The symptoms and treatment of ankle joint osteoarthritis will largely depend on the type of injury and the degree of neglect of the patient's condition. Do not neglect the diagnosis, so you should consult a specialist. Only the attending physician will tell you in detail how to cure ankle joint osteoarthritis, what is in itself so dangerous and whether it is possible to get rid of this problem forever.
Causes of the disease
During the development of osteoarthritis of the ankle, there are 2 groups: primary (occurs without special reasons) and secondary (appears due to external negative factors). Other names for this disease are: cruzarthrosis (suffering from right or left ankle) or osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis of the lower leg, degenerative processes occur in the cartilage tissues, which subsequently leads to a number of deviations.
In most cases, the disease is found in older men and women. Over time, the organs of the internal system do not work so actively and properly, and in some cases the failure leads to thinning of bone and cartilage tissues. Under normal circumstances the joints glide freely without touching each other in motion.
If they are adversely affected during osteoarthritis, the joint becomes deformed and begins to touch another joint. This causes an extra load that then goes to the bones, causing it to deform. When the joint is still damaged, the surrounding tissues are additionally damaged. The legs lose mobility and do not bear much load (with paresis).
Other reasons
A common cause of ankle hemarthrosis is active physical activity that directly affects the musculoskeletal system. At risk are people whose work is associated with heavy workload or other active work. A similar cause causes the disease in professional athletes or in those who have been actively engaged in sports for a long time. Improper loads put significant pressure on the limbs, causing further damage.
Acute osteoarthritis is a common problem of overweight people because of the movement of mass on the lower extremities during movement, which the legs can not withstand. Along with obesity, the disease can also develop in young people (up to about 20 years old) if a person has been diagnosed with it since childhood. Other diseases that cause deformed arthrosis of the ankle joint (causes discussed above):
- Gout;
- Diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis (metabolic diseases);
- Congenital deformities of the legs, ankles (club);
- Any condition in which a nerve is pressed.
This disrupts the functioning of the musculoskeletal system (e. g. , osteochondrosis). Due to flat feet or eyelids, in addition to the deformity condition, subtalar arthrosis occurs (it is called due to changes in the talus).
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint is also caused by various injuries to the knees or feet (improper sitting), as well as wearing uncomfortable, small or poorly done shoes. Women are especially at risk. They have negative symptoms that 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 will depend on the initial condition of the human body, the treatment and the appropriateness of the active therapy. The signs of osteoarthritis differ in the number of symptoms characteristic of it.
First of all, with any, even slightly increased load on the joints, the person begins to have a sharp tingling pain in the legs. The same happens if the patient moves at a slow pace over long distances. The joints are often cracked and cracked.
The patient begins to roll over in the legs, which sometimes ends in ankle dislocations. This occurs due to dysfunction of muscles and tendons, leading to atrophy of muscle tissue (a decrease or change in muscle tissue that results in its replacement by connective tissue that is unable to perform basic motor functions). For the same reason that stiffness and swelling are often felt in the feet.
Doctors distinguish 3 stages of disease development. The first two are perfectly curable, after which the person completely returns to his former life. Grade 3 patients are often given a disability due to osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis are very weak during the development of grade 1 disease. A person can go to a medical facility with a complaint of rapid fatigue of the limbs and slight pain in the legs, which disappears after rest. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the limbs is rarely made, since the patient did not find any pathologies during the studies.
In the second stage the pain does not disappear after rest. Swelling and redness appear on the feet, which will cause the temperature to rise. The pain intensifies during the active change of weather conditions, swelling occurs.
In the last stage, the cartilage tissue tightens, which causes significant discomfort to the patient, causing the person to suffer severe pain. The legs lose mobility and a crackling sound is heard at every step. If the disease has started, it can lead to another diagnosis - foot deformity. This pathology entitles you to receive a disability, so treatment should begin immediately.
Osteoarthritis is dangerous at this stage. Some distinguish the second to the fourth degree, in which the pain completely disappears, but the person loses the ability to walk, because at this stage the cartilage is completely destroyed and becomes paralyzed. Grade 4 is also characterized by the frequent development of ankylosis (when the joints fuse together) and neoarthrosis (when an unnecessary or false joint is formed between the displaced ends of the bones).
