Set A Weight Loss Goal
When it comes to arthritis, what your scale says really matters. People with a higher body weight are diagnosed with arthritis at an earlier age and have more severe arthritis. It makes sense: Feet are a weight-bearing joint, so obesity makes arthritis worse, says Dr. Domingues. Even one extra pound on your frame can equal about five extra pounds of force on your feet. Losing 20 pounds can mean sparing your feet from an extra 100 pounds of force with every stride.
Excess body weight also increases inflammation, which fuels the painful symptoms of inflammatory types of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Its not easy to lose weight when you have stiff or sore joints, but even a five- to 10-percent reduction in body weight has been shown to dramatically diminish joint pain and improve exercise tolerance. Check out these weight loss tips that are especially helpful when you have arthritis.
Early Signs Of Arthritis In The Feet
Arthritis in foot symptoms can start suddenly, or develop very gradually. Either way, they should be discovered early and treated accordingly. Here are seven main symptoms that could indicate arthritis in the feet.
What Are Some Common Symptoms Of Arthritis In Feet
Common symptoms of arthritis in the feet include joint pain or tenderness, joint stiffness or reduced motion, joint swelling, and difficulty in walking.
There are 33 joints in each foot, any of which may be affected. The anatomic areas most commonly affected by arthritis are: the ankle , the hindfoot , the midfoot , and the great toe .
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What’s The Right Footwear When You Have Ra
Narrow-toed or pointy-toed shoes, as well as heels, are bad for the foot as they cause the wearer to put pressure on the ball of the foot and can cause marked deformities, Lightfoot says. An oxford-type shoe with a low heel, wide toe, and high ceiling that will not rub the foot is best.
Good arch support will help distribute the weight evenly on the entire foot, and orthotics special devices put into the shoe can alleviate foot pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis and possibly prevent deformities in the foot, Lightfoot adds.
What Is Arthritis
Arthritis is a general term for a group of more than 100 diseases. The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation.” Arthritis involves inflammation in and around the joints. Pain, stiffness, and swelling can result from inflammation. Arthritis can be an acute or chronic inflammation of a joint and its surrounding soft tissues. In arthritis, progressive joint deterioration occurs and the smooth “cushioning” cartilage in joints is gradually lost, resulting in the bones wearing against each other. Soft tissues in the joints also may begin to wear down. Arthritis can be painful and eventually can result in limited motion, loss of joint function, and deformities in the joints affected.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is generally associated with aging. Other risk factors for osteoarthritis include joint injury, obesity, genetics and anatomic factors such as joint shape and alignment.
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What Do I Do
First, you have to identify what’s really causing the pain.
If a doctor tells you that you have tendonitis of the heel, you need to find another doctor. You need more specific information.
You should definitely Quiz Your Doctor.
You need to know some specific things:
- What exactly is causing my heel pain?
- What exactly is causing the inflammation?
- Is there a bone spur on the heel?
- Is the Achilles Tendon, that attaches to the heel, the problem?
- If the Achilles tendon is the problem, WHY is it a problem? What is causing it to be a problem?
- Is some other tendonitis dynamic causing my heel pain
Every step you take involves the heel. But the heel bone is just a bone. It is controlled by muscle, and stabilized by connnective tissue.
The achilles can pull on it in one direction, and the plantar fascia can pull on it in the other.
Point being, it’s rare that the heel itself is actually the problem.
Identify the cause of the symptom.
That gives you access to the treatment.
Arthritis In The Hindfoot
Arthritis in the hindfoot affects the three joints below the ankle and above the heel: the subtalar joint, the talonavicular joint, and the calcaneocuboid joint. Together, these joints allow the foot to have side-to-side movement, as well as other motions, and aid in bearing the weight of the body. Arthritis in these joints can cause pain and swelling in the feet and ankles.
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Foot And Ankle Arthritis: Causes Symptoms And Treatments
Over the course of a lifetime, our feet and ankles can take a real pounding. Ankles in particular return 50 percent more energy per step than hips and knees, so its not surprising that we treat a fair amount of foot and ankle arthritis in our practice at Rebound.
The two most common forms of foot and ankle arthritis are osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis, or wear and tear arthritis, is naturally degenerative. Over the years, the cartilage that covers the ends of our bones simply wears out and becomes frayed, causing inflammation, swelling, tenderness or pain, and a reduced ability to walk and bear weight. Post-traumatic arthritis develops after an injury to a foot or ankle, such as a fracture or dislocation. Post-traumatic arthritis can look a lot like osteoarthritis, and affects patients similarly. It can also take a long time, even years, to present. Compared to hip and knee arthritis, which is more commonly degenerative, foot and ankle arthritis is most commonly experienced post-trauma.
