A Variety of Shoes
See a Foot and Ankle Specialist to See If Your Foot Joint Pain Might Be Arthritis
Tessa Jean
If you're having pain in your ankle or foot and you don't know the reason, visit a foot and ankle specialist to find out why. Many things cause foot pain and one of them is arthritis. If you have arthritis, a foot and ankle specialist can help manage your pain so you can stay as active as possible. Here are things to know about foot and ankle arthritis.
You Can Get Both Types of Arthritis in Your Foot
There are two main kinds of arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may have the joints in both ankles affected in the same way. This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is caused by wear and tear on the joint that causes the cartilage between your bones to wear down.
A Foot and Ankle Specialist Diagnoses the Condition
Diagnosing arthritis in your foot is a matter of taking a history of your symptoms and doing imaging scans and blood tests. The doctor will probably do a gait analysis on you too. This is a test that analyzes the way you walk and examines how your bones are positioned and move. This helps the doctor understand your pain level and where the pain is located.
Lifestyle Changes and Home Treatments Might Help
There are multiple approaches to treating arthritis. Your doctor might ask you to lose weight since you put extra stress on your ankle and foot when you're obese. You might also have to give up certain sports and exercises. Your doctor might encourage you to swim and do other low-impact activities instead.
You may need to avoid bearing all your weight on your ankle, so you may need to use a cane or walker. You might also be advised to wear shoe inserts that pad and support your feet. An ankle and foot brace can help support your entire foot, and that could help with pain. Using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications may be recommended too.
Medical Treatments for Foot and Ankle Arthritis
Your foot and ankle specialist might give you a corticosteroid injection to reduce inflammation and pain. They might also prescribe anti-inflammatory medications. Physical therapy might help reduce the pain in your foot. If none of the treatments seem to do anything to help your condition, your foot and ankle specialist might suggest surgery. The doctor may consider removing the damaged cartilage and tissues, fusing bones, or performing a joint replacement, depending on the severity of your arthritis.
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Growing up, I was never very interested in buying a large quantity of shoes to pair with my outfits. I rarely owned more than five or six pairs of shoes at any given time. I usually wore either my favorite pair of sneakers, boots, flats, or heels everywhere I went. When I married my amazing husband ten years ago, my shoe closet expanded. My generous spouse encouraged me to buy some several pairs of cute shoes to match my clothing. After shopping for new shoes, I was hooked. Now, I rarely wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Thankfully, I’ve learned that wearing a different type of shoe each day is good for my foot health. On this blog, you will discover the most important benefits of wearing a different kind of shoe every day of the week.