Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem for people all over the world living in modern society. In recent times, the most frequently diagnosed disease of this type is 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 to be aware of the symptoms and treatment features of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Ankle arthrosis - 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 an undulating course (systematic periods of exacerbations followed by remissions).
The disease is characteristic mainly for people of the older generation, but lately it has been more and more common in situations where arthrosis is diagnosed in people under 45 years of age. According to statistical data, the destruction of cartilage tissue of the ankle joint was detected in 6% of applicants.
A timely diagnosis and a well-defined treatment plan for ankle arthrosis can completely cure the disease.
The main causes and principles of progression of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
Osteoarthritis 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 an injury or inflammation.
Regardless of the type, arthrosis occurs mainly in conditions of disruption of 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:
- microtraumas, as well as major injuries of the ankle joint;
- excess body weight;
- performing wrist surgery;
- 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, surface joint tissues are characterized by smoothness and elasticity, ensuring smooth gliding during movement.
When the joint is injured or the metabolic processes are disturbed, the smoothness and elasticity of the tissues are lost, which causes friction and significantly worsens the consequences.
Types and degrees of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
Today, it is common to distinguish between two types of arthrosis localized in the ankle joint:
- primary- development of pathological processes directly on healthy cartilage tissue;
- secondary (post-traumatic)- degenerative processes that occur during the development of various types of diseases/injuries.
In addition, modern medicine distinguishes several degrees of degenerative disease:
Arthrosis of the ankle joint, 1st degree- the first stage of disease development, followed by a clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients complain mainly about symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- pain in the legs.
During diagnostic procedures, pathological processes are practically invisible, which complicates the process of disease identification.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint 2 degrees- is manifested by severe pain that disturbs the healthy sleep of patients.
Visual signs of the disease appear. Inflammation of the joint becomes visually noticeable: there is a local change in the color of the skin (redness), as well as an increase in its temperature. In addition, swelling begins, movements are limited.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint 3 degrees- 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. Movements in the joints occur with crunching.
The lack of necessary treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint in the later stages of the disease inevitably leads to the loss of working ability and the acquisition of the status of "disabled".
Symptoms of arthrosis of the ankle joint
Before you understand how and how to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, it is important to identify its symptoms.
Considering the clinical picture of the disease, it can be noted that the key symptoms of arthrosis localized in the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease develops, the situation worsens, leading to increased pain that does not disappear even during periods of rest and long sleep.
Over time, the motor activity of the affected joint is significantly limited, and quite severe deformation of the ankle joint is visually visible. However, in addition to this, symptoms of osteoarthritis of the ankle include:
- increasing pain even with less effort;
- skin discoloration and tissue swelling of the affected joint;
- swelling of the feet;
- characteristic creaking when moving the joint;
- loss of the ability to freely move the ankle joint;
- local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of only a few or even one symptom of arthrosis of the ankle joint should be a reason to urgently seek qualified medical help.
Which doctor should I contact and how should I treat ankle arthrosis?
Doctors such as orthopedic traumatologists and rheumatologists treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. If you suspect the presence of the disease, you should refrain from self-medication. Ignoring symptomatic manifestations can worsen degenerative processes and lead to extremely negative consequences.
Grade 1 and 2 ankle arthrosis can be successfully treated. 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, ankle arthrosis of the 3rd degree can also be treated, but radical measures are generally used.
Today, various methods are used to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint, including drug-free therapy and drugs.
Let's look at the available methods in more detail.
Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
Physiotherapyis a unique field of modern medicine that uses natural but also artificially created physical abilities for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
The use of physiotherapy as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the ankle allows for a significant reduction in the amount or complete elimination of the use of medication.
Physiotherapy methods help significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, which ensures the activation and acceleration of the recovery processes taking place inside the ankle joint.
In the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, the following are used:
- laser radiation;
- ultrasonic impact;
- electrical stimulation.
Treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint is determined according to the symptoms that appear and the intensity of the disease.
Massage and arthrosis of the ankle joint
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 osteoarthritis of the ankle joint with massage, in addition to reducing the rate of progression of the disease, helps to prevent the likelihood of its worsening.
Massage for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint can only be performed by an expert who knows the structural characteristics of the joints. 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 that the most effective results are achieved in a relatively short time.
Exercises and therapy exercises for arthrosis of the ankle joint
Despite the fact that many believe that physical therapy (physical therapy) for arthrosis is ineffective, physical activity is the key to eliminating the hated pain and significantly improving well-being.
Properly selected exercises for ankle arthrosis lead to:
- eradicating 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, improvement of 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 doctor.
Surgical intervention for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
In a situation where conservative treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint does not give the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating the disease - surgery - comes to the rescue.
Today, the following types of surgical interventions are possible:
- endoprosthetics– total replacement of the ankle joint;
- arthroscopy– elimination of excessive formations inside the ankle joint;
- arthrodesis– immobilization of the ankle joint while preserving the remains of the cartilage.
Surgery belongs to the category of ultimate methods for the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint. Timely diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can prevent the need for radical measures.
In order to consolidate the postoperative result and accelerate the recovery of the joint, experts prescribe a set of exercises for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint with drugs
Treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint with drugs is part of complex therapy, providing an opportunity to relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop degenerative changes.
How to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint can only be determined by an expert who knows the characteristics of the disease being diagnosed. Self-medication 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-inflammatory and pain relievers
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are used in different stages of the development of the disease.
The key focus of this type of action is to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the joint.
Today, the drug 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.
Spasmolytics-muscle relaxants
Medicines for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are prescribed to actively help combat spasms in 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 provides 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 of ankle arthrosis, the probability of complete recovery is reduced to almost zero.
Self-medication and ignoring the symptoms of the disease inevitably lead to limb immobilization and disability.
In the presence of symptoms and insufficient treatment of ankle arthrosis, the progress of destructive processes causes the appearance 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, especially deterioration of blood circulation, blood flow disorder.
Long-term destructive processes that develop in the joint lead to immobilization of the ankle joint, which increases the risk of accompanying diseases and injuries.
Basic principles of dietary nutrition in arthrosis of the ankle joint
According to numerous studies, it has been observed that arthrosis mainly occurs in people who do not follow a diet.
Following a diet and taking care of certain nutritional principles accelerates the treatment of many diseases, especially 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 from gelatin. In addition, it is important to give preference to food enriched with vitamins of different groups and other useful microelements.
To speed up recovery, it is also recommended to avoid drinking sugary sodas and alcohol.
Prevention of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
The best treatment for osteoarthritis of the ankle isprevention.
In order to reduce or completely eliminate the likelihood of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the joint, experts around the world recommend following the simplest principles:
- constant monitoring of diet;
- monitoring and control of optimal body weight;
- caution and avoidance of lower limb injuries;
- 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 ankle arthrosis symptoms and limit the need for treatment of this type of disease.
Remember, consultation with a doctor when observing the initial symptoms of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint guarantees its timely diagnosis and quality, successful treatment.