Symptoms and treatment of ankle arthrosis will largely depend on the type of injury and the degree of indifference of the patient. Do not neglect the diagnosis, so you should consult a specialist. Only the attending physician will tell you in detail how to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, how dangerous it is and whether it is possible to get rid of this problem forever.
Causes of the disease
There are 2 groups in the development of osteoarthritis of the ankle: primary (occurs without specific causes) and secondary (appears due to external adverse factors). Other names for this disease are: crusarthrosis (suffering from right or left ankle) or osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis of the lower leg, degenerative processes occur in the cartilage tissue, which then leads to a number of deviations.
The disease is most common in older men and women. Over time, the organs in the internal system do not function as actively and properly, and in some cases, failures lead to thinning of bone and cartilage tissue. Normally, the joints slide freely without moving.
If they are adversely affected in osteoarthritis, the joint becomes deformed and begins to rub against another joint. This then places an additional load on the bones, which in turn causes it to deform. When the joint is damaged again, the surrounding tissues are additionally affected. The legs lose mobility and can not withstand a large 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 involves heavy loads or any other active work. A similar cause is caused by a disease in professional athletes or those who exercise for a long time. Significant pressure is put on the limbs due to incorrect loads, which are subsequently damaged.
Acute osteoarthritis is a common problem for overweight people, as it puts a mass on the lower limbs that the legs cannot support during movement. If a person is diagnosed with obesity in childhood, the disease can develop in young people (up to about 20 years). Other diseases that cause deformity arthrosis of the ankle joint (causes discussed above):
- gout;
- diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis (metabolic diseases);
- congenital deformities of the feet, ankles (bread foot);
- any condition in which the nerve is constricted.
This disrupts the function of the muscular apparatus (for example, osteochondrosis). In addition to the deformity due to straight legs or rods, subtalar arthrosis occurs (so called due to changes in the talus).
Different types of injuries to the knees or feet (proper squatting), as well as wearing uncomfortable, small or poorly fitted shoes, are also causes of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. 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 manifestation of the disease to the final stage of the disease. The time of development will depend on the initial condition of the human body, treatment and appropriateness of the applied therapy. The symptoms of osteoarthritis will be different from a number of symptoms specific to it.
First of all, with any load on the joints, even a slightly increased load, a person begins to feel a sharp pain in the legs. The same thing happens if the patient moves slowly over long distances. Joints often crack and tear.
The patient sometimes begins to bend his legs, ending with a dislocation at the ankle. This occurs due to dysfunction of muscles and tendons, up to atrophy of muscle tissue (reduction or change in muscle tissue, and then its replacement by connective tissue that can not perform its basic motor functions). For the same reason, stiffness and swelling in the legs are often felt.
Doctors distinguish 3 stages of disease development. The first two are perfectly cured, after which the person completely returns to his previous life. Grade 3 patients are often given a disability for osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis are rare during the development of grade 1 disease. A person with a complaint of rapid limb fatigue and mild pain in the legs that disappears after rest can seek medical attention. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the extremities is rarely made, because the examination does not reveal any pathology in the patient.
In the second stage, the pain does not disappear after rest. Swelling and redness appear on the legs, which will lead to an increase in temperature. During an active change in weather conditions, the pain intensifies and swelling occurs.
In the final stage, the cartilage tissue becomes ossified, causing great discomfort to the patient, who suffers from severe pain. The legs lose mobility and crackles are heard at every step. If the disease has started, it can lead to another diagnosis - deformity of the foot. This entitles you to a pathological disability, so you need to start treatment immediately.
Osteoarthritis is dangerous at this stage. Some distinguish another 4th degree, in which the pain disappears completely, but the person loses the ability to walk, because at this stage the cartilage is completely destroyed and paralysis occurs. At the same time, grade 4 is often characterized by the development of ankylosis (when the joints are connected) and neoarthrosis (formation of unnecessary or false joints between the displaced ends of the bones).
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
Post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle requires timely treatment, because, unlike deformity and acute, it is characteristic of young people because it occurs after injury. For example, with dislocations, fractures and sprains.
