With arthrosis of the ankle joint, the symptoms and treatment will largely depend on the type of damage and the degree of neglect of the patient's condition. Do not neglect the diagnosis, therefore you should consult a specialist. Only the attending physician will give you detailWill tell how to treat arthrosis of the ankle joint, what is so dangerous in itself and whether it is possible to get rid of this problem forever.
due to disease
During the development of osteoarthritis of the ankle, 2 groups are distinguished: primary (occurs without specific reasons) and secondary (appears due to external adverse factors). Other names of this disease: cruarthrosis (right or leftThe ankle hurts) or osteoarthritis. With osteoarthritis of the lower leg, degenerative processes occur in the cartilaginous tissues, which subsequently lead to multiple deviations.
In most cases, the disease is found in older men and women. Over time, organs in the internal system become less active and function correctly, and in some cases, failures include thinning of the bone and cartilage tissue. In a normal state, the joints slide freely during the motion without touching each other.
If they are negatively affected in osteoarthritis, the joint becomes deformed and begins to rub against the other joint. This causes an additional load, which then passes to the bones, stressing its deformationWhen the joint is injured again, the surrounding tissue is also affected. The legs lose their mobility and do not tolerate a large load (with paresis).
for other reasons
A common cause of ankle hemarthrosis is active physical activity, which has a direct effect on the musculoskeletal system. At risk are people whose work involves lifting heavy loads or any other active work. A similar cause occurs in professional athletes or over a long period of time. Provokes disease in people actively involved in sports. Due to the wrong load, significant pressure is placed on the limbs, which subsequently causes damage.
Acute arthrosis is a common problem for people who are overweight, because during movement, there is a mass pressure on the lower limbs, which the legs cannot withstand. Along with obesity, the disease develops even in young people (up to about 20 years old). May be, if a person has been diagnosed with it since childhood. Other diseases that lead to deforming arthrosis of the ankle joint (the reasons were discussed above):
- gout;
- diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis (metabolic diseases);
- congenital malformations of the feet, ankles (clubfoot);
- Any condition in which a nerve is pinched.
This disrupts the functioning of the muscular system (for example, osteochondrosis). Flat feet or clubfoot, in addition to the deformed position, cause subtellar arthrosis (this is called due to changes in rhythm).
A variety of injuries to the knees or feet (improper sitting), as well as wearing uncomfortable, short or poorly made shoes can also lead to arthrosis of the ankle joint. Women are especially at risk. There are negative symptoms for
Symptoms and stages
Several years may pass from the initial manifestation of the disease to the final stage of the disease. The development time will depend on the initial stage of the human body, the appropriateness of the treatment and the therapy applied. The symptoms of arthrosis will vary in the many symptoms that characterize it.
First, with some, even slightly increased, load on the joints, a person begins to feel a sharp tingling pain in the legs. The same happens if the patient travels long distances at a slow pace. JointCracks and creaks often.
The patient begins to bend his feet, which sometimes ends in ankle dislocation. This is followed by its replacement with a connective tissue that is unable to perform basic motor functions. This is why the feet often feel stiffness and swelling.
Doctors distinguish 3 stages of development of the disease. The first two are completely curable, after which the person completely returns to his former life. In grade 3, patients are often given disability for arthrosis.
During the development of the disease of the first degree, symptoms of arthrosis appear very rarely. A person can go to the medical institution with complaints of rapid fatigue of the limbs and mild pain in the legs, which disappear after restThe diagnosis of arthrosis of the extremities is rarely established, since no pathology is found in the patient during the study.
The pain does not disappear after rest in the second stage. Swelling and redness appear on the legs, which will lead to an increase in temperature. The pain intensifies, swelling occurs during active changes in weather conditions.
In the final stage, the cartilage tissue ossifies, causing great discomfort to the patient, causing severe pain. The legs lose their mobility, and a crunch is heard at each step. If the disease begins, So this can lead to another diagnosis - deformity of the foot. This pathology entitles to receive disability, so treatment should be started immediately.
At this stage, arthrosis is dangerous. Some distinguish a second and fourth degree, at which the pain completely disappears, but the person loses the ability to walk, since at this stage the cartilage is completely destroyed andParalysis occurs. At the same time, the fourth degree is characterized by the frequent development of ankylosis (when the joints are fused together) and neoarthrosis (when an unnecessary or false joint is formed between the displaced ends of the bones).
post-traumatic arthrosis
Post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint requires timely treatment, because unlike deforming and acute, it is characteristic of young people, as it occurs after injury. For example, dislocations, fractures and sprainswith.
Any tissue damage after injury does not pass without a trace, directly touching the blood vessels and nerves.
