Ankle Arthritis
The most prevalent cause of disability in all of the United States is arthritis. This condition can affect people at virtually any age, and it is a composite of many different medical conditions. Arthritis does not have a cure, unfortunately, and it can be debilitating in many circumstances. However, there are many remedies and treatments designed to mitigate arthritis flare ups, and mollify the discomfort and pain. Treatment enables a person to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle, while managing their symptoms.
Generally speaking, there are three main types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis. Individuals who experience osteoarthritis experience degeneration, inflammation, pain and swelling. Osteoarthritis can happen anywhere in the body, but the ankles are especially susceptible to it. Eventually, as cartilage atrophies over the years, this results in the painful symptoms associated with this condition. Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis experience pain and inflammation through their body. Essentially, when a person’s immune system begins to destroy its own cartilage, it causes debilitating pain and inflammatory symptoms. And finally, post-traumatic arthritis develops after can develop after experience a traumatic injury.
Causes
Each type of arthritis is associated with specific causes. For example, age significantly increases the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis because as individuals age, the body is unable to heal itself as effectively.
As of yet, researchers have not yet identified a single cause of rheumatoid arthritis. However, it has been theorized that individuals with this disease have specific genes that make them susceptible to developing the condition. Once they are exposed to the right triggers, it sets the disease off into motion. And finally, after a severe trauma fracture or dislocation, the body can produce hormones that induce the death of cartilage in that region, giving rise to arthritic symptoms.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of arthritis hinges on your medical history, symptoms, exam, and tests. Determining your medical history will allow your doctor to gauge when the pain began, what the symptoms are, what triggers them, etc. Furthermore, it will inform them if you experience a traumatic injury, or if you have a history of this condition in your family. Additional tests can also be of great use during the exam, as they can indicate a decrease in cartilage in specific regions of the body.
Treatment
The treatments generally prescribed for arthritis include anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections to relieve the pain and weight supplements. Physical therapy is always an option as well, and it can help a lot of people, especially if the arthritis is in their ankles. In some cases, a person’s arthritis may be unresponsive to a particular treatment and require surgery instead.
In the case of the ankle, there are a few other things that can be done. Some people will wear corrective braces or they will use pads or arch supports in their shoes in order to make sure that their ankles are sitting correctly. There are also a few different types of inserts that can be used to support both the ankle and the foot so that walking is less painful and that the arthritis flares up less often.
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