After injury, any tissue damage does not go unnoticed by direct contact with blood vessels and nerves.
At first, the patient does not feel any discomfort, only over time, he begins to feel the leg bend during walking, because the ligaments are weakened and can no longer support the whole leg.
Over time, with osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, physical activity becomes more difficult (especially among athletes), and the legs get tired quickly during exercise. Girls often complain that they can't sit on the rope, even with long and well-performed stretches on a daily basis. Improvement is always accompanied by remission, during which time the foot swells, aches and does not calm down even after rest.
Often, it is posttraumatic osteoarthritis that causes pseudoarthrosis, a bone defect that causes severe joint mobility. For example, it is possible to bend the arm at the elbow not only backwards but also forwards. Pseudarthrosis occurs when bones grow together improperly during bone healing.
Post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle is often the result of surgery during other operations. Scars form in the area of tissue, disrupting blood circulation. The risk increases when part of the affected joint is removed during surgery if necessary. Treatment of post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint follows the same methodology as for other types.
Made and not made for osteoarthritis
Is it possible to exercise with this disease? It is important to reduce the load on the patient's joints as much as possible, so try not to lift weights after diagnosis, it is forbidden to run, not to jump, squat, push and squeeze while standing. , do shock aerobics, do asymmetrical exercises, and do static loads (e. g. , squats while sitting). You can use a stick to relieve arthritis pain while walking.
However, it is not recommended to abstain from physical activity at all. On the contrary, normal blood circulation in the ankle ankle is achieved faster by playing sports. For the disease (especially post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle) is recommended for brisk walking or swimming.
Each extra kilogram of weight will add stress to the feet and cause the ankle to swell, so even a small weight loss will significantly speed up the recovery process. It is not recommended to lose weight too quickly, moderate exercise and a proper (but not weakening) diet will gradually return the body to normal. Mono-diets from osteoarthritis, as well as drastic and radical changes in the usual diet will not help. If you are going on a vegetarian diet, it is better to wait until you fully recover.
Choose shoes with low and wide soles. You can and should wear a small wide heel for the ankle joint, but not ballet shoes or sneakers. These shoes are the most comfortable and safe to wear and significantly increase the stability of the foot while walking. The soft sole will further reduce some of the load on the joint.
The top should be soft and wide, not squeezing the foot, but the wrong size of the boots will only increase the risk of injury. If you suffer from flat feet, it only exacerbates the problem. When a person steps on the ground, the impact with the bent leg must be extinguished by the joint. In this case, special orthopedic inserts or footrests will help.
When sitting, try to keep your knees slightly below your hips. Furniture with high legs will help, preferably with armpits. Such seats with handles will be especially relevant for existing pain, as it will reduce the load on the knee joint when lifting. When working in the office, set up your desk chair so that your legs do not fit. If the furniture is of poor quality, do not sit still and stand up from time to time to warm up.
If you do foot massage yourself or ask for help from a specialist, remember that self-massage of the knee is strictly prohibited. Gonarthrosis is also an inflammation of the articular sac itself, and active blood circulation inside will only increase the pain. Is it possible to heat the joints in the bath or use different warming compresses in therapy? Yes, only if the person is sure of his diagnosis and the attending physician does not object to such procedures. If injections are prescribed for osteoarthritis in the form of corticosteroids, do not use heat.
Treatment
How to treat arthrosis 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 periods of pain exacerbation. Walking with a bandage or cane that emphasizes a healthy foot will help. Do not overload it, refrain from running and other physical activities for a while (running is dangerous).
Self-medication will not increase a person's motor activity, but it can ease movement and relieve pain. Good analgesics for pain are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
NSAIDs have a detrimental effect on the gastric mucosa, causing a number of problems and pain, so it is best to use them in the form of various ointments or injections. These remedies are aimed at reducing pain, many of which help eliminate swelling and inflammation. For the same reasons, corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs are injected into the joints. Their use is recommended when the disease is at a critical stage, and other drugs no longer have any effect, because corticosteroids are strong and potent drugs.
