With ankle arthrosis, symptoms and treatment are highly dependent on the type of lesion and the extent to which the patient's condition is ignored. Do not ignore the diagnosis, so consult a specialist. Only your doctor will tell you in detail how to cure ankle arthrosis, what is so dangerous in itself, and whether you can get rid of this problem forever.
Causes of the disease
During the development of ankle osteoarthritis, 2 groups are distinguished: primary (occurring without special causes) and secondary (appearing due to external adverse factors). Other names for the disease are crusarthrosis (the right or left ankle suffers) or osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis of the lower leg, degenerative processes occur in the cartilage tissues, which subsequently cause a number of abnormalities.
In most cases, the disease occurs in older men and women. Over time, the organs of the internal system do not function as actively and properly, and in some cases, the defects are accompanied by thinning of the bone and cartilage tissues. In the normal state, the joints slide freely during movement without touching each other.
If they are negatively affected by osteoarthritis, the joint will deform and start rubbing against another joint. This causes an additional load which then goes to the bones which causes deformation. When the joint is damaged again, the surrounding tissues are also affected. The legs lose their mobility and do not tolerate heavy loads (with paresis).
Other reasons
A common cause of ankle hemarthrosis is active physical activity, which has a direct effect on the musculoskeletal system. People whose work involves transporting heavy loads or any other active work are at risk. A similar cause causes illness in professional athletes or those who have been actively involved in sports for a long time. Improper loads put significant pressure on the limbs, causing damage afterwards.
A common problem for overweight people is acute arthrosis, as weight presses on the lower limbs during movement, which the legs cannot tolerate. With obesity, the disease can also develop in young people (up to about 20 years of age) if someone has been diagnosed with it since childhood. Other diseases associated with deforming ankle arthrosis (causes discussed above):
- gout;
- diabetes and atherosclerosis (metabolic diseases);
- congenital deformities of the legs and ankles (clump feet);
- any condition in which a nerve is pinched.
This disrupts the functioning of the muscular system (such as osteochondrosis). In addition to the deforming condition, subtalar arthrosis occurs due to the flat foot or goose foot (this is called due to changes in the thymus).
Various injuries to the knee or foot (improper squatting) and wearing uncomfortable, small or poorly crafted shoes are also causes of arthrosis of the ankle joint. Women are particularly at risk. Their negative symptoms lead to wearing high heels.
Symptoms and stages
It can take years from the initial onset of the disease to the final stage of the disease. The time of development depends on the initial condition of the human body, the treatment and the appropriateness of the therapy to be used. The signs of arthrosis differ in a number of characteristic symptoms.
First, with any, even slightly increased, strain on the joints, one feels sharp tingling pain in the leg. The same thing happens when a patient travels long distances at a slow pace. The joints often crack and crack.
The patient begins to twist his leg, which sometimes ends in dislocations of the ankle. This is due to a violation of the function of the muscles and tendons, all the way to the atrophy of the muscle tissue (a decrease or change in muscle tissue followed by replacement with a connective tissue that is unable to perform essential motor functions). For the same reason, stiffness and swelling are often felt in the legs.
Doctors distinguish 3 stages in the development of the disease. The first two are perfectly manageable, after which one fully returns to one’s previous life. In Grade 3, patients often have a disability due to arthrosis.
During the development of grade I disease, the symptoms of arthrosis are very mild. A person can go to a medical facility if they complain of rapid limb fatigue and mild leg pain that disappears after rest. The diagnosis of limb arthrosis is rarely made because no pathology was found in the patient during the examinations.
In the second stage, the pain does not go away after rest. Swelling and redness appear on the legs, leading to an increase in temperature. During the active change of weather conditions, the pain intensifies and swelling occurs.
In the last stage, the cartilage tissue ossifies, causing significant discomfort to the patient, causing the person severe pain. The legs lose their mobility and a crackle is heard at every step. If the disease starts, it can lead to another diagnosis - deformity of the foot. This pathology entitles you to disability, so treatment should be started immediately.
At this stage, arthrosis is dangerous. Some distinguish another grade 4 in which the pain disappears completely but the person loses the ability to walk as the cartilage is completely destroyed at this stage and paralysis occurs. Grade 4, however, is characterized by the frequent development of ankylosis (when the joints merge) and neoarthrosis (when an unnecessary or false joint is formed between the displaced ends of the bones).
