Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem for people all over the world living in modern society. Recently, the most commonly diagnosed disease of this type has become arthrosis of the ankle joint.
Over time, the progression of the disease can cause limitation or complete loss of motor activity of the lower extremities, which often leads to extremely negative consequences - disability.
The severity of the consequences makes it important to understand the causes, as well as awareness of the symptoms and treatment features of ankle osteoarthritis.
Arthrosis of the ankle - what is it?
Osteoarthritis of the ankle jointis a disease whose progress 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 noting that osteoarthritis of the ankle joint is characterized by a chronic nature and undulating course (systematic periods of exacerbations followed by remissions).
The disease is characteristic mainly of people of the older generation, but recently it is increasingly occurring in a situation where arthrosis is diagnosed in people under 45 years of age. According to statistical data, destruction of the cartilage tissue of the ankle is detected in 6% of applicants.
Timely diagnosis and a well-defined treatment plan for ankle arthrosis can completely cure the disease.
Main causes and principles of progression of ankle osteoarthritis
Arthrosis of the ankle joint is a special disease that can be a primary phenomenon, or it can be secondary, in which the disease progresses after injury or inflammation.
Regardless of the type, arthrosis occurs mainly in conditions of disruption of the natural processes occurring inside the articular cartilage.
Considering the key factors in the development of the disease, it is worth highlighting:
- microtraumas, as well as major injuries to the ankle joint;
- excess body weight;
- performing surgery on a joint;
- improperly 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 conditions of normal metabolic processes, the superficial articular tissues are characterized by smoothness and elasticity, ensuring unhindered gliding during movement.
When a joint is injured or metabolic processes are disrupted, the smoothness and elasticity of the tissues is lost, which causes friction and significantly aggravates the consequences.
Types and degrees 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 tissues;
- secondary (post-traumatic)– degenerative processes that occur during the development of various types of diseases/injuries.
In addition, modern medicine also distinguishes several degrees of degenerative disease:
Arthrosis of the ankle joint 1st degree– the first stage of the development of the disease, accompanied by a clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients complain mainly of symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- leg pain.
During diagnostic procedures, pathological processes are practically invisible, which complicates the process of identifying the disease.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint 2 degrees– manifests itself in severe pain that disrupts the healthy sleep of patients.
Visual signs of the disease appear. Inflammation of the joint becomes visually noticeable: a local change in the color of the skin (redness) occurs, as well as an increase in its temperature. In addition, swelling begins, movements are limited.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint 3rd degree– is accompanied by pronounced discomfort and severe aching pain, which is a sign of the beginning of the transformation of cartilage into bone tissue.
Joint mobility is limited or completely lost. Joint movements occur with a crunch.
The lack of necessary treatment for arthrosis of the ankle joint in the later stages of the disease inevitably leads to loss of ability to work and obtaining the "disabled" status.
Symptoms of ankle arthrosis
Before understanding how and how to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, it is important to identify its symptoms.
Considering the clinical picture of the disease, one can notice that the key symptoms of arthrosis localized in the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease develops, the situation worsens, which leads 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 limited, and a fairly severe deformation of the ankle is visually visible. However, in addition to this, symptoms of ankle arthrosis include:
- an increase in pain even with minor exertion;
- discoloration of the skin and swelling of the tissues of the affected joint;
- swelling of the foot;
- characteristic crunch when moving the joint;
- loss of the ability to freely move the ankle;
- local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of just a few or even one symptom of ankle arthrosis should be the reason for urgently seeking qualified medical help.
Which doctor should I contact and how to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint?
Doctors such as an orthopedic traumatologist and a rheumatologist treat osteoarthritis of the ankle. If you suspect the presence of a disease, you should refrain from self-medication. Ignoring symptomatic manifestations can aggravate degenerative processes and lead to extremely negative consequences.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint grades 1 and 2 can be successfully treated. For this reason, when the first signs appear, it is important to contact your local physician, who will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.
Despite the complexity of the situation, grade 3 ankle arthrosis is also treatable, but mostly radical measures are used.
Today, various methods are used to treat ankle arthrosis, including non-drug therapy and medication.
Let's look at the available methods in more detail.
Physiotherapy for ankle osteoarthritis
Physiotherapyis a unique area of modern medicine that uses natural as well as artificially created physical capabilities for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
The use of physiotherapy as a treatment for ankle osteoarthritis makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount or completely eliminate the use of medications.
Physiotherapy methods help to significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, which ensures activation and acceleration of the recovery processes occurring inside the ankle.
