Foot & Ankle Arthritis

Foot & Ankle Arthritis Q&A

What is foot and ankle arthritis?

Arthritis describes a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints. While there are over 100 types of arthritis that can affect the small joints of your feet and ankles, the team at Toetal Podiatry most commonly treats:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative type of arthritis that causes wear and tear in the cartilage that lines the ends of your joint bones. As this protective cartilage wears away, your bones can rub together, creating friction that leads to inflammation, stiffness, and pain in the joints of your feet and ankles.

Rheumatoid arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system mistakenly attacks the otherwise healthy joint lining and causes persistent inflammation, pain, and joint stiffness. This form of arthritis is a type of autoimmune disorder and often starts in the foot and ankle.

Post-traumatic arthritis

Post-traumatic arthritis develops after you experience a foot or ankle injury, such as a fracture or a joint dislocation. These injuries can damage the surface of the joint and lead to the wearing down of cartilage that protects your joints. In some cases, it can take years after the injury for arthritis to develop.

When should I seek treatment for foot and ankle arthritis?

You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation for foot and ankle arthritis if you have persistent foot and ankle pain that’s not treatable with over-the-counter medications. You should also request an evaluation if your joint pain and stiffness begin to interfere with your usual activities or if your joints are frequently swollen.

Without treatment to stop the progression of the disease, arthritis can ultimately lead to debilitating joint deformities. The Toetal Podiatry team can diagnose the type of arthritis you have with on-site X-rays and other imaging technology.

The providers can also rule out other conditions that affect your feet and ankles, such as Charcot foot, a weakening in the foot bones that results from nerve damage. Charcot foot can cause fractures, changes in your foot’s shape, and the collapse of your joint.

How is foot and ankle arthritis treated?

The goals of treating foot and ankle arthritis are to reduce your pain and joint stiffness and keep your condition from worsening. Treatment options include:

Medications

Pharmacologic therapy using pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medications can increase your comfort and your mobility.

If the oral medications aren’t enough to treat your pain, you may benefit from injections of anesthetic and steroid medicines. Your podiatrist can also work closely on a comprehensive plan with a rheumatologist if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

Custom orthotics

Durable medical equipment, such as customized bracing and ankle foot orthoses (AFOs), can stabilize your joints, ease pain, and increase your mobility.

Regenerative medicine

Injections of stem cells or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) stimulate your body to produce new, healthy cells to replace damaged ones. This type of therapy helps your body heal from the inside out.

Surgery

When your arthritis is advanced, or if you have a joint deformity, you may be a candidate for minimally invasive arthroscopy surgery to remove damaged cartilage.

You may also need a joint fusion to connect one or more bones into a single bone to limit movement in your joint and reduce pain and inflammation.

If you need a diagnostic evaluation for symptoms of foot and ankle arthritis, call Toetal Podiatry or request an appointment today through the online booking system.