With osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, symptoms and treatment will largely depend on the type of damage and the degree of neglect of the patient's condition. Do not neglect the diagnosis, so you should consult a specialist. Only the attending physician will tell you in detail how to cure arthrosis of the ankle joint, what is so dangerous in itself and whether it is possible to get rid of this problem for good.
Causes of disease
During the development of ankle osteoarthritis, 2 groups are distinguished: primary (occurs without special reasons) and secondary (appears due to external adverse factors). Other names for this disease: crusarthrosis (the right or left ankle suffers) or osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis of the leg, degenerative processes occur in the cartilaginous tissues, which subsequently cause various deviations.
In most cases, the disease is found in older men and women. Over time, the organs of the internal system do not function as actively and correctly, and in some cases, failures lead to thinning of bone and cartilage tissues. In a normal state, the joints slide freely during movement without touching each other.
If they are adversely affected in osteoarthritis, the joint deforms and starts rubbing against another joint. This causes an additional load, which then goes to the bones, which causes them to deform. When the joint is injured again, the surrounding tissues are additionally affected. The legs lose mobility and cannot tolerate a large load (with paresis).
other reasons
A common cause of ankle hemarthrosis is active physical activity, which has a direct effect on the musculoskeletal system. At risk are people whose work is associated with carrying heavy loads or any other active work. A similar cause causes a disease in professional athletes or in those who have been actively involved in sport for a long time. Due to incorrect loads, significant pressure is exerted on the limbs, which subsequently causes damage.
Acute osteoarthritis is a common problem for overweight people, because during movement, a mass puts pressure on the lower limbs, which the legs cannot support. With obesity, the disease can also develop in young people (by about age 20) if a person has been diagnosed with it since childhood. Other diseases involving deforming osteoarthritis of the ankle joint (reasons discussed above):
- drop;
- diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis (metabolic diseases);
- congenital deformities of the legs, ankles (clubfoot);
- any condition in which a nerve is compressed.
This interrupts the functioning of the muscular apparatus (eg osteochondrosis). Due to flatfoot or clubfoot, in addition to the deforming condition, subtalar arthrosis (it is so called because of changes in the talus) occurs.
Various types of knee or leg injuries (improper squatting), as well as wearing uncomfortable, small, or poorly made shoes, are also causes of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. Women are especially at risk. They have negative symptoms leads to wearing high heels.
Symptoms and stages
Years can pass from the initial manifestation of the disease to the final stage of the disease. The development time will depend on the initial state of the human body, the treatment and the suitability of the applicable therapy. The signs of osteoarthritis differ in several characteristic symptoms of it.
First of all, with any load, even if slightly increased, on the joints, a person begins to feel a sharp pain in the legs. The same thing happens if the patient travels long distances at a slow pace. Joints often creak and creak.
The patient starts twisting the legs, which sometimes ends up in ankle dislocations. This happens due to violations of the functionality of muscles and tendons, up to atrophy of muscle tissue (decrease or alteration of muscle tissue, followed by its replacement by a connective tissue incapable of performing basic motor functions). It is for the same reason that stiffness and swelling are often felt in the legs.
Doctors distinguish 3 stages of the development of the disease. The first two are perfectly treatable, after which the person completely returns to his previous life. In grade 3, patients usually receive disability from arthrosis.
During the development of 1st degree disease, symptoms of osteoarthritis appear very mildly. A person may go to a medical institution with a complaint of rapid limb fatigue and mild pain in the legs, which disappear after rest. The diagnosis of arthrosis of the extremities is rarely established, because during the studies no pathologies are found in the patient.
In the second stage, the pain does not go away after rest. Swelling and redness appear on the legs, which will lead to an increase in temperature. Pain intensifies during an active change in weather conditions, swelling occurs.
In the last stage, the cartilaginous tissue ossifies, causing considerable discomfort to the patient, from which the person suffers from severe pain. The legs lose mobility and with each step there is a popping sound. If the disease starts, this can lead to another diagnosis - foot deformity. This pathology entitles you to receive a disability, so treatment must be started immediately.
At this stage, osteoarthritis is dangerous. Some distinguish another 4th degree, in which the pain completely disappears, but the person loses the ability to walk, because the cartilage at this stage is completely destroyed and paralysis occurs. At the same time, the 4th degree is characterized by the frequent development of ankylosis (when the joints are fused together) and neoarthrosis (when an unnecessary or false joint is formed between the displaced ends of bones).
post-traumatic osteoarthritis
Post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint requires timely treatment, since, unlike deformity and acute, it is characteristic of young people, as it occurs after an injury. For example, with dislocations, fractures and sprains.