Post-traumatic arthrosis
Post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint requires timely treatment because it is deformed and, unlike acute, is common in young people as it occurs after injury. For example, with displacements, fractures, and sprains.
Tissue damage after injury does not go away without a trace, directly affecting the blood vessels and nerves.
At first, the patient does not feel any discomfort, only to begin to notice over time that the foot is twisted while walking because the ligaments are weakened and can no longer withstand the entire foot.
Over time, with ankle arthritis, physical activity (especially among athletes) becomes more difficult, and the legs get tired quickly during exercise. Girls often complain that they cannot sit on the rope even after long and correct stretches a day. The improvement is constantly followed by remission, during which the foot swells, hurts and does not rest even after rest.
Often, post-traumatic arthrosis causes pseudoarthrosis, a bone defect that causes severe joint mobility. For example, it is possible to bend the arm not only backwards but also forwards. Pseudarthrosis occurs during bone healing when tissues grow together incorrectly.
Often, post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle is the result of surgery performed during other operations. Scars form in the area of the tissues, which impairs blood circulation. The risk is increased if part of the affected joint is removed during surgery as needed. Post-traumatic ankle arthrosis of the ankle joint is treated according to the same methodology as for the other types.
What to do and what not to do in case of arthrosis
Is it possible to do physical exercises with this disease? It is important to reduce the load on the patient's joint as much as possible, so do not lift weights after the diagnosis has been made, running is prohibited, you cannot jump, squat, push and press while standing. , engage in shock aerobics, perform asymmetric exercises, and engage in static exercise (such as sitting squats). You can use a walking stick to relieve inflammatory joint pain while walking.
However, it is not at all recommended to refuse physical activity. On the contrary, normal blood flow to the arthrosis ankle is achieved faster during exercise. It is recommended for diseases (especially post-traumatic ankle arthritis), for rapid walking or swimming.
Every extra kilogram puts a strain on the legs and causes the ankles to swell, so even a small weight loss will significantly speed up the recovery time. Losing weight too fast is not recommended, moderate exercise and a proper (but not debilitating) diet will gradually restore the body to a normal wheelbase. In arthrosis, monodiets do not help, as well as those that dramatically and radically change your usual diet. If you are preparing for a vegetarian diet, it is better to wait until it is fully recovered.
Choose shoes with low and wide soles. You can and should wear a small wide heel at the ankle joint, but not ballet or sneakers. These shoes are the most comfortable and safest to wear and significantly increase the stability of the foot while walking. The soft sole further reduces some of the load on the joint.
The upper should be soft and roomy, do not squeeze the foot, but improper size of the boots will only increase the risk of injury. If you suffer from a flat foot, this will only exacerbate the problem. When a person steps on the ground, the impact on the joint and the twisted foot must be extinguished by the joint. In this case, special orthopedic insoles or insoles help.
While sitting, try to keep your knees slightly lower than your hips. High-legged furniture, preferably with armrests, helps with this. Seats with such handles are especially important for existing pain, as this reduces the load on the knee joint during lifting. If you work in the office, adjust the desk chair so that your legs do not get numb. If the furniture is of poor quality, do not sit still and occasionally stand up to warm it up.
If you do a foot massage on your own or ask a professional for help, keep in mind that knee massage itself is strictly forbidden. Gonarthrosis also becomes inflamed in the articular sac itself, and the internal active circulation only exacerbates the pain. Is it possible to warm the joints in the bath or use various warming compresses in therapy? Yes, but only if the person is certain of the diagnosis and the treating physician does not object to such procedures. Do not use heat if injections are prescribed in the form of corticosteroids to treat arthrosis.
Medical treatment
How to treat ankle joint osteoarthritis? Therapy should be comprehensive and work with a variety of techniques. Above all, the load on the ankle should be reduced as much as possible, especially during periods of pain exacerbation. A walk with a bandage or a stick will help you do this, with an emphasis on healthy feet. Do not overload, stop jogging and other physical activities for a while (running is dangerous).
Medications alone do not increase a person’s motor activity, but they make it easier to move and relieve pain. Good painkillers that relieve pain are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs for short).
