Joint pain is a generalized term for several conditions that can affect your foot and ankle . It can include aggravation and inflammation around your joint or even destruction of the delicate cartilage inside of the joint. With continued inflammation within the joint, it can wear away over time. You gradually lose the smooth “padding” inside of them and subsequently your bones rub and wear against one another. After some time, the joint probably won’t work or move like it used to. These issues are called foot and ankle arthritis.
Foot and Ankle Arthritis Symptoms
Arthritis does not develop overnight, it actually takes a long time before the joints wear away. Symptoms of foot and ankle arthritis include:
- Pain when the joint moves
- Stiffness when you first wake up
- Pain and swelling after several hours on your feet
- Joint pain on a cold or rainy day
- Increased pain as the seasons change
Foot and Ankle Arthritis Treatment
Depending on the location and severity of your symptoms, several treatment options exist:
- Non steroidal anti-inflammatories(NSAIDS)
- Custom orthotics
- Braces
- Steroid Injections
- Stem Cells, Platelet Rich Plasma, and Regenerative injections
- Minimally Invasive surgery
- Traditional Surgical Procedures
Home Remedies for Foot Arthritis Pain :
At the point when you begin to feel symptoms of joint pain, several steps can be taken to prevent worsening of the condition:
- Wearing Propper shoe gear
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevations
- NSAIDS
Moreover, exercise can sometimes assist in preventing the progression of inflammation into arthritis:
1- Achilles stretch:
- Face a wall with your palms level against it.
- Stage one foot forward and one foot back.
- Incline forward, keeping your heels on the floor.
- Feel the draw in the Achilles tendon and calf of your back leg.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this activity multiple times on each side.
2- Foot stretch:
- Put a thick elastic band around your foot
- Utilize your muscles to pull the band down against tension
- Hold for 30 seconds
- Repeat multiple times.
3- Range of motion exercises:
- Move your ankle up and down multiple times against no resistance
- Move your foot side to side with no resistance
- Do leg raises with no resistance
If your pain persists for more than 10-14 days, make an appointment to see the foot and ankle specialist to make sure something more serious is not going on