DEFINITION
Arthritis means inflammation of the cartilage and lining of the body’s joints. The affected joints show redness, warmth, pain and swelling. It usually occurs in people over the age of 50.Arthritis is a major cause of foot pain as the foot contains a large number of joints.
OSTEOARTHRITIS
There are many different types of arthritis.The most common type is called osteoarthritis.Osteoarthritis causes excessive wearing away of cartilage in the joints of the foot. Movement of the foot becomes very difficult and painful.Pain and swelling are aggravated with prolonged standing and walking, and there is usually stiffness after periods of rest.
GOUT
Gout is another form of arthritis that also leads to foot complications.Accumulation of excess uric acid crystals in and around the joints of the big toe leads to severe pain in the big toe.The accumulation commonly occurs in the big toe joint as this joint experiences the most stress and pressure during walking and weight-bearing. Men are more likely to develop gouty arthritis than women.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Another type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis.It can develop at any age and its cause is still unknown.Rheumatoid arthritis is the most crippling form of the disease and it can affect patients of any age.It causes severe deformities in the body joints accompanied with fatigue.People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis can also develop severe forefoot problems such as bunions, hammer toes, claw toes, and others.Problems can also develop in the heel and ankle area due to the erosion of the involved joints.
CAUSE
There are many causes of arthritis. A major cause of arthritis is heredity. But there are many other factors that may lead to arthritic symptoms.Some of these include infections, drugs, trauma and some bowel disorders such as ileitis
TREATMENT
Conservative treatment of the arthritic foot includes using proper footwear, orthotics, and/or forefoot supports.Arthritic footwear should have a high, wide area for the toes.Insoles should be flexible and removable.Rocker Soles facilitate walking and reduce stress and pain at the ball-of-the-foot. Arthritic footwear should also allow swelling of the foot.Recommended orthotics are the ones that provide comfort, support and extra cushioning .They reduce pressure and hereby provide comfort and support for the foot.Forefoot supports such as gel toe caps, gel toe shields, gel toe straighteners sometimes help in relieving the pain.
If the problem persists, consult your foot doctor.
If I have arthritis of my joints does that mean I need to get injections?
Big toe arthrodesis Bilateral 2M
Ankle arthrodesis 8M