery substance that helps the bones glide smoothly over one another once there is movement. Joints are surrounded by a thin lining called the synovium, this synovium produces a fluid that not only lubricates the cartilage but also reduces friction.
There are existing tough tissue bands, known as ligaments, they function as a connection between the bone and the joints, muscles and tendons also provide support to the joints by providing them with the required strength to move.
Amongst the different types of arthritis that exist, Osteoarthritis is the major one that affects the foot and ankle. Another name for osteoarthritis is, degenerative wear-and-tear, it is a common problem for people usually after they get to middle age, but it may affect younger people too.
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In the case of osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the joint would gradually wear away, as the cartilage wears away, it becomes frayed and rough, at the same time, the protective space between the bone would decrease also. The effect of this is painful osteophytes because it is an effect of bone rubbing on one another.
Alongside age as a factor, other risk factors are; obesity and family history of the disease. It develops slowly, creating pain and a feeling of stiffness that would get worse as time goes on.
Another type of Arthritis that affects the foot and ankle is Rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic disease that affects multiple joints all through the body, and it usually starts with the ankle and foot usually affecting the same joints on both sides of the body.
It is an autoimmune disease, the immune cells attack the synovium covering the joint, making it swell. After some time, the synovium would invade and damage the cartilage and bone, as well as tendons and ligaments causing severe joint disability and deformity.
We already established that rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, the exact cause remains unknown. Some researchers believe that some people naturally have genes that make them more susceptible, there could also be a trigger from an infection or environmental factors that activate the genes. When the body gets exposed to this trigger, the immune system begins to produce substances that would attack the joints.
Posttraumatic Arthritis, this one develops after there has been an injury to the ankle or the foot. Fractures and dislocations, especially those that cause damage to the joint surface, are the most common injury type that results in post-traumatic arthritis. In a similar manner as osteoarthritis, posttraumatic arthritis also causes the cartilage between the joints to wear out, this may develop several years after an initial injury has happened.
Even after an injury has been treated, an injured or previously injured joint is more likely to develop arthritis than the one that has not been treated.
How do I suspect the presence of Arthritis?
It is always better to suspect the symptoms early enough and then get medical expertise than wait until it is too late to get treated or when it has become too expensive to do so.
The symptoms of arthritis are different depending on the type felt, but in many cases, there would be inflammation and a painful feeling alongside, but generally, the pain would gradually develop even if sudden onset is also very possible.
Other symptoms include;
- Pains that come up once there is vigorous activities.
- Pain associated with motion.
- Swelling of the joint, warmth, and redness of the area.
- Intense pain and swelling in the morning, or after sitting or resting.
- Tender feeling whenever there is applied pressure to the joint.
- Inability to walk due to any of the symptoms mentioned above.
As mentioned earlier, there is no cure, but there are treatments that may help relieve the pain and control the disability it could cause.
Initially, the treatment is a nonsurgical one, a medical personnel may just advise some lifestyle modifications to help relieve pain and at the same time, slow down the progression of the disease.
Medications in form of pain relief, and steriod injections may be prescribed to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Surgical procedures can also be carried out when the pain felt causes disability and cannot be resolved with nonsurgical treatment.
For Further Studies.
https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis/foot-arthritis#treatments
https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/foot-ankle-osteoarthritis
https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis/foot-arthritis#treatments
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/arthritis-of-the-foot-and-ankle/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/13900-foot-and-ankle-arthritis
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.