In the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis the following are used:
- laser irradiation;
- ultrasonic influence;
- electrical stimulation.
Treatment of ankle arthrosis is determined in accordance with the symptoms that appear 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 restoration of affected tissues.
Treatment of ankle osteoarthritis with massage, in addition to reducing the rate of progression of the disease, helps prevent the likelihood of its exacerbation.
Only a specialist who knows the structural features of the joints can perform a 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.
Using massage in tandem with exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint will ensure the achievement of the most effective results in a relatively short time.
Exercises and exercise therapy for ankle arthrosis
Despite the fact that many are of the opinion that physical therapy (physical therapy) for arthrosis is ineffective, physical activity is the key to getting rid of hated pain and significantly improving well-being.
Correctly selected exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint lead to:
- eradication of the feeling of stiffness when walking;
- activation of blood circulation in the internal tissues of the joint;
- slowing down, and in some cases even completely stopping the course of the disease;
- restoration, improving quality of life.
It is important to note that for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, exercises are selected exclusively in accordance with the recommendations of the attending physician.
Surgical intervention for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
In a situation where conservative treatment of ankle osteoarthritis does not produce the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating the disease comes to the rescue - surgery.
Today, the following types of surgical intervention are possible:
- endoprosthetics– total ankle replacement;
- arthroscopy– elimination of excessive formations inside the ankle;
- arthrodesis– immobilization of the ankle while preserving remnants of cartilage.
Surgery falls into the category of last resort methods for treating ankle arthrosis. Timely diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can prevent the need for radical measures.
In order to consolidate the postoperative result and speed up the recovery of the joint, specialists prescribe a set of exercises for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Treatment of ankle arthrosis with drugs
Drug treatment of ankle arthrosis is part of complex therapy, providing the opportunity to relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop degenerative changes.
How to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint can only be determined by a specialist who knows the characteristics of the disease being diagnosed. Self-medication with medications can cause irreparable harm to the body.
All drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are divided into several groups, each of which differs not only in the principles of action, but also in the degree of effectiveness.
Let's look at some of them in more detail.
Anti-inflammatory and painkillers
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are used at various stages of the development of the disease.
The key focus of this type of action is to relieve pain and relieve inflammation in the joint.
Today, the medicine 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
Drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are prescribed as an active aid in the fight against spasms of the muscles adjacent to the affected joints.
Antispasmodics provide muscle relaxation and pain relief. .
Chondroprotectors
Chondroprotectoris a drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, providing stimulation for the production of a sufficient amount of intra-articular fluid, which ensures accelerated tissue regeneration and saturation with essential vitamins and minerals.
Possible complications
In the absence of comprehensive treatment for ankle arthrosis, the likelihood of complete recovery is reduced to almost zero.
Self-treatment and ignoring the symptoms of the disease inevitably lead to limb immobilization and disability.
In the presence of symptoms and insufficient treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint, the progress of destructive processes causes the occurrence of osteophytes (growths on bone tissue), which negatively affects a person’s quality of life.
Constant swelling of the tissues of the affected joint can also cause the development of pathological processes in the blood vessels, in particular, deterioration of blood circulation, impaired blood flow.
Long-term destructive processes developing 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 noted that arthrosis mainly occurs in people who do not follow their diet.
Following a diet and taking into account certain nutritional principles speeds up the treatment of many diseases, in particular arthrosis.
The key principle of nutrition for arthrosis is balance. In addition, criteria such as:
- regularity of meals;
- variety of food products;
- correspondence between nutritional value and intensity of energy expenditure.
During the period of treatment and rehabilitation, the patient's diet should consist mainly of dishes prepared using gelatin. In addition, it is important to give preference to foods enriched with vitamins of various groups and other beneficial microelements.
To speed up your recovery, it is also recommended to avoid drinking sugary carbonated drinks and alcohol.
Prevention of ankle osteoarthritis
The best treatment for ankle osteoarthritis isprevention.
To minimize or completely eliminate the likelihood of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the ankle, experts around the world recommend adhering to the simplest principles:
- constant monitoring of diet;
- tracking and control of optimal body weight;
- caution and avoidance of injuries to the lower extremities;
- allocating 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 preventive recommendations will eliminate the likelihood of symptoms of ankle arthrosis and limit the need to treat ailments of this kind.
Remember, consulting a doctor when observing the initial symptoms of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint guarantees its timely diagnosis and high-quality, successful treatment.