Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem for people worldwide living in modern society. Recently, the most commonly diagnosed disease of this type is ankle arthritis.
Over time, the progression of the disease can cause limitation or complete loss of mobility of the lower limbs, often leading to extremely negative consequences - disability.
The severity of the consequences makes it important to understand the cause, as well as be aware of the symptoms and treatment features of ankle osteoarthritis.
Ankle arthritis - what is it?
Osteoarthritis of the ankleis a disease whose progression is accompanied by the destruction of cartilage tissue of the lower limb joints as well as adjacent bones.
It is also important to note that ankle joint osteoarthritis is characterized by a chronic nature and an undulating course (systematic periods of exacerbation followed by remission).
This disease is characteristic mainly in people of the older generation, but recently it is increasingly occurring with the diagnosis of arthropathy in people under 45 years of age. According to statistics, destruction of ankle cartilage tissue is detected in 6% of applicants.
Timely diagnosis and a clear treatment plan for ankle arthritis can completely cure the disease.
Main causes and progressive causes of ankle osteoarthritis
Ankle osteoarthritis is a special disease, which can be a primary or secondary phenomenon, progressing after injury or infection.
Regardless of the type, arthritis occurs primarily in conditions where the natural processes occurring within the joint cartilage are disrupted.
Considering the main factors in the development of the disease, it is necessary to emphasize:
- microtraumas, as well as major injuries to the ankle joint;
- excess body weight;
- perform surgery on joints;
- Choosing shoes incorrectly, overusing high heels;
- excessive physical activity;
- metabolic disorders due to various diseases (gout, hormonal imbalance);
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- genetic predisposition;
- bad ecology.
Under conditions of normal metabolism, surface joint tissues are characterized by smoothness and elasticity, ensuring unhindered gliding during movement.
When joints are damaged or metabolism is disrupted, the smoothness and elasticity of tissues are lost, causing friction and significantly worsening the consequences.
Types and degrees of ankle osteoarthritis
Today, people often distinguish two types of arthritis localized to the ankle joint:
- elementary– development of pathological processes directly on healthy cartilage tissues;
- secondary (after trauma)– degenerative processes that occur during the development of many different diseases/injuries.
In addition, modern medicine also distinguishes several levels of degenerative diseases:
Grade 1 ankle arthritis– the first stage of the development of the disease, accompanied by clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients complain mainly about symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- Footsore.
During diagnosis, actual pathological processes are not visible, which complicates the process of identifying the disease.
Ankle arthritis grade 2– manifested by severe pain that disrupts the patient's healthy sleep.
Visual signs of the disease appear. Arthritis becomes noticeable to the eye: there is a local change in skin color (redness), as well as an increase in temperature. In addition, swelling begins and movement is limited.
Grade 3 ankle arthritis– accompanied by a feeling of pronounced discomfort and severe pain, which is a sign of the beginning of the process of converting cartilage into bone tissue.
Joint mobility is limited or completely lost. Joint movement occurs with a crunching sound.
Failure to provide necessary treatment for ankle osteoarthritis in the later stages of the disease will certainly lead to loss of ability to work and falling into a "disabled" state.
Symptoms of ankle arthritis
Before understanding how and how to treat ankle osteoarthritis, it is important to identify its symptoms.
Considering the clinical picture of the disease, one can notice that the main symptoms of arthritis localized to the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease progresses, the condition becomes increasingly severe, leading to increasing pain that does not subside even with long rest and sleep.
Over time, the movement of the affected joint is significantly limited and quite severe deformity of the ankle can be clearly seen. However, in addition, symptoms of ankle arthritis include:
- pain increases even with light exertion;
- discoloration of the skin and swelling of the tissues of the affected joint;
- be swelled the leg;
- characteristic noise when moving the joint;
- loss of ability to move ankle freely;
- Local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of just a few or even one symptom of ankle arthritis is reason to urgently seek qualified medical help.
Which doctor should I contact and how should I treat my ankle arthritis?
Doctors such as orthopedists and rheumatologists treat ankle osteoarthritis. If you suspect the presence of the disease, you should refrain from self-medication. Ignoring symptomatic manifestations can aggravate the degenerative process and lead to extremely negative consequences.
Grade 1 and 2 ankle arthritis can be treated successfully. For this reason, when the first signs appear, it is important to contact your local doctor, who will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.
Although the situation is complicated, grade 3 ankle arthritis can also be treated, but most radical measures are used.
Today, many different methods are used to treat ankle arthritis, including both non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies.
Let's consider the available methods in more detail.
Physical therapy for ankle osteoarthritis
Physical therapyis a unique field of modern medicine that uses natural as well as artificial physical abilities to prevent and treat various diseases.
The use of physical therapy in the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis helps to significantly reduce the amount or completely eliminate the use of medications.
Physiotherapy methods help to significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, ensuring activation and acceleration of the recovery process occurring inside the ankle.
In the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis, the following are used:
- laser irradiation;
- ultrasound influence;
- Electrical stimulation.