Posttraumatic arthrosis
Posttraumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint requires timely treatment because it is characteristic of young people as opposed to deformed and acute because it occurs after trauma. For example, with dislocations, fractures, and sprains.
Any tissue damage after injury does not go unnoticed, directly affecting blood vessels and nerves.
At first the patient does not feel any discomfort, only over time begins to notice that the leg bends while walking because the ligaments are weakened and can no longer support the entire leg.
Over time, with osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, physical exertion (especially among athletes) becomes more difficult, with the legs getting tired quickly during exercise. In such cases, girls often complain that they can not fit on the thread even with daily long and properly performed stretching. Improvement is constantly followed by remission, during which the leg is swollen, sore, and does not subside even after rest.
Often, it is post-traumatic arthrosis that causes pseudoarthrosis, a bone defect that causes severe mobility of the joints. For example, it is possible to bend the arm at the elbow not only back but also forward. Pseudoarthrosis occurs during bone healing when tissues grow together improperly.
Often posttraumatic arthrosis of the ankle is the result of surgical intervention during other surgeries. Scars form around the tissue, which impedes blood circulation. The risk increases when part of the damaged joint is removed as needed during surgery. Posttraumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint is treated with the same methodology as in other cases.
What you should and should not do for osteoarthritis
Is it possible to do physical exercise with this disease? It is important to reduce the load on the diseased joint as much as possible, so after the diagnosis, try not to lift weights, jogging is prohibited, you can not jump, do sit-ups, push-ups and presses while standing. , Do shock aerobics, do asymmetric exercises and do static loads (for example, sit-ups). You can use a stick to relieve arthritis pain while walking.
Nevertheless, it is not at all recommended to refrain from physical activity. Conversely, during arthrosis, normal blood circulation in the ankle is achieved more quickly through exercise. Fast walking or swimming is recommended during illness (especially post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle).
Each extra kilogram of weight will add stress to the legs and cause the ankle to swell, so even a slight weight loss will significantly accelerate recovery time. Losing weight very quickly is not recommended, with moderate exercise and a proper (but not tiring) diet will gradually return the body to normal. From osteoarthritis, monodiets will not help, as well as something that will dramatically and radically change the usual diet. If you are going to switch to a vegetarian diet, it is better to wait for full recovery.
Choose shoes with low and wide soles. You can and should wear a small wide heel for the ankle joint, but not ballet flats or sneakers. These shoes are the most comfortable and safe to wear and significantly increase the stability of the foot while walking. A soft sole will further reduce the load on the joint.
The top should be soft and wide, not compress the foot, but the wrong size of boots will only increase the risk of injury. If you suffer from flat feet, it only increases the problem. When a person steps on the ground, the impact on him with the twisted leg should be extinguished by the joint. In this case, special orthopedic soles or supports will help you.
When sitting, try to keep your knees slightly below your hips. High-legged furniture, preferably armrests, will help. Such seats with handles will be especially relevant for existing pain, as this will reduce the load on the knee joint. When working in the office, arrange your desk chair so that your feet do not get numb. If the furniture is of poor quality, do not sit still and get up from time to time to keep your feet warm.
If you are doing a foot massage independently or asking for help from a specialist, remember that knee massage itself is strictly forbidden. Gonarthrosis also inflames its joint sac and active blood circulation inside will only increase the pain. Is it possible to warm the joints in the bathroom or use different types of warming compresses in therapy? Yes, but only if the person is confident in his diagnosis and the attending physician does not oppose such procedures. Do not use heat if arthrosis injections are prescribed as corticosteroids.
Medical treatment
How to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint? Therapy should be comprehensive and work with several techniques. First of all, it is necessary to reduce the load on the ankle as much as possible, especially during the period of pain exacerbation. Walking with a bandage or cane will help you focus on healthy feet. Do not overload it, give up jogging and other physical activities for a while (jogging is dangerous).
By themselves, medications do not increase human motor activity, but they can facilitate movement and relieve pain. Good analgesics that relieve pain are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a bad effect on the gastric mucosa, causing a lot of problems and pain, so it is best to use them in the form of various ointments or injections. These joints are designed to reduce pain, many of which allow you to remove swelling and inflammation. For the same reasons, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, are also injected into the joints. Their use is advisable when the disease is at a critical stage and other drugs no longer give any effect, since corticosteroids are strong and potent drugs.