The following are the foot joints most often affected by osteoarthritis and post-traumatic arthritis:
- Ankle: The joint where the shinbone and ankle meet
- Hindfoot: The three joints of the foot that involve the heel bone , the inner mid-foot bone , and the outer mid-foot bone
- Forefoot: The joint of the big toe and first metatarsal bone
There are surgical and nonsurgical methods to treat foot and ankle arthritis. Nonsurgical methods include:
Symptoms Of Arthritis In Your Feet
Like most other cases of arthritis, having arthritis in your feet can be painful. Some of the most common symptoms include the following:
- Pain when you move your feet or ankles
- Tenderness when you touch affected joints
- Swelling or redness of affected joints
- Difficulty standing or putting pressure on your feet
- Pain or swelling even when at rest
While these symptoms can give you a pretty good idea that you have arthritis, the best way to know for sure is to have a doctor take a look. Your doctor may use imaging technology, such as an MRI, X-rays, or CT scans, to confirm that you have arthritis in your feet or ankles.
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How Arthritis In The Toes Is Diagnosed
The diagnosis of arthritis in toes begins with taking your medical history and a physical exam of your foot. The doctor will look at your entire foot, not just your toes. Theyre looking for pain, deformity, and loss of function, says Dr. Archer. Your doctor will likely order an X-ray of the foot to help determine whether there is joint damage or changes in the alignment of bones in the foot.
If your doctor suspects you could have a type of inflammatory arthritis, such as RA or PsA, they may order blood tests to look for signs of inflammation as well as antibodies . If your doctor suspects you could have gout, they may give you a blood test to look for elevated levels of uric acid and draw fluid from the joint to look for uric acid crystals.
When Conservative Treatments Arent Enough
If the treatments above dont help, or your arthritis continues to get worse, Dr. Berg may recommend surgery for your feet or ankles.
One procedure Dr. Berg may recommend is fusion surgery. With this surgery, Dr. Berg fuses specific bones together with pins, rods, plates, or screws. Another procedure Dr. Berg may recommend is joint replacement therapy. With this surgery, your damaged joints are removed and replaced with artificial joints made out of metal or plastic.
If you have arthritis in your feet or ankles, or if you want to see if you do and want to learn about treatment options, book an appointment online or over the phone with Intermountain Foot & Ankle Associates today.
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How Ra Affects Feet
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition. When you have RA, your immune system tries to destroy the lining of your joints, called synovium. It also attacks the fluid in your joints, called synovial fluid. It does this because it mistakes these parts of your body for disease-causing invaders.
RA causes damage and inflammation that makes your joints swell and feel warm. The small joints, like those in the feet, are the most common targets of these attacks.
Eventually, long-term inflammation thickens the synovium. This causes cartilage and bone to wear away. In the feet and toes, the joints may become deformed. This leads to poor range of motion and considerable pain. Walking, standing, and even wearing shoes can become difficult.
Proper treatment may help reduce the damage and inflammation to your foot joints. It may also prevent or delay deformities and other problems.
Types Of Foot And Ankle Arthritis
There are many types of arthritis, but arthritis in the foot and ankle is usually one of three types: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or post-traumatic arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, often called wear and tear arthritis, develops most often in people over age 50. As cartilage gets worn down with use over time, it can result in pain and stiffness in the joint. Osteoarthritis may develop in an isolated joint or areafor example, in one foot and not the other.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, which means that the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues. This immune response targets soft tissue in the joints called the synovium, resulting in warmth, redness, swelling, stiffness, and pain of the foot and ankle. Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis generally develops symmetrically, meaning both feet are affected at the same time.
Post-traumatic arthritis develops in the foot or ankle as a result of injury, even one that occurred long ago. For example, a sprain, fracture, or dislocation in the foot or ankle may damage cartilage, leading to premature deterioration of the joint. Symptoms may appear within a few years, or it may take decades for joint damage to cause pain or limit function.
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How Does Arthritis Affect Your Feet
Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation in your joints. Inflammation can lead to swelling, stiffness, and pain across your body, making it uncomfortable to perform everyday tasks. Arthritis in your feet can be especially difficult, as it can decrease mobility and severely impact your quality of life.
However, several treatment methods are available to help relieve your arthritic foot pain. Taking an active approach to managing your pain can help you maintain mobility and continue enjoying your daily life in a healthy way.
