Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem for people around the world living in modern society. The most commonly diagnosed disease of this type recently is ankle arthrosis.
Over time, the progression of the disease can lead to limitation or complete loss of motor activity of the lower extremities, which often leads to extremely negative consequences - disability.
Due to the severity of the consequences, it is important to understand the causes and be aware of the symptoms and treatment features of ankle osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis of the ankle – what is it?
Osteoarthritis of the ankle jointis a disease, the progression of which is accompanied by the destruction of the cartilage tissue of the joint of the lower extremities, as well as the adjacent bones.
It is also worth mentioning that arthrosis of the ankle is characterized by a chronic character and a wave-like course (systematic phases of exacerbations followed by remissions).
The disease is mainly characteristic of people of the older generation, but recently it has become more and more common when arthrosis is diagnosed in people under 45 years of age. According to statistical data, destruction of the cartilage tissue of the ankle joint is detected in 6% of applicants.
Timely diagnosis and a clearly defined treatment plan for ankle arthrosis can completely cure the disease.
Main causes and principles of progression of ankle osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the ankle is a special disease that can be primary or secondary, with the disease progressing after injury or inflammation.
Regardless of the type, osteoarthritis occurs primarily when the natural processes in the articular cartilage are disturbed.
Considering the key factors in the development of the disease, it is worth highlighting:
- Microtrauma and severe ankle injuries;
- obesity;
- performing surgery on a joint;
- incorrectly 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 normal metabolic conditions, the superficial joint tissue is characterized by smoothness and elasticity, which ensure unhindered gliding during movements.
When a joint is injured or metabolic processes are disrupted, the smoothness and elasticity of the tissue is lost, which leads to friction and significantly worsens the consequences.
Types and degrees of severity of ankle osteoarthritis
Today it is customary to distinguish two types of arthrosis localized in the ankle joint:
- primary– Development of pathological processes directly on healthy cartilage tissue;
- secondary (post-traumatic)– degenerative processes that occur in the development of various types of diseases/injuries.
In addition, modern medicine also distinguishes between different degrees of degenerative diseases:
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, grade 1– the first stage of the development of the disease, accompanied by a clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients mainly complain about symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- Leg pain.
During diagnostic procedures, pathological processes are practically invisible, which makes it difficult to identify the disease.
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint 2 degrees– manifests itself in severe pain that disrupts the patient’s healthy sleep.
Visual signs of the disease appear. Joint inflammation is visually noticeable: there is a local change in skin color (redness) and an increase in temperature. There is also swelling and movements are restricted.
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, grade 3– is accompanied by pronounced discomfort and severe aching pain, which is a sign of the beginning of the transformation of cartilage into bone tissue.
The mobility of the joints is limited or completely lost. Joint movements occur with a crunch.
The lack of necessary treatment for osteoarthritis of the ankle in the later stages of the disease inevitably leads to the loss of the ability to work and the acquisition of "disabled" status.
Symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis
Before understanding how and how to treat ankle osteoarthritis, it is important to identify its symptoms.
If you look at the clinical picture, you can see that the main symptoms of osteoarthritis localized in the ankle are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease progresses, the situation worsens, leading to increased pain that does not go away even during periods of rest and long sleep.
Over time, the motor activity of the affected joint is significantly restricted and quite severe deformation of the ankle joint is visually noticeable. However, other symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis also include:
- an increase in pain even with slight exertion;
- discoloration of the skin and swelling of the tissue of the affected joint;
- swelling of the foot;
- characteristic crunch when moving the joint;
- Loss of ability to move the ankle freely;
- local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of a few or even just one symptom of ankle osteoarthritis should be a reason to urgently seek qualified medical help.
Which doctor should I contact and how do I treat ankle osteoarthritis?
Doctors such as an orthopedic traumatologist and a rheumatologist treat ankle osteoarthritis. If you suspect that you have an illness, you should avoid self-medication. Ignoring symptomatic manifestations can aggravate degenerative processes and cause extremely negative consequences.
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint grades 1 and 2 can be treated successfully. For this reason, it is important to contact your family doctor at the first signs, who will refer you to a specialist for a diagnosis.
Despite the complexity of the situation, grade 3 ankle osteoarthritis can also be treated, but radical measures are usually used.
Nowadays, various methods are used to treat ankle osteoarthritis, including non-drug therapy and medication.
Let's take a closer look at the available methods.
Physiotherapy for ankle osteoarthritis
physical therapyis a unique field of modern medicine that uses both natural and artificially created physical abilities to prevent and treat various diseases.
By using physiotherapy to treat ankle osteoarthritis, it is possible to significantly reduce the use of medication or avoid it entirely.