NSAIDs have a bad effect on the gastric mucosa, causing many problems and pain, so it is advisable to use them in the form of various ointments or injections. These foundations are designed to reduce pain, many of which allow you to remove swelling and inflammation. For the same reasons, corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs are also injected into the joints. Their use is recommended when the disease is in a critical stage and other drugs are no longer effective because corticosteroids are strong and potent drugs.
In the modern method of treatment, the drug is injected directly into the joint using steroid hormones or hyaluronic acid (the same one that is so popular for cosmetic purposes). Treating ankle arthrosis with this method is expensive but effective. Injected hyalorone is similar in composition to intraarticular fluid and, upon entry, regenerates the damaged joint, replacing fluid lost during the disease.
Edema can be treated with drips, and various ointments increase the tone of the veins. Chondroprotectors are drugs that are used for the last time because their main function is to restore the joint and further protect it from negative effects. Treatment of ankle arthrosis involves the use of chondroprotectors. The use of the funds will take place after at least 3 months, depending on the severity of the illness. This is why the drug is usually prescribed for a year or more of treatment, but only in the first two stages because it is otherwise unusable.
Function and types
Surgery is prescribed for stages 3-4 of the disease, as well as for those who have not responded well to previous treatments. The surgical treatment of ankle arthrosis consists of several subspecies:
- Arthroscopy is a well-known and commonly used method.
- Osteotomy of the tibia (also known as coxarthrosis).
- Arthroplasty.
- Endoprosthesis.
During arthroscopy, the surgeon makes a small incision near the joint and inserts a small camera into it to assess the general condition of the joints and bones. The necessary surgical instruments are then placed inside and the surgery itself is performed. Arthroscopy is the most gentle method of treatment, as the person recovers quickly after the operation and the incision does not heal any more than any normal incision.
In some cases, deformation of this organ causes deforming ankle arthrosis (treatment is slightly different from other types of disease) because the load on the entire ankle is incorrectly distributed. Osteotomy is used to correct this curvature (coxarthrosis) and to adjust the bone. It is generally contraindicated in the elderly and is used to treat young patients. During arthroplasty, some of the material is removed from the femur, which is not under a heavy load, and gets into the ankle joint. By the endoprosthesis method, the affected area is completely or partially removed and replaced with an artificial but similarly structured device.
Other treatment and prevention
Methods of treating ankle arthrosis in no way end with the use of various medications. The next step in treatment will be a wide range of options. Therapeutic exercise (gymnastics) restores muscle tone and restores previous ankle mobility. The system of exercises is determined by experts. First, physiotherapy exercises are performed in a supine position, over time - sitting and standing.
Another option is to fix the legs. On such watches, it would be advisable to fasten the leg with a bandage or refer to the principle of taping. This is done with the help of special tapes and plasters (tape). This minimizes the risk of injury because comfortable body care products help. This principle is widely known among professional athletes.
Another method is kinesiological taping. Here, cotton adhesive tapes made of hypoallergenic material are placed on the foot. The latter dries quickly on the feet, is easy to attach and does not cause discomfort.
Some doctors are skeptical about the next method of treating deforming ankle joint osteoarthritis. However, it has been scientifically proven that magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, Vitafon treatment significantly increase the effect of drugs, thus completely relieving pain.
All massages should be performed by a professional and last for about 15-20 minutes. However, the operations are not only performed on the ankle joint but also move to the adjacent areas as the muscles of the foot improve the work of the whole foot as a whole. The course of treatment usually lasts for 2 weeks, with breaks of 2 days, but the treatment can be modified at the suggestion of a specialist.
An diet for ankle arthrosis should be a balanced diet and include the use of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals. Under no circumstances should the diet of arthrosis be scarce. In any case, the variety of food is good and healthy. Vitamins against arthrosis will also be important. They can be obtained both with the help of tablets and with the use of vitamins from fruits and vegetables.
To prevent the development of the disease, you need to follow a number of simple rules and this disease will not manifest.
For example, manage your diet. Don’t give up on your favorite harmful products at all - try to keep them to a minimum.
When working or playing sports, try to avoid injuries and heavy loads. Be sure to warm up before your favorite workout. It is forbidden to squat in arthrosis, but if the patient has got rid of the disease and has returned to his old activities, this should be done as carefully as possible. Patients should wear comfortable shoes. Prefer high quality shoes, so heels should be omitted.