Do I have ankle arthritis?

Do I have ankle arthritis?

What does one think about when told they have arthritis? You may think of creaky knees, stiff hip, or swollen fingers. Arthritis in the ankle does not occur very often, unlike other joints in the body. However, despite its uncommon occurrence, it can affect your mobility and deny you a quality lifestyle.

Ankle arthritis can cause severe pain, inflammation, deformity, and instability in the joints of the ankle. The ankle otherwise known as the tibiotalar joint is the joint between the shin bone (tibia) and the anklebone (talus).

Arthritis in the ankle is usually rare, and it frequently happens in those with old traumatic injuries. A prior injury to the ankle may aggravate and lead to complications like arthritis. Ankle arthritis is capable of causing severe pain and can change your healthy way of walking.

Symptoms of Ankle Arthritis

There are various symptoms associated with ankle arthritis. The primary symptom caused by ankle arthritis is severe pain around the ankle joint. The main reason why patients seek treatment is the pain experienced in this condition. Here are other symptoms associated with ankle arthritis.

• Inflammation or swelling around the joint

• Stiffness of the ankle

• Tenderness as a result of pressure to the joint
• Redness and warmth in the joint

• Decreased ability to move and walk appropriately due to deformity
• Inability to bear the whole body weight

Types of Ankle Arthritis

Having a simple understanding of the different types of arthritis helps understanding of the treatments better. The different kinds of arthritis have specific medications and typical treatments for each of them. The following are the common types of arthritis that affect the ankle.

• Post-traumatic arthritis: This is a type of ankle arthritis that happens as a result of a prior injury to the ankle. It may even be an injury that occurred a long time ago. It may be a dislocation, sprain, or fracture in the ankle. It can cause severe damage to the cartilage and lead to a premature worsening of the joint. The symptoms may surface in the space of some years or even for many years for the joint damage to cause pain.

• Osteoarthritis: Primary osteoarthritis is often referred to age-related arthritis. Wear and tear over the years results in gradual thinning of the cartilage. However, in many cases of ankle (primary) osteoarthritis, there may have been an old injury that exacerbated wear and tear. Injury to the ankle can cause direct damage to the cartilage and further change the function of the joint thus leading to the deterioration of the state of the cartilage.

• Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by the body’s immune system attacking its own tissues. Rheumatoid Arthritis affects the ankle joints and makes it difficult to stand and walk. Classically, the patient may have multiple joint pains and swelling with pain that is worse in the morning and seemingly better after use during the day.

• Reactive arthritis: This type of arthritis is a chronic one that occurs as a result of infection of the urinary, genital, or gastrointestinal systems in the body. It affects the ankles as well as other joints of the feet.

Diagnosis of Ankle Arthritis

Your doctor will ask for your medical history to determine a diagnosis if ankle arthritis is suspected. They will ask you various questions like the time you observed the symptoms and where you are feeling pain. Then, they will examine your ankle and check if there are any signs of arthritis mentioned above.

Imaging tests like X-ray can be conducted on your ankle to examine the severity, the type of arthritis, and the possible treatments.

Treatments for Ankle Arthritis

There is no reversible cure for ankle arthritis, but there are treatments for this condition. The treatments are meant to relieve pain and improve the function of the joint.

Medication for Ankle Arthritis

Medications are an important tool in treating ankle arthritis. They majorly provide relieve for the pain.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: These are drugs like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Alleve). They help to relieve pain and inflammation in the joints.
• Analgesics: An example is acetaminophen (Tylenol). Analgesics are simple ‘pain killers’. They serve the same purpose of relieve to the joints.
• DMARDS: examples of Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are methotrexate and biologics. They help in slowing down the effects of RA.
• Topical creams: they are pain relievers that can be applied directly on the surface of the ankle. They include salves, rubs, or balms.

Self-care treatments

• Ankle-friendly exercise: Engage in light and gentle activities that won’t stress your ankle joint. You can engage in walking as an exercise. However, don’t overdo it to avoid aggravating the condition.
• Get quality shoes: Getting shoes that have supportive inserts can help in relieving the pains in the ankle joints.

• Physical Therapy: You can employ the services of a physical therapist who can develop the right program for you. You will learn some specific exercises that will particularly help you and get your ankle better.

• Soothe with heat and ice: You can soothe your ankle, which may be sore or stiff with heat therapy. You can also apply ice to the numb areas to reduce swelling.

• Supportive ankle brace: A supportive brace helps you to hold your ankle joint in position. It supports the joint and releases pressure from off it.

• Balanced diet: maintaining a healthy diet is also very crucial. Losing excess weight is very important as it takes the pressure off the ankle.

Surgery

Surgery may be the last resort if your ankle pain still persists and is not relieved with nonsurgical treatments.

There are different kinds of surgery, depending on the severity of your ankle arthritis. They are:

• Ankle fusion surgery
• Corrective osteotomies around the ankle
• Total ankle replacement

For a more expert opinion, please consult Dr. Gowreeson.