Arthritis Awareness Month: How Does Arthritis Affect the Feet and Ankles?
Arthritis is a general term for the joint pain millions of people experience every day. Some people have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints. Lupus can also cause joint pain and inflammation. At Clifton Foot & Ankle Center, our patients are more likely to suffer from one of three other types of arthritis in their feet and ankles:
- Osteoarthritis also called “wear-and-tear” arthritis. When we’re young, the cartilage between our many foot and ankle bones is great at doing its job: cushioning bones and helping them glide smoothly together. By the time a person reaches the age of 50 or so, they’ve walked tens of thousands of miles. After all those miles of use, the protective cartilage within their joints may become thinner, no longer able to provide the same kind of protection. Bone-on-bone contact prevents proper joint function and causes pain.
Not everyone gets osteoarthritis in their feet and ankles. Risk factors include obesity, your genetic history, previous joint injury, and your activity level throughout your life. For example, a professional soccer player is probably more at risk of developing ankle arthritis than a computer programmer. But if the programmer has sustained repeated ankle sprains that haven’t healed well, his risk could be just as high as the more active person. - Gout, or gouty arthritis, is characterized by a sudden onset of extreme pain, swelling, and redness in the big toe. Gout occurs when a person has elevated levels of uric acid in their body. Excess uric acid can end up in your joints, forming crystals and causing intense inflammation. You’re at risk for gout if you are overweight, drink a lot of alcohol, eat a lot of foods high in purines (red meat, mussels, tuna, and other types of seafood), or take certain kinds of medications.
- Psoriasis, a disease that causes scaly patches of skin, may eventually affect the joints, evolving into psoriatic arthritis.
Treat arthritis pain at home by losing weight and limiting your intake of purine-rich foods. When those aren’t enough, visit Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, board-certified podiatrist in Fairfax County, Virginia. Dr. Wilhelm can help ease arthritis pain with prescription medications, steroid injections, custom orthotics, and joint replacement surgery. Make an appointment online or call (703) 996-3000 to speak to our caring staff in Centreville, Virginia.
