Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is an urgent problem for people around the world living in modern society. Recently, the most commonly diagnosed disease of this type has become arthrosis of the ankle joint.
Over time, the progression of the disease can cause limitation or complete loss of motor activity of the lower extremities, which often leads to extremely negative consequences - disability.
The severity of the consequences makes it important to understand the causes, as well as awareness of the symptoms and characteristics of the treatment of ankle arthritis.
Ankle arthritis: what is it?
Arthrosis of the ankle jointis a disease whose progress is accompanied by the destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the joint of the lower extremities and adjacent bones.
It is also worth noting that arthrosis of the ankle joint is characterized by a chronic nature and a wavy course (systematic periods of exacerbations followed by remissions).
The disease is characteristic mainly of people of the older generation, but recently it is increasingly occurring in a situation where arthrosis is diagnosed in people under 45 years of age. According to statistical data, destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the ankle is detected in 6% of candidates.
A timely diagnosis and a well-defined treatment plan for ankle osteoarthritis can completely cure the disease.
Main causes and principles of progression of ankle arthritis
Arthrosis of the ankle joint is a special disease that can be a primary phenomenon, or it can be secondary, in which the disease progresses after injury or inflammation.
Regardless of the type, osteoarthritis occurs primarily under conditions of disruption of the natural processes occurring within the articular cartilage.
Considering the key factors in the development of the disease, it is worth highlighting:
- microtraumas, as well as serious injuries to the ankle joint;
- excess body weight;
- perform surgery on a joint;
- improperly selected shoes, abuse of high heels;
- excessive physical activity;
- metabolic disorders caused by various diseases (gout, hormonal imbalance);
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- genetic predisposition;
- bad ecology.
Under conditions of normal metabolic processes, superficial joint tissues are characterized by softness and elasticity, ensuring unhindered sliding during movement.
When a joint is damaged or metabolic processes are disrupted, the softness and elasticity of the tissues are lost, which causes friction and significantly aggravates the consequences.
Types and degrees of ankle arthritis
Today it is customary to distinguish two types of arthrosis localized at the ankle joint:
- primary– development of pathological processes directly on healthy cartilaginous tissues;
- secondary (post-traumatic)– degenerative processes that occur during the development of various types of diseases/injuries.
In addition, modern medicine also distinguishes different degrees of degenerative disease:
1st degree arthrosis of the ankle joint– the first stage of the development of the disease, accompanied by a clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients mainly complain of symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- leg pain.
During diagnostic procedures, pathological processes are practically invisible, which complicates the process of disease identification.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint 2 degrees– manifests itself with severe pain that disturbs the healthy sleep of patients.
Visual signs of the disease appear. Inflammation of the joint becomes visually noticeable: a local change in the color of the skin (redness) occurs, as well as an increase in its temperature. In addition, swelling begins, movements are limited.
3rd degree arthrosis of the ankle joint– is accompanied by pronounced discomfort and severe aching pain, which is a sign of the beginning of the transformation of cartilage into bone tissue.
Joint mobility is limited or completely lost. Joint movements occur with a crunch.
The lack of the necessary treatment for arthrosis of the ankle joint in the later stages of the disease inevitably leads to the loss of working capacity and obtaining the status of "disabled".
Symptoms of ankle arthritis
Before understanding how and how to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint, it is important to identify its symptoms.
Considering the clinical picture of the disease, it can be noted that the main symptoms of arthrosis localized in the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease develops, the situation worsens, which leads to increased pain that does not disappear even during periods of rest and long sleep.
Over time, the motor activity of the affected joint is significantly limited, and a fairly severe deformation of the ankle is visually visible. However, in addition to this, the symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis include:
- an increase in pain even with minor efforts;
- discoloration of the skin and swelling of the tissues of the affected joint;
- swelling of the foot;
- characteristic creaking when moving the joint;
- loss of ability to move the ankle freely;
- local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of a few or even only one of the symptoms of ankle arthrosis should be the reason for urgently seeking qualified medical help.
Which doctor should I contact and how to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint?
Doctors such as an orthopedic traumatologist and a rheumatologist treat osteoarthritis of the ankle. If you suspect the presence of a disease, you should refrain from self-medication. Ignoring symptomatic manifestations can aggravate degenerative processes and lead to extremely negative consequences.
Grade 1 and 2 arthrosis of the ankle joint can be successfully treated. For this reason, when the first signs appear, it is important to contact your doctor, who will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.
Despite the complexity of the situation, grade 3 ankle arthrosis is also treatable, but mostly radical measures are used.
Today, various methods are used to treat ankle arthritis, including non-drug therapy and medications.
Let's look at the available methods in more detail.
Physiotherapy for ankle arthritis
Physiotherapyis a unique area of modern medicine that uses natural and artificially created physical abilities for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
The use of physiotherapy as a treatment for ankle arthrosis allows you to significantly reduce the amount or completely eliminate the use of medications.
Physiotherapy methods help to significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, ensuring the activation and acceleration of the recovery processes occurring inside the ankle.
In the treatment of ankle arthritis the following are used:
- laser irradiation;
- ultrasonic influence;
- electrical stimulation.
