Arthritis Awareness Month: What to Know About Osteoarthritis of the Feet and Ankles

When you use something for a long time, it will eventually wear out: A car engine. Your favorite pair of jeans. Various joints in your feet and ankles. Yes – after many years of use, the cartilage that protects your joints can break down, even disappear. When that happens, you’ve got bones touching bones. Without that protective layer of cartilage tissue, your joints hurt. That’s the definition of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis affects various parts of the feet. Here are two of the most common:

• The base of the big toe
  We push off of our big toe with every step we take, so it’s not hard to imagine that this is one of the joints most susceptible to wear-and-tear arthritis. Cartilage breakdown comes in two stages: hallux limitus means that you’re having difficulty moving the joint – that is, the movement has become limited. Without treatment, hallux limitus will likely progress to hallux rigidus, where the joint has become rigid, and movement is impossible.
• The ankle
  Arthritis in the ankle is often a result of a previous traumatic injury. Preventing ankle arthritis is one of the reasons we recommend prompt, professional treatment of all ankle sprains.

Osteoarthritis treatments
Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease of the joints. Unless you take steps to slow down the foot or ankle arthritis, it’s going to get worse, keeping you away from the activities you love and making even the simple act of walking difficult and painful.

Thankfully, our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, and Dr. Jim Swienconek, can offer you several ways to manage arthritis pain, including changes in footwear, custom orthotics, physical therapy, and steroid injections. If these conservative treatments don’t ease your pain, surgery may be an option. Call Foot & Ankle Associates of Cleveland in Solon, Ohio, at (440) 903-1041 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We offer a modern office with the latest technology for podiatric patients in Portage, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Summit Counties, proudly serving our patients from Solon, Aurora, Bedford, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, and Twinsburg.