In modern treatment, the drug is injected directly into the joint with the help of steroid hormones or hyaluronic acid (the same that is very popular for cosmetic purposes). This method of treatment of ankle osteoarthritis is expensive but effective. Injected hyaloron is similar to intraarticular fluid in that it enters and repairs damaged joint by replacing fluid lost during the course of the disease.
Treatment of edema can be carried out with the help of drops, various ointments will increase the tone of the vessels. Chondroprotectors are the latest drugs to be used, as their main function is to restore and further protect the joint from adverse effects. Treatment of ankle arthrosis involves the use of chondroprotectors. The results of the use of funds occur after at least 3 months, depending on the severity of the disease. Therefore, the drug is usually prescribed for treatment for a year or more, but in the first two stages, because otherwise they are useless.
Operation and its types
Surgery is prescribed in stages 3-4 of the disease, as well as for those whose previous treatments did not give the desired result. Surgical treatment of ankle arthritis has several subtypes:
- Arthroscopy is a well-known and frequently used method.
- Osteotomy of the tibia (also called coxarthrosis).
- Arthroplasty.
- Endoprostheses.
During arthroscopy, the surgeon makes a small incision near the joint and inserts a small chamber to assess the general condition of the joints and bones. After that, the necessary surgical instruments are inserted and the operation itself is performed. Arthroscopy is considered to be the most economical method of treatment, because a person recovers quickly after surgery, and the incision does not heal more than any other incision.
In some cases, deformation of this organ leads to deforming osteoarthritis of the ankle (its treatment will be slightly different from the treatment of other diseases) because the load is incorrectly distributed throughout the ankle. Osteotomy is aimed at correcting this curvature (coxarthrosis) and aligning the bone. It is usually contraindicated in the elderly and is used in the treatment of young patients. During arthroplasty, part of the material is removed from the femur, which is not subjected to heavy load, and transferred to the ankle joint. The endoprosthetic lesion is completely or partially removed and replaced with an artificial but structurally similar device.
Other treatment and prevention
The treatment of arthritis of the ankle joint does not end with the use of various drugs. The next stage of treatment will be a wide range of options. Therapeutic exercise (exercise therapy) restores muscle tone and restores the ankle to its former mobility. The scheme of trainings is determined by specialists. First, physiotherapy exercises are performed in a prone position, over time - sitting and standing.
Another option is to straighten the legs. During such lessons, it may be helpful to bandage the foot or to use a bandage. This is done with the help of special tapes and plasters (teips). Thus, the risk of injury is minimized, because comfortable lotions help. This principle is widespread among professional athletes.
Another method is kinesiological banding. Cotton adhesive tapes made of hypoallergenic material are applied here. The last foot dries quickly, stabilizes easily and does not cause any discomfort.
Some doctors are skeptical of the next treatment for deforming arthrosis of the ankle joint. However, it has been scientifically proven that magnetotherapy, electrophoresis and Vitafon treatment significantly increase the effect of drugs, and therefore perfectly relieve pain.
Each massage session should be performed by a specialist and last about 15-20 minutes. At the same time, the movements are not only in the ankle joint, but also in the adjacent areas, because the muscles of the foot improve the work of the whole foot as a whole. The course usually lasts 2 weeks at 2-day intervals, but treatment can be adjusted with the advice of a specialist.
The diet for arthritis of the ankle joint should be balanced and include the use of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and minerals. Nutrition for osteoarthritis should never be deficient. Anyway, different dishes are good and healthy. Vitamins will also be important for osteoarthritis. They can be obtained both with the help of tablets and with the use of vitamins from fruits and vegetables.
Follow a few simple rules to prevent the development of the disease, and the disease will not manifest itself.
For example, control your diet. Never give up your favorite harmful products - try to minimize their consumption.
When working out or exercising, try to avoid injuries and heavy loads. Be sure to warm up before your favorite workout. Squatting with osteoarthritis is prohibited, but it should be done as carefully as possible if the patient recovers and returns to normal activity. Patients should wear comfortable shoes. Prefer high-quality shoes, so heels should be avoided.