Understanding Foot & Ankle Arthritis
“Arthritis” is a general term for joint pain. It can affect any joint in the body, causing pain in your feet, knees, wrists, hips, shoulders, fingers, ankles…. you get the idea. While there are many types of arthritis, the most common type is the one associated with aging. It’s called osteoarthritis.
Why do your joints hurt?
It’s helpful to think about the body’s joints as containing shock absorbers. That shock-absorbent material is called cartilage. After many years of use, your body’s cartilage has spent thousands of hours cushioning your joints and it begins to thin. It’s not unusual for people over 50 to have no cartilage left at all in some joints. Just like a car’s shock absorbers wear down and make you feel every bump in the road, so does the body’s cartilage. Your ride through life is bumpy and uncomfortable because your bones rub against other bones whenever you move.
How to recognize foot and ankle arthritis
Pain in your feet and ankles can arise from many conditions, but you can suspect arthritis under the following conditions:
- The base of your big toe hurts when you bend it. This joint, because you use it to push off with every step you take, is often one of the first to experience cartilage breakdown.
- Other joints in your toes, forefoot, midfoot, heel, or ankle feel stiff or warm.
- It hurts to bear weight or walk.
- You’re overcome with sudden pain, redness, and swelling in your big toe. That’s a sign of a different kind of arthritis – gout, also called gouty arthritis.
Our experienced podiatric surgeons, Dr. Craig B. Frey, Dr. Megan L. Oltmann, and Dr. Jim Swienconek, can help you determine if the cause of your foot or ankle pain is osteoarthritis. If age-related arthritis is at work, there are many helpful treatments, including pain medication, custom orthotics, steroid injections, and physical therapy. 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.
