ankle arthritis

Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem faced by people around the world living in modern societies. Recently, the most commonly diagnosed disease of this type has become arthropathy of the ankle joint.Over time, disease progression can lead to limited or complete loss of lower limb movement, which often leads to extremely negative consequences - disability.The severity of the consequences makes it important to understand the causes of ankle osteoarthritis and to be aware of symptoms and treatment features.

Ankle arthritis - what is it?

ankle osteoarthritisIt is a disease that progresses with the destruction of the cartilage tissue of the joints of the lower limbs and adjacent bones.It is also worth noting that ankle osteoarthritis is characterized by a chronic and fluctuating course (systemic periods of exacerbation followed by remission).The disease is predominantly a characteristic of the older generation, but recently there has been an increase in diagnoses of arthropathy in people under 45 years of age. According to statistics, 6% of applicants find damage to the cartilage tissue of their ankles.Prompt diagnosis of the ankle joint and a clear treatment plan can completely cure this disease.

The main causes and progression of ankle osteoarthritis

Arthritis of the ankle joint is a special disease that can be a primary phenomenon or a secondary disease that progresses after injury or inflammation.Regardless of the type, arthrosis occurs primarily when the natural processes within the joint cartilage are disrupted.Considering the key factors in the development of the disease, it is worth emphasizing:

• Microtrauma as well as severe injuries to the ankle joint;
• being overweight;
• Perform surgery on joints;
• Improper shoe selection and misuse of high heels;
• excessive physical activity;
• Metabolic disorders caused by various diseases (gout, hormonal imbalance);
• Diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• genetic susceptibility;
• Ecologically bad.

Under normal metabolic processes, superficial joint tissues are smooth and elastic, ensuring unimpeded sliding during movement.When joints are injured or metabolic processes are disrupted, the smoothness and elasticity of the tissues are lost, causing friction and significantly exacerbating the consequences.

Types and Degrees of Ankle Osteoarthritis

Today, it is customary to distinguish between two types of ankle arthropathy:

• basic– Pathological processes occur directly on healthy cartilage tissue;
• Secondary (post-traumatic)– Degenerative processes that occur during the development of various types of disease/injury.

In addition, modern medicine distinguishes between several degrees of degenerative diseases:Grade 1 arthritis of the ankle– The first stage of disease development, accompanied by clear symptom manifestations. Patients mainly complain of the following symptoms:

• increased fatigue;
• Leg pain.

During the diagnostic process, the pathological process is virtually invisible, which complicates the process of identifying the disease. Ankle joint 2 degrees– Manifests as severe pain that disturbs the patient’s healthy sleep.Visual symptoms of the disease appear. Joint inflammation becomes visually apparent: local changes in skin color (redness), and an increase in temperature. In addition, swelling begins and movement is limited.3rd degree ankle arthritis– Accompanied by significant discomfort and severe soreness, this is a sign that cartilage is beginning to transform into bone tissue.Limited or complete loss of joint movement. Joint movement occurs with sit-ups.If ankle joint disease does not receive necessary treatment in the later stages, it will inevitably lead to loss of working ability and a state of "disability".

Symptoms of ankle arthritis

Before understanding how and how to treat ankle osteoarthritis, it is important to recognize its symptoms.Taking into account the clinical manifestations of the disease, one can note that the main symptoms of localized arthropathy of the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease progresses, the condition worsens, resulting in increased pain that does not go away even during rest and prolonged sleep.Over time, the motor activity of the affected joints is significantly limited, and considerable deformation of the ankle joint becomes visible visually. However, in addition to this, ankle symptoms can include:

• Pain worsens with even slight exertion;
• Skin discoloration and swelling of affected joint tissue;
• swollen feet;
• Characteristic crunching sound when joints are moved;
• Loss of ability to move the ankle freely;
• Local temperature indicators increase.

The presence of just a few or even one of the ankle symptoms should prompt you to urgently seek qualified medical help.

Which doctor should I contact and how should I treat my ankle joint?

Doctors such as orthopedic traumatologists and rheumatologists treat ankle osteoarthritis. If you suspect a medical condition, you should avoid self-medicating. Ignoring symptom manifestations may exacerbate the degenerative process and lead to extremely negative consequences.Grade 1 and 2 ankle arthritis can be treated successfully. Therefore, at the first signs, it is important to contact your local doctor, who will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.Although the condition is complex, grade 3 ankle joints are treatable, but most often require radical measures.Today, there are a variety of methods used to treat the ankle joint, including non-pharmacological treatments and medications.Let's look at the available methods in more detail.

Physical therapy for ankle osteoarthritis

physiotherapyIs a unique field of modern medicine that utilizes the body's natural and artificially created abilities to prevent and treat various diseases.Using physical therapy to treat ankle osteoarthritis can significantly reduce the use of medications or eliminate them entirely.Physiotherapy methods help to significantly improve blood circulation to the affected joint, ensuring that the recovery process within the ankle joint is activated and accelerated.When treating ankle osteoarthritis, the following medications are used:

• laser irradiation;
• Ultrasonic effects;
• Electrical stimulation.

