Foot and Ankle Arthritis
Foot and Ankle Arthritis Q&A
What is arthritis?
If you notice swelling, inflammation, or pain in and around your foot and ankle, you may be suffering from arthritis.
While there are more than 100 forms of foot arthritis and ankle arthritis, all of them cause foot pain and swelling of the ankle and foot when left untreated.
What causes arthritis?
When you stand, walk, or run, your feet and ankles provide shock absorption and balance to help you move around properly, but over time, the joints in your feet and ankles can become irritated and inflamed, making it difficult to move around without pain and discomfort.
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, occurs when the cartilage surrounding your joints breaks down due to wear and tear. Eventually, the protective barrier surrounding your joints will disappear, causing your bones to start rubbing together.
Some of the most common causes of arthritis include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint inflammation
- Previous injuries that never healed properly
- Joint infection
- Excessive weight gain, which puts pressure on your joints
- Family history of arthritis
Without treatment, arthritis worsens over time, especially in older adults, so it’s important to seek help at the first sign of joint pain and inflammation.
What are my treatment options?
Dr. Charles A. Sisovsky, DPM AACFAS may recommend a combination of treatments to soothe your pain and inflammation, such as:
Ankle brace
Wearing an ankle brace can help provide the right amount of compression and support for your ankle to help reduce joint swelling, inflammation, and pain surrounding your ankle and foot.
Viscosupplementation injections
Joint fluid-replacement therapy is form of injection in which Dr. Charles can use ultrasound-guidance to inject hyaluronic acid-like fluid in your ankle to help improve motion and shock absorption throughout the ankle.
Amnion injections
A groundbreaking new procedure — regenerative medicine/platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections — encourages tissue repair in your body by sending growth factors out to attract healing cells that can reduce pain and inflammation around your affected joints. Most ankle arthritis patients report feeling less pain and swelling within 10 days of treatment.
Fusion surgery
If nonsurgical treatments are not enough to reduce chronic pain and inflammation around your joints, Dr. Charles may recommend fusion surgery for severe cases. During the surgery, metal implants are used to hold your joints in place during the healing process. Over the next 8 to 12 weeks, you will slowly begin to walk on your own again.
Arthroplasty
Another surgical option for reducing the effects of ankle arthritis is arthroplasty, a procedure in which your ankle joint is reconstructed using a prosthesis.
Learn More
Pain and swelling in joints of the foot and ankle is no laughing matter, especially if you’re a fitness fanatic. For patients suffering from the painful effects of arthritis, Dr. Charles Sisovsky, DPM, AACFAS, at American Health Network, Optum Orthopedics, in New Albany, IN offers a number of treatment options to decrease inflammation and reduce pain. Call or book an appointment online today to learn more.