Any tissue damage after an injury does not pass without a trace, directly touching blood vessels and nerves.
At first, the patient does not feel any discomfort, only with time he begins to notice that during walking the foot is twisted, because the ligaments have weakened and are no longer able to support the entire leg.
Over time, with osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, physical activity (especially among athletes) is more difficult, the legs tire quickly during exercise. Girls often, in these cases, have complaints that they cannot sit on the string, even with long and correctly performed daily stretches. Improvement is constantly followed by remission, during which the leg swells, hurts, and does not calm down even after rest.
It is often post-traumatic osteoarthritis that causes pseudarthrosis, a bone defect that causes severe joint mobility. For example, it becomes possible to bend the arm at the elbow not only backwards, but also forwards. Pseudarthrosis appears during bone healing, when tissues grow together incorrectly.
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle is often a consequence of surgical intervention during other operations. Scars form in the tissue area, impairing blood circulation. The risk increases when part of the affected joint is removed as needed during surgery. The treatment of post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint follows the same methodology as for the other types.
Do's and Don'ts for Osteoarthritis
Is it possible to exercise with this disease? It is important to reduce the load on the diseased joint as much as possible, so after establishing the diagnosis, try not to lift weights, running is prohibited, you cannot jump, squat, do pushes and presses with heavy weight while standing, practice shock aerobics , perform asymmetrical exercises and involve static loads (eg, seated squats). You can use a cane to help relieve arthritis pain while walking.
However, it is not recommended to refuse physical activity. On the contrary, normal blood circulation of the ankle with osteoarthritis is achieved more quickly by playing sports. Recommended for ailments (especially post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle) brisk walking or swimming.
Every extra pound of weight will increase stress on your legs and cause ankle swelling, so even a slight weight loss will significantly speed up your recovery time. Losing weight too quickly is not recommended, moderate exercise and a proper (but not debilitating) diet will gradually bring the body back to normal. From arthrosis, mono-diets will not help, as well as those that will radically and radically change the usual diet. If you are going to switch to a vegetarian diet, it is best to wait until you are fully recovered.
Choose shoes with low, wide soles. For the ankle joint, you can and should wear a small, wide heel, but not flats or sneakers. These shoes are the most comfortable and safe to wear and significantly increase foot stability when walking. The soft sole will further reduce the load on the joint.
The upper should be soft and roomy, not compress the foot, but the wrong size of boots will only increase the risk of injury. If you suffer from flat feet, this only adds to the problem. When a person steps on the ground, the impact on him, along with the twisted foot, must be extinguished by the joint. In this case, special orthopedic insoles or instep supports will help.
While sitting, try to keep your knees slightly lower than your hips. Furniture with high legs will help with this, preferably with arms. These seats with handles will be especially relevant for existing pain as this will reduce the load on the knee joint when lifting. When working in the office, arrange your desk chair so your legs don't go numb. If the furniture is of poor quality, don't stand still and occasionally get up to warm up.
Whether you are doing foot massage on your own or seeking help from an expert, remember that massaging the knee itself is strictly prohibited. Gonarthrosis also becomes inflamed in the joint pouch itself, and active blood circulation inside will only increase the pain. Is it possible to warm the joints in the bath or use a variety of heating pads in therapy? Yes, but only if the person is sure of his diagnosis and the treating physician is not opposed to such procedures. Do not use heat if injections for osteoarthritis in the form of corticosteroids are prescribed.
Medical treatment
How to treat ankle joint osteoarthritis? Therapy should be comprehensive and work with various techniques. First of all, it is necessary to reduce the load on the ankle as much as possible, especially during the period of exacerbation of pain. A bandage or walking with a cane with an emphasis on a healthy leg will help with this. Don't overload it, stop running and other physical activities for a while (running is dangerous).
By themselves, medications do not increase a person's motor activity, but they can facilitate movement and relieve pain. Good pain relievers that relieve pain are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs for short).