Physiotherapeutic methods help to significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, which ensures activation and acceleration of the recovery processes in the ankle.
The following are used in the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis:
- laser irradiation;
- ultrasound influence;
- electrical stimulation.
The treatment of ankle arthrosis depends on the symptoms occurring and the intensity of the disease.
Massage and ankle arthrosis
massageis a complex of mechanical and reflex techniques, the use of which ensures increased blood circulation, which significantly accelerates the recovery of affected tissues.
Treating ankle osteoarthritis with massage not only reduces the progression of the condition, but also helps prevent the likelihood of it getting worse.
Only a specialist who knows the structural features of the joints can perform 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.
By combining massage and exercises for ankle arthrosis, the most effective results can be achieved in a relatively short period of time.
Exercises and movement therapy for ankle osteoarthritis
Although many believe that physiotherapy (physical therapy) is ineffective for osteoarthritis, physical activity is the key to getting rid of hated pain and significantly improving well-being.
Correctly selected exercises for arthrosis of the ankle lead to:
- Elimination of the feeling of stiffness when walking;
- Activation of blood circulation in the internal tissues of the joint;
- slowing and in some cases even completely stopping the progression of the disease;
- Restoration, improving quality of life.
It is important to note that with arthrosis of the ankle, exercises are selected exclusively based on the recommendations of the attending physician.
Surgical intervention for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
In a situation where conservative treatment of ankle arthrosis does not bring the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating the disease comes to the rescue - surgery.
Today the following types of surgical procedures are possible:
- Endoprosthetics– total ankle replacement;
- Arthroscopy– elimination of excessive formations in the ankle;
- Arthrodesis– Immobilization of the ankle joint while preserving the remaining cartilage.
The operation is one of the last resorts for treating ankle osteoarthritis. Timely diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can prevent radical measures.
To consolidate the postoperative result and speed up the recovery of the joint, specialists prescribe a set of exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint.
Treatment of ankle osteoarthritis with medication
Drug treatment of ankle arthrosis is part of complex therapy and offers the opportunity to relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop degenerative changes.
How to treat ankle arthrosis can only be decided by a specialist who knows the characteristics of the diagnosed disease. Self-medication with medications can cause irreparable harm to the body.
All drugs for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle are divided into several groups, which differ not only in the principles of action, but also in the degree of effectiveness.
Let's take a closer look at some of them.
Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of ankle arthrosis are used at different stages of disease development.
The main focus of this type of intervention is to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the joint.
Today, the pharmaceutical market offers anti-inflammatory and painkillers not only in the form of gels and ointments, but also in the form of tablets, patches and injections.
Antispasmodics-muscle relaxants
Medications for the treatment of ankle arthrosis, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are prescribed as an active aid in combating 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 vital vitamins and minerals.
Possible complications
Without comprehensive treatment of ankle osteoarthritis, the likelihood of a full recovery drops 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 inadequate treatment of arthrosis of the ankle, the progression of destructive processes leads to the development of osteophytes (growths in bone tissue), which negatively affect the quality of life of a person.
Constant swelling of the tissues of the affected joint can also lead to the development of pathological processes in the blood vessels, in particular, deterioration in blood circulation and impaired blood circulation.
Long-term destructive processes 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 found that osteoarthritis occurs primarily in people who do not adhere to their diet.
Adhering to a diet and taking into account certain nutritional principles speeds up the treatment of many diseases, especially osteoarthritis.
The most important principle of nutrition for osteoarthritis is balance. In addition, criteria such as:
- regularity of meals;
- variety of foods;
- Relationship between nutritional value and intensity of energy consumption.
During the treatment and rehabilitation period, the patient's diet should consist mainly of dishes prepared with gelatin. In addition, it is important to give preference to foods enriched with vitamins of different groups and other useful microelements.
To speed up your recovery, it is also recommended to avoid sugary carbonated drinks and alcohol.
Prevention of osteoarthritis in the ankle joint
The best treatment for ankle osteoarthritis isprevention.
In order to minimize or completely eliminate the likelihood of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the ankle joint, experts around the world recommend adhering to the simplest principles:
- constant monitoring of nutrition;
- Tracking and controlling optimal body weight;
- Caution and avoidance of lower extremity injuries;
- Allow enough time for a good warm-up before physical activity.
- timely treatment of inflammatory diseases;
- Maintaining an optimal balance of microelements in the body.
Compliance with the simplest prevention recommendations eliminates the likelihood of symptoms of ankle arthrosis and limits the need to treat such ailments.
Remember that consulting a doctor when observing the first symptoms of ankle arthrosis ensures a timely diagnosis and high-quality and successful treatment.