The modern method of treatment is to inject the drug directly into the joint with the help of steroid hormones or hyaluronic acid (for the same popular cosmetic purposes). Treating osteoarthritis of the ankle with this method is expensive but effective. Injectable hyaluronic acid resembles intra-articular fluid and, when ingested, repairs damaged joint, replacing fluid that has disappeared during disease.
Treatment of edema can be carried out with the help of a dropper, various ointments will increase the tone of the veins. Chondroprotectors are drugs that have been used recently because their main task is to restore the joint and further protect it from adverse effects. Treatment of ankle osteoarthritis involves the use of chondroprotectors. The result of the use of funds appears after at least 3 months, depending on the severity of the disease. So remedies are usually prescribed for a year or more, but only in the first two stages because otherwise they are useless.
Operation and its varieties
Surgery is prescribed for 3-4 stages of the disease, as well as for those for whom previous methods of treatment have not given proper results. Surgical treatment of ankle arthrosis includes several subtypes:
- Arthroscopy is a well-known and frequently used method.
- Osteotomy of the tibia (also called coxarthrosis).
- Arthroplasty.
- Endoprosthesis.
During arthroscopy, the surgeon makes a small incision in the joint and inserts a small camera into it, assessing the general condition of the joints and bones. The necessary surgical instruments are then placed inside and the operation itself is performed. Arthroscopy is considered to be the most economical method of treatment, since after surgery a person heals quickly and the current wound heals no more than a normal wound.
In some cases, deformity of this organ causes deforming osteoarthritis of the ankle joint (its treatment is somewhat different from the treatment of other diseases) because the load is distributed evenly over the entire ankle. Osteotomy aims to correct this curvature (coxarthrosis) and straighten the bone. It is usually contraindicated in the elderly and is used to treat young patients. In arthroplasty, a portion of the material is removed from the femur, which is not subjected to a large load, and moves to the ankle joint. The endoprosthesis method completely or partially removes the damaged area and replaces it with an artificial but structurally similar device.
Other treatment and prevention
Methods of treating arthrosis of the ankle joint by no means end with the use of various medications. The next step in treatment will be a variety of choices. Therapeutic exercise (exercise therapy) restores muscle tone and restores the ankle to its former mobility. The scheme of exercises is determined by specialists. At first physiotherapy exercises are conducted in a prone position, over time - sitting and standing.
Another option is to attach the legs. In such lessons it is advisable to fasten the leg with a bandage or to indicate the principle of attaching the ribbon. This is done with the help of special tapes and plaster (types). Thus, the risk of injury is reduced to a minimum, as comfortable lotions will help you with this. This principle is widely known among professional athletes.
Another method is kinesiological tape. Apply cotton adhesive tapes made of hypoallergenic material here on the feet. The latter dries quickly on the feet, is easily fixed and does not cause discomfort.
Some doctors are skeptical about the next method of treating deformed osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. However, it has been scientifically proven that magnetotherapy, electrophoresis and treatment with Vitaphone significantly enhance the effect of the medication, so it perfectly relieves pain.
Each massage should be performed by a specialist and last for about 15-20 minutes. At the same time, the actions are performed not only on the ankle joint, but also on the surrounding areas, as the leg muscles improve the overall work of the foot. The course usually lasts 2 weeks with 2-day breaks, but treatment adjustment is possible on the recommendation of a specialist.
In case of arthrosis of the ankle joint, the diet should be balanced and include the use of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals. Nutrition in osteoarthritis should by no means be meager. In any case, a variety of dishes are good and healthy. Vitamins for osteoarthritis will also be important. They can be taken with the help of tablets, as well as using vitamins of fruits and vegetables.
To prevent the development of the disease, follow a number of simple rules and this disease will not be detected.
For example, control your diet. Do not give up your favorite harmful products at all - try to reduce their consumption 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 sit down during osteoarthritis, but if the patient has recovered from the disease and returned to his old activities, this should be done as carefully as possible. Patients should wear comfortable shoes. Give preference to high-quality shoes, which is why you should leave heels.