NSAIDs have a bad effect on the gastric mucosa, causing various problems and pain, so it is better to use them in the form of various ointments or injections. These funds are aimed at reducing pain, many of them allow you to remove swelling and inflammation. For the same reasons, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, are also injected into the joints. Its use is advisable when the disease is in a critical stage and other drugs no longer have an effect, as corticosteroids are strong and powerful drugs.
In the modern method of treatment, the drug is injected directly into the joint itself with the help of steroid hormones or with the help of hyaluronic acid (the same one that is so popular for cosmetic purposes). Treating ankle osteoarthritis with this method is expensive but effective. The injected hyaloron has a similar composition to intra-articular fluid and, entering it, regenerates the damaged joint, replacing the fluid that disappeared during the course of the disease.
Treatment of edema can be carried out with the help of droppers, various ointments will increase the tone of the veins. Condoprotectants are drugs used last, as their main task is to restore and further protect the joint from negative influences. The treatment of ankle osteoarthritis involves the use of condoprotectors. The result of using the funds occurs after at least 3 months, depending on the severity of the disease. That is why the remedy is usually prescribed for treatment for a year or even longer, but only in the first two stages, because otherwise they are useless.
Operation and its varieties
Operation is prescribed in 3-4 stages of the disease, as well as for those for whom previous methods of treatment did not give an adequate result. The treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint with surgery has several subspecies:
- Arthroscopy is a well-known and frequently used method.
- Tibial osteotomy (also called coxarthrosis).
- Arthroplasty.
- Endoprostheses.
During arthroscopy, the surgeon makes a small incision near the joint and inserts a small camera into it, assessing the general condition of the joints and bones. After that, the necessary surgical instruments are inserted inside and the operation itself is performed. Arthroscopy is considered the most cost-effective method of treatment, as the person recovers quickly after the operation, and the incision made does not heal any more than any ordinary cut.
In some cases, deformation of this organ causes deforming osteoarthritis of the ankle joint (treatment will be slightly different from treating other types of disease), as the load on the entire ankle is incorrectly distributed. Osteotomy aims to correct this curvature (coxarthrosis) and align the bone. It is usually contraindicated in the elderly and is used to treat young patients. During arthroplasty, part of the material is taken from the femur, which is not subjected to heavy load, and transferred to the ankle joint. With the endoprosthesis method, the affected area is completely or partially removed and replaced with an artificial device, but with a similar structure.
Other treatments and prevention
The methods of treating osteoarthritis of the ankle joint do not end with the use of various medications. The next step in treatment will be a wide variety of options. Therapeutic exercise (exercise therapy) restores muscle tone and returns the ankle to its former mobility. The exercise schedule is established by experts. First, physical therapy exercises are performed in the prone position, over time - sitting and standing.
Another option is to fix the legs. During these classes, it would be advisable to fix the leg with a bandage or refer to the principle of bandage. This is done with the help of tapes and special plasters (tapes). Thus, the risk of injury is reduced to a minimum, because comfortable lotions help with this. This principle is widely known among professional athletes.
Another method is kinesiology recording. Here, cotton adhesive tapes made of hypoallergenic material are applied to the leg. The latter dries quickly on the leg, is easily fixed and does not cause any discomfort.
Some doctors are skeptical about the next method of treating deforming osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. However, it has been scientifically proven that magnetotherapy, electrophoresis and treatment with Vitafon significantly increase the effect of drugs, perfectly relieving pain.
Each massage session should be performed by a specialist and last approximately 15-20 minutes. At the same time, actions are performed not only on the ankle joint, but also move to adjacent areas, as the foot muscles improve the work of the entire leg as a whole. The course usually lasts for 2 weeks with 2-day intervals, but treatment can be adjusted on the advice of a specialist.
The diet for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint should be balanced and include the use of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals. Nutrition for osteoarthritis in no case should be in short supply. Anyway, a variety of dishes is good and healthy. Vitamins for osteoarthritis will also be important. They can be obtained with the help of pills and using vitamins from fruits and vegetables.
To prevent the development of the disease, follow several simple rules and this disease will not manifest itself.
For example, control your diet. Don't give up on your favorite harmful products - try to keep consumption to a minimum.
When working or playing sports, try to avoid injuries and heavy loads. Before your favorite workout, be sure to warm up. Squatting with arthrosis is prohibited, but if the patient got rid of the disease and returned to his old activities, then this should be done as carefully as possible. Patients should wear comfortable shoes. Give preference to high-quality shoes, so heels should be abandoned.