Treatment of the ankle is determined based on the symptoms present and the severity of the disease.

Massage and Ankle

massageIt is a combination of mechanical and reflexive techniques, the use of which ensures increased blood circulation, thereby significantly accelerating the recovery of the affected tissue.Treating ankle osteoarthritis with massage can help prevent the likelihood of it getting worse, in addition to reducing the rate at which the disease progresses.Only a specialist who understands the structural characteristics of the joint can perform massage to treat ankle arthritis. It should be noted that the massage time should be at least 25 minutes.Combining massage with ankle exercises will ensure the most effective results in a relatively short period of time.

Exercise and exercise therapy for the ankle joint

Although many people believe that physical therapy (physical therapy) is ineffective for joint disease, physical activity is the key to getting rid of annoying pain and significantly improving your health.Proper selection of ankle joint exercises will result in:

• Eliminate stiffness when walking;
• Activate blood circulation in the internal tissues of joints;
• slow down or even completely halt the progression of disease in some cases;
• Recovery and improved quality of life.

It is worth noting that for ankle osteoarthritis, the selection of exercise programs should be strictly based on the recommendations of the attending physician.

Surgical intervention for ankle osteoarthritis

In cases where conservative treatments for ankle osteoarthritis fail to produce the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating the disease can come to the rescue - surgery.Today, the following types of surgical procedures can be performed:

• endoprosthesis– Total ankle replacement;
• Arthroscopy– Eliminate excess structure inside the ankle;
• Arthrodesis– Immobilize the ankle joint while preserving cartilage remnants.

Surgery is a last resort for treating ankle arthritis. Prompt diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can avoid the need for drastic measures.In order to consolidate the postoperative effects and speed up joint recovery, experts have developed a set of exercises for ankle osteoarthritis.

Medication for ankle joints

Medical treatment of ankle arthritis is part of a complex treatment and offers the opportunity to relieve uncomfortable symptoms and halt degenerative changes.How to treat ankle arthritis can only be determined by a specialist who understands the characteristics of the disease being diagnosed. Self-medication can cause irreparable damage to the body.All drugs for treating ankle osteoarthritis are divided into several groups, each of which not only works differently but also has different degrees of efficacy.Let's look at some of them in more detail.

anti-inflammatory and pain relievers

NSAIDs used to treat ankle osteoarthritis are used at various stages of the disease's development.The focus of these movements is on relieving pain and relieving joint inflammation. Today, the pharmaceutical market offers anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications not only in the form of gels and ointments, but also in the form of tablets, patches and injections.

Antispasmodics-muscle relaxants

Medications to treat ankle osteoarthritis, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are used to actively help combat muscle spasms near the affected joint.Antispasmodics relax muscles and relieve pain. .

chondroprotectant

chondroprotectantIs a drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, stimulating the production of a sufficient amount of intra-articular fluid, ensuring accelerated tissue regeneration and saturation of essential vitamins and minerals.

possible complications

Without comprehensive treatment of the ankle joint, the likelihood of full recovery is almost zero.Self-medication and ignoring disease symptoms inevitably lead to limb paralysis and disability.In the presence of symptoms and inadequate treatment of the ankle joint, the progression of the destructive process can lead to the appearance of osteophytes (growths on bone tissue), which negatively affects a person's quality of life.Persistent swelling of the affected joint tissues can also lead to the development of vascular pathological processes, in particular deterioration of blood circulation and impairment of blood flow.The long-term destructive processes that occur in the joint can lead to immobilization of the ankle joint, thereby increasing the risk of concomitant disease and injury.

Basic principles of dietary nutrition for ankle arthritis

According to numerous studies, joint disease mainly occurs in people who do not adhere to dietary habits.Following a diet and taking into account certain nutritional principles can speed up the treatment of many diseases, especially joint diseases.The key principle of joint nutrition is balance. In addition, the following standards are included:

• dietary patterns;
• Various foods;
• Correspondence between nutritional value and energy expenditure intensity.

During treatment and recovery, the patient's diet should consist mainly of gelatin dishes. In addition, it is also important to give priority to foods rich in various vitamins and other beneficial trace elements.To speed up your recovery, it is also recommended to avoid sugary carbonated drinks and alcohol.

Prevent ankle osteoarthritis

The best treatment for ankle osteoarthritis isprevention.In order to minimize or completely eliminate the possibility of degenerative dystrophic processes in the ankle, experts around the world recommend following the simplest principles:

• Continue to monitor diet;
• Track and control optimal body weight;
• Be careful and avoid lower extremity injuries;
• Allocate sufficient time for a good warm-up before physical activity;
• Prompt treatment of inflammatory diseases;
• Maintain the optimal balance of trace elements in the body.

Following the simplest prevention recommendations will eliminate the possibility of ankle symptoms and limit the need to treat this condition.Remember, consulting a doctor when observing the first symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis can ensure prompt diagnosis and high-quality, successful treatment.