Treatment of ankle arthritis is determined based on the symptoms that appear and the intensity of the disease.
Massage and arthrosis of the ankle
Massageis a complex of mechanical and reflex techniques, the use of which ensures an increase in blood circulation, which significantly accelerates the restoration of the affected tissues.
Treatment of ankle arthrosis with massage, in addition to reducing the speed of progression of the disease, helps to prevent the likelihood of its exacerbation.
Only a specialist who knows the structural characteristics of the joints can perform a massage to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint. It is important to note that the duration of the massage should be at least 25 minutes.
The use of massage together with exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint will ensure that the most effective results are achieved in a relatively short time.
Exercises and physical therapy for ankle arthritis
Despite the fact that many are of the opinion that physical therapy (exercise therapy) for arthrosis is ineffective, physical activity is the key to getting rid of hated pain and significantly improving well-being.
Correctly selected exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint lead to:
- elimination of the feeling of stiffness when walking;
- activation of blood circulation in the internal tissues of the joint;
- slow down and in some cases even completely stop the progression of the disease;
- restoration, improvement of quality of life.
It is important to note that for arthrosis of the ankle joint exercises are selected exclusively in accordance with the recommendations of the attending physician.
Surgery for arthrosis of the ankle joint
In a situation where conservative treatment of ankle arthrosis does not produce the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating the disease comes to the rescue - surgery.
Today the following types of surgery are possible:
- endoprosthesis– total ankle replacement;
- arthroscopy– elimination of excessive formations inside the ankle;
- arthrodesis– immobilization of the ankle while preserving cartilage residues.
Surgery falls into the category of last resort methods for treating ankle arthritis. A timely diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can prevent the need for radical measures.
In order to consolidate the postoperative result and accelerate the recovery of the joint, specialists prescribe a set of exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint.
Treatment of ankle arthritis with drugs
Drug treatment of ankle arthrosis is part of a complex therapy, which provides the opportunity to relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop degenerative changes.
How to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint can only be determined by a specialist who knows the characteristics of the diagnosed disease. Self-medication with drugs can cause irreparable damage to the body.
All drugs for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint are divided into several groups, each of which differs not only in the principles of action, but also in the degree of effectiveness.
Let's look at some of them in more detail.
Anti-inflammatories and painkillers
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint are used at various stages of the development of the disease.
The main goal of this type of action is to relieve pain and relieve inflammation in the joint.
Today the medicine market offers anti-inflammatories and painkillers not only in the form of gels and ointments, but also in the form of tablets, patches and injections.
Antispasmodics-muscle relaxants
Drugs for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are prescribed as an active aid in the fight against spasms of the muscles adjacent to the affected joints.
Antispasmodics provide muscle relaxation and pain relief. .
Chondroprotectors
Chondroprotectoris a drug for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint, which stimulates the production of a sufficient amount of intra-articular fluid, which ensures accelerated tissue regeneration and saturation with essential vitamins and minerals.
Possible complications
In the absence of comprehensive treatment for ankle arthrosis, the probability of a full recovery is reduced to almost zero.
Self-treatment and ignoring the symptoms of the disease inevitably lead to immobilization and disability of the limbs.
In the presence of symptoms and insufficient treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint, the progress of destructive processes causes the appearance of osteophytes (growths on bone tissue), which negatively affect the quality of a person's life.
Constant swelling of the tissues of the affected joint can also cause the development of pathological processes in the blood vessels, in particular deterioration of blood circulation, impaired blood flow.
Long-term destructive processes developing in the joint lead to immobilization of the ankle, which increases the risk of concomitant diseases and injuries.
Basic principles of dietary nutrition for ankle arthrosis
According to numerous studies, it has been noted that osteoarthritis occurs mainly in people who do not follow their diet.
Following a diet and taking into account some nutritional principles accelerates the treatment of many diseases, in particular osteoarthritis.
The key principle of nutrition for osteoarthritis is balance. Furthermore, criteria such as:
- regularity of meals;
- variety of food products;
- correspondence between nutritional value and intensity of energy expenditure.
During the period of treatment and rehabilitation, the patient's diet should consist mainly of dishes prepared with gelatin. Furthermore, it is important to favor foods enriched with vitamins from various groups and other beneficial microelements.
To speed up healing, it is also recommended to avoid drinking sugary carbonated drinks and alcohol.
Prevention of ankle arthritis
The best treatment for ankle arthritis isprevention.
To minimize or completely eliminate the likelihood of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the ankle, experts around the world recommend adhering to the simplest principles:
- constant monitoring of the diet;
- detection and control of optimal body weight;
- caution and avoid injuries to the lower limbs;
- dedicate sufficient time for a good warm-up before physical activity;
- timely treatment of inflammatory diseases;
- maintain an optimal balance of microelements in the body.
Compliance with the simplest preventive recommendations will eliminate the likelihood of symptoms of ankle arthrosis and limit the need to treat disorders of this type.
Remember, consulting a doctor when observing the initial symptoms of arthrosis of the ankle joint guarantees timely diagnosis and successful, high-quality treatment.