Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem for people around the world living in modern society. Recently, the most commonly diagnosed disease of this type is osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Over time, the progression of the disease can lead to a 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 know the symptoms and treatment characteristics of ankle osteoarthritis.
Ankle osteoarthritis: what is it?
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.It is a disease whose progress is accompanied by the destruction of the cartilaginous 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 an undulating course (systematic periods of exacerbations followed by remissions).
The disease is characteristic mainly of people of the older generation, but recently it increasingly occurs in a situation where osteoarthritis is diagnosed in people under 45 years of age. According to statistics, the destruction of the cartilaginous tissue of the ankle is detected in 6% of applicants.
A timely diagnosis and a well-defined treatment plan for ankle osteoarthritis 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 or secondary phenomenon, in which the disease progresses after injury or inflammation.
Regardless of the type, osteoarthritis occurs mainly in conditions of disruption of the natural processes that take place within the articular cartilage.
Taking into account the key factors in the development of the disease, it is worth highlighting:
- microtrauma, as well as serious injuries to the ankle joint;
- excess body weight;
- perform surgery on a joint;
- poorly 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, superficial joint tissues are characterized by softness and elasticity, which ensures unhindered sliding during movement.
When a joint is injured or metabolic processes are disturbed, the smoothness and elasticity of the tissues is lost, which causes friction and significantly aggravates the consequences.
Types and degrees of ankle osteoarthritis
Nowadays it is customary to distinguish two types of osteoarthritis located 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:
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint 1st degree.– the first stage of the development of the disease, accompanied by a clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients mainly complain of symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- legache.
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 intense pain that disrupts patients' healthy sleep.
Visual signs of the disease appear. Inflammation of the joint becomes visually visible: a local change in skin color (redness) occurs, as well as an increase in its temperature. In addition, swelling begins and movements are limited.
Third degree ankle joint osteoarthritis.– is accompanied by pronounced discomfort and severe 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 osteoarthritis of the ankle joint in the later stages of the disease inevitably leads to the loss of working capacity and obtaining the status of "disabled".
Symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis.
Before understanding how and how to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, it is important to identify its symptoms.
Taking into account the clinical picture of the disease, it can be noted that the key symptoms of osteoarthritis localized in the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease progresses, the situation worsens, causing increased pain that does not go away even during periods of rest and prolonged sleep.
Over time, the motor activity of the affected joint is significantly limited and a rather serious deformation of the ankle is visually visible. However, in addition to this, symptoms of ankle osteoarthritis include:
- an increase in pain even with minor exertion;
- discoloration of the skin and swelling of the tissues of the affected joint;
- foot swelling;
- characteristic crunch when moving the joint;
- loss of the ability to freely move the ankle;
- local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of a few or even one symptom of ankle osteoarthritis should be a reason to urgently seek qualified medical help.
Which doctor should I contact and how to treat osteoarthritis 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 have extremely negative consequences.
Osteoarthritis of the ankle joint of grades 1 and 2 can be treated successfully. For this reason, when the first signs appear, it is important to contact your local doctor, who will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.
Despite the complexity of the situation, grade 3 ankle osteoarthritis is also treatable, but mostly radical measures are used.
Today, several methods are used to treat ankle osteoarthritis, including non-drug therapy and medication.
Let's look at the available methods in more detail.
Physiotherapy for ankle osteoarthritis.
PhysiotherapyIt is a unique area of modern medicine that uses natural and artificially created physical abilities for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
The use of physiotherapy as a treatment for ankle osteoarthritis allows the use of medications to be significantly reduced or completely eliminated.
Physiotherapy methods help to significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, which ensures the activation and acceleration of the recovery processes occurring within the ankle.
The following are used in the treatment of ankle osteoarthritis:
- laser irradiation;
- ultrasonic influence;
- electrical stimulation.
The treatment of ankle osteoarthritis is determined based on the symptoms that appear and the intensity of the disease.
Massage and ankle osteoarthritis.
Massageis a complex of mechanical and reflex techniques, the use of which ensures increased blood circulation, which significantly accelerates the restoration of affected tissues.
Treating ankle osteoarthritis with massage, in addition to reducing the rate of progression of the disease, helps prevent the likelihood of it becoming worse.
Only a specialist who knows the structural characteristics of the joints can perform a massage to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. It is important to note that the duration of the massage should be at least 25 minutes.
The use of massage in conjunction with exercises for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint will ensure the achievement of the most effective results in a relatively short time.
Exercises and exercise therapy for ankle osteoarthritis.
Despite the fact that many believe that physiotherapy (physiotherapy) for osteoarthritis is ineffective, physical activity is the key to getting rid of the hated pain and significantly improving well-being.
Correctly selected exercises for osteoarthritis 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;
- slow down and, in some cases, even completely stop 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 treating doctor.
Surgical intervention for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
In a situation where conservative treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle 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 intervention are possible:
- endoprostheses– total ankle replacement;
- arthroscopy– elimination of excessive formations inside the ankle;
- arthrodesis– immobilization of the ankle preserving cartilage remains.
Surgery falls into the category of last resort methods for treating ankle osteoarthritis. A timely diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can avoid the need for radical measures.
To consolidate the postoperative result and accelerate the recovery of the joint, specialists prescribe a series of exercises for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Treatment of ankle osteoarthritis with drugs.
Pharmacological treatment of ankle osteoarthritis is part of a complex therapy that allows you to relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop degenerative changes.
How to treat osteoarthritis 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 damage 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-inflammatories and analgesics.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are used at different stages of the development of the disease.
The key goal of this type of action is to relieve pain and relieve inflammation of the joint.
Today, the drug market offers anti-inflammatories and pain relievers 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 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, which stimulates 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 osteoarthritis, the likelihood of a complete recovery is reduced to almost zero.
Self-treatment and ignorance of the symptoms of the disease inevitably lead to immobilization of the limbs and disability.
In the presence of symptoms and insufficient treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, the progress of destructive processes causes the appearance of osteophytes (growths in bone tissue), which negatively affects the quality of a person's life.
Constant swelling of the tissues of the affected joint can also provoke the development of pathological processes in the blood vessels, in particular, impaired blood circulation and 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 osteoarthritis.
According to numerous studies, it has been observed that osteoarthritis occurs mainly in people who do not follow their diet.
Following a diet and taking into account certain nutritional principles accelerates the treatment of many diseases, in particular osteoarthritis.
The key principle of nutrition for osteoarthritis is balance. Additionally, criteria such as:
- regularity of meals;
- variety of food products;
- Correspondence between nutritional value and intensity of energy expenditure.
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 various groups and other beneficial microelements.
To speed up your recovery, it is also recommended to avoid consuming 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 following the simplest principles:
- constant diet monitoring;
- monitoring and control of optimal body weight;
- caution and avoidance of injuries to the lower extremities;
- dedicate enough time to 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 osteoarthritis and limit the need to treat ailments of this type.
Remember, consulting a doctor when observing the initial symptoms of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint guarantees its timely diagnosis and successful, high-quality treatment.