There are a many different types of arthritis. The most common kind is osteoarthritis, which develops when the cartilage between your joints wears away over time and with use, leaving your bones to grind against each other.
Rheumatoid arthritis is common as well. Its an autoimmune disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks your body. Rheumatoid arthritis targets the thin membrane that lines joints, leading to pain and swelling.
Use Topical Medications For Arthritis In The Feet
Some people find that topical medications provide relief from foot arthritis pain, Frisch says. Look for topicals with capsaicin, an ingredient found in chile peppers thats believed to decrease the amount of substance P, which transmits pain in the body. Capsaicin is sold over the counter as a cream, ointment, stick, gel, lotion, liquid, or pad and under different brand names, such as Icy Hot and Zostrix.
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Manage The Rheumatic Disease Manage The Foot Pain
Surgery is often needed to alleviate the pain associated with bunions, hammertoes, and nodules, according to AAOS. Foot surgery may involve resetting the bones or fusing joints to correct the position of bones and joints.
Local steroid injections are particularly beneficial for inflamed joints and plantar fasciitis. But before you schedule surgery or an office visit for injections, you might try non-invasive approaches such as braces, or choose shoes or inserts designed to support your feet, AAOS recommends.
Uncontrolled inflammation leads to joint bone erosions and other damage, which leads to foot deformities, said Lightfoot. Early use of the newer and much more effective remittive drugs to lesson or eliminate inflammation is key to preventing bone damage and resulting deformities, Lightfoot says.
Heel Bursitis: Causes And Treatment
The full name for the bursitis you get in the back of your heel, underneath the Achilles tendon, is retrocalcaneal bursitis. Thats a bit of a tongue-twister, so to refer to it as heel bursitis is also fine. It usually manifests as a pain in the back of the heel, accompanied by a puffiness of the painful area.
I’ve also discussed this in more detail in this video:
The heel bursa is the little blue sac in the image below. It is filled with fluid and sits between your Achilles tendon and heel bone where the tendon goes over the bone. We have bursas all over the body wherever tendons are close to one another and where a tendon is close to bone. Their function is to protect your tendons they prevent friction and absorb some of the compression forces.
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What Is Osteoarthritis Of The Foot And Ankle
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It mostly affects the hands, knees, hips and spine, but it can happen in any joint in the body, including the feet and ankles.
A joint is a part of the body where two or more bones meet. Your ankle joint is where the tibia and fibula bones in your leg join up with your foot. There are 33 joints in the foot, but the big toe is the one that is most commonly affected by osteoarthritis.
The joints in your body go through a normal cycle of damage and repair during your lifetime. But sometimes the process your body goes through to repair joints can change their shape or structure. When these changes happen in one or more of your joints, its called osteoarthritis.
The ends of our bones are covered in a tough but slippery surface, known as cartilage. This allows the bones to move against each other. The bones are held in place by ligaments. Tendons attached to our muscles and bones help us to move around.
Osteoarthritis causes damage to the cartilage, which results in pain and swelling, and can sometimes mean the bones rub against each other as we move. Osteoarthritis doesnt just affect the cartilage, but can also cause damage to the bones, ligaments, tendons and lining of affected joints.
Osteoarthritis can affect anyone at any age, but its most common in people over 45. It affects more women than men. The risk of developing osteoarthritis is commonly linked to:
Treatment For Gout In The Heel
There is no cure for gout, but treatment to limit attacks and control painful symptoms are available.
If your doctor diagnoses gout, they will most likely suggest medication and certain lifestyle changes based on findings in the testing and your current health.
Certain medications treat gout attacks or flare-ups. Others reduce the risk of potential gout complications.
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Take The Pressure Off
The most important thing to start doing immediately is to offload that painful bursa. Give it a little bit of breathing space so that it can calm down. By far the easiest way to do this is to wear shoes with a bit of a heel to decrease the dorsiflexion and therefore the amount of compression of the Achilles tendon on the bursa. Just make sure that the back of the shoe does not press directly on the bursa. I usually tell my patients to wear shoes with a slight heel all day long at home or to use an insole with extra heel lift. If it is a mild case, they do not have to wear these around the house, just when they go for longer walks. So, it depends on how sensitive yours is. If you can immediately offload that bursa and give it a little bit of breathing space to take the pressure off it and you stick to it for a few days and really protect it, you will see that it calms down much more quickly than if you try to tough it out and keep on going about in flat footwear.
This will also work in cases where there has been direct trauma to the bursa, but it might take a few weeks rather than a few days to calm down properly.