Treatment of ankle arthritis is determined according to the presenting symptoms and intensity of the disease.
Massage and treatment of ankle arthritis
Massageis a complex of mechanical and reflex techniques, their use ensures increased blood circulation, which significantly speeds up the recovery process of affected tissues.
Treating ankle osteoarthritis with massage, in addition to slowing the progression of the disease, also helps prevent the disease from becoming more severe.
Only a specialist who knows the structural characteristics of the joint can perform massage to treat ankle arthritis. It is important to note that the massage duration is at least 25 minutes.
Using massage in combination with exercises to treat ankle arthritis will ensure the highest effectiveness in a relatively short time.
Exercises and exercise therapy for ankle arthritis
Despite the fact that many people believe that physical therapy (physical therapy) for treating joint diseases is ineffective, physical activity is the key to getting rid of annoying pain and significantly improving health. .
Correctly selected exercises for ankle arthritis lead to:
- eliminates the feeling of stiffness when walking;
- Activates blood circulation in the tissues inside the joints;
- slow down, and in some cases even completely stop the progression of the disease;
- restore and improve quality of life.
It is important to note that for ankle osteoarthritis, exercises are selected individually according to the recommendations of the attending physician.
Surgical intervention to treat ankle osteoarthritis
In situations where conservative treatment of ankle osteoarthritis does not bring the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating this disease comes to the rescue - surgery.
Today, the following types of surgical interventions are possible:
- Endoscopic- total ankle replacement;
- arthroscopy– eliminate excessive formations inside the ankle;
- joint degeneration– immobilizes the ankle while preserving the remaining cartilage.
Surgery is a last resort for treating ankle arthritis. Timely diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can prevent the need for radical measures.
To consolidate the results after surgery and speed up the recovery of the joint, experts prescribe a set of exercises for the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis.
Treatment of ankle osteoarthritis with medication
Treatment of ankle arthritis with drugs is part of complex therapy, providing an opportunity to relieve unpleasant symptoms and prevent degenerative changes.
How to treat ankle arthritis can only be determined by a specialist who knows the specifics of the disease being diagnosed. Self-medication can cause irreparable harm to the body.
All drugs for the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis are divided into several groups, each of which differs not only in the principle of action, but also in the level of effectiveness.
Let's look at some of them in more detail.
Anti-inflammatory and pain relievers
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are used at different stages of the disease's development.
The main focus of this type of action is to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the joints.
Today, the drug market offers anti-inflammatory and pain relievers not only in the form of gels and ointments, but also in the form of tablets, patches and injections.
Antispasmodic-muscle relaxant
Medications for ankle osteoarthritis, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are prescribed as an active aid in the fight against spasm of the muscles near the affected joint.
Antispasmodics help relax muscles and relieve pain. .
Chondroprotectors
Chondroprotectorsis a medicine to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle, stimulating the production of a sufficient amount of fluid in the joints, ensuring acceleration of tissue regeneration and saturation of essential vitamins and minerals.
Complications may occur
In the absence of comprehensive treatment of ankle arthritis, the likelihood of full recovery is reduced to almost zero.
Self-treatment and ignoring the symptoms of the disease will certainly lead to immobility and disability.
In the presence of symptoms and inadequate treatment of ankle arthritis, the progression of destructive processes causes the appearance of osteoporosis (growth on bone tissue), which negatively affects the qualitya person's life.
Constant swelling of the tissues of the affected joint can also cause the development of pathological processes in blood vessels, in particular, impaired blood circulation, impaired blood flow.
Long-term destructive processes that develop in the joint lead to immobilization of the ankle, increasing the risk of accompanying diseases and injuries.
Basic principles of nutrition for patients with ankle arthritis
According to many studies, it is noted that arthritis mainly occurs in people who do not follow their diet.
Adhering to a diet and taking into account certain nutritional principles will help speed up the treatment of many diseases, especially arthritis.
The main principle of nutrition for arthritis is balance. In addition, criteria such as:
- regularity of meals;
- variety of food products;
- Correspondence between nutritional value and energy expenditure intensity.
During treatment and rehabilitation, the patient's diet mainly consists of dishes made from gelatin. In addition, it is important to give preference to foods enriched with vitamins of various groups and other beneficial trace elements.
To speed up recovery, you should also avoid drinking carbonated drinks and sugary alcohol.
Prevention of ankle osteoarthritis
The best treatment for ankle osteoarthritis isPrevent.
To minimize or completely eliminate the possibility of a degenerative-dystrophic process in the ankle, experts around the world recommend following the simplest principles:
- constant monitoring of diet;
- Monitor and control optimal body weight;
- be cautious and avoid injury to the lower extremities;
- Allocate enough time to warm up thoroughly before physical activity;
- Timely treatment of infectious diseases;
- Maintains optimal balance of trace elements in the body.
Compliance with the simplest preventive recommendations will eliminate the possibility of symptoms of ankle arthritis and limit the need for treatment of diseases of this type.
Remember, consulting a doctor when observing early symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis will ensure timely diagnosis and successful, high-quality treatment.