At first, the patient does not feel any discomfort, only over time he begins to notice that the leg twists when walking, because the ligaments have 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), the legs quickly tire during exercise. Cannot sit on a twine even with methodical stretches. Improvement is followed by continuous relaxation, during which the leg swells, hurts and does not calm down even after rest.
Often, it is post-traumatic arthrosis that causes pseudoarthrosis, a bone defect that causes severe joint mobility. For example, at the elbow it becomes possible to bend the arm not only backward, but forward. Pseudarthrosis appears during bone healing, when the tissues grow together incorrectly.
Often, post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle is the result of surgical intervention during other operations. Scars form in the tissue area, which impairs blood circulation. When part of the affected joint is necessarily removed during surgerythe risk increases. Post-traumatic arthrosis of the ankle joint is treated according to the same method as in the case of other types.
Do's and Don'ts for Arthrosis
Is it possible to do physical exercise in this disease? It is important to reduce the load on the diseased joint as much as possible, therefore, having established the diagnosis, do not try to lift weights, running is prohibited, you can not jump, squat, thrust with heavy weights when standing andYou can use a walking stick to relieve arthritis pain while walking.
Nevertheless, it is not recommended to refuse physical activity at all. On the contrary, playing sports leads to faster normal blood circulation of the ankle with arthrosis. Recommended for disease (especially after traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle)brisk walking or swimming.
Each extra kilogram of weight will put stress on the feet and cause ankle swelling, so even a slight weight loss will significantly speed up recovery time. Losing weight too quickly is not recommended, moderate exercise and a reasonable (butNot debilitating) diet will gradually bring the body to normal. From arthrosis, mono-diet will not help, as well as those that will dramatically and radically replace the usual diet. If you are going to switch to a vegetarian dietIt is better to wait till you are completely cured.
Choose shoes with low and wide soles. For the ankle joint, you can try and wear short wide heels, but not ballet flats or sneakers. These shoes are the most comfortable and safest to wear and improve the stability of the foot while walkingThe soft sole will further reduce some of the load on the joint.
The top should be soft and spacious, not compressing the foot, but the wrong size of the shoe will only increase the risk of injury. If you suffer from flat feet, it only exacerbates the problem. When a person steps on the groundIn this case, special orthopedic insoles or instep supports will help.
Try to keep your knees slightly below your hips while sitting. Furniture with high legs will help with this, preferably with armrests. Such seats with handles will be especially relevant for existing pain, as this will put pressure on the knee joint when lifting. The load will be reduced. Set your desk chair while working in the office so that your feet don't go numb. If the furniture is of poor quality, don't sit still and elevate your legs occasionally to warm-up.
If you are doing foot massage yourself or seek the help of a specialist, remember that it is strictly forbidden to massage the knee itself. Will increase. Is it possible to warm the joints in the bath or use different types of warming compresses in therapy? Yes, but only if the person is sure of his diagnosis, and the attending physician does not object to such procedures. Do not use heat if injections are prescribed for arthrosis in the form of corticosteroids.
medical treatment
How to treat osteoarthritis 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 the period of exacerbation of pain. With the emphasis on the healthy foot, it is necessary to use a splint or cane. Walking along will help in this. Do not overload it, give up jogging and other physical activities for a while (running is dangerous).
By themselves, the drugs will not increase a person's motor activity, but they can reduce movement and relieve pain. Good analgesics that relieve pain are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs for short).
NSAIDs have a bad effect on the gastric mucosa, causing a lot of problems and pain, so it is best to use them in the form of various ointments or injections. These funds are aimed at reducing pain, many of them you will notice swelling and pain. allow to relieve inflammation. For the same reasons, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs are also injected into the joints. Their use is justified when the disease is at a critical stage, and other drugs no longer give any effect, becauseCorticosteroids are strong and potent drugs.
In the modern method of treatment, the drug is injected directly into the joint with the help of steroid hormones or with the help of hyaluronic acid (the same one that is so popular for cosmetic purposes). Treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle with this method is costly. , but effective. The injected hyaloron is similar in composition to the intra-articular fluid and, going inside, regenerates the damaged joint, replacing the fluid lost during the course of the disease.
Edema can be treated with the help of droppers, various ointments will increase the tone of the veins. Chondoprotectors are drugs that are used last, as their main function is to restore and further protect the joint from negative effects. Treatment of ankle arthrosis involves the use of chondroprotectors. Depending on the severity of the disease, the result of the use of funds is observed after at least 3 months. That is why treatment usually lasts a year or even moreFor treatment is prescribed, but only in the first two stages, because otherwise they are useless.
Operation and its varieties
The operation is prescribed at 3-4 stages of the disease, as well as for those for whom previous methods of treatment did not give a proper result. Treatment of arthrosis of the ankle joint with surgery has several subspecies:
- Arthroscopy is a well-known and frequently used method.
- Osteotomy of the tibia (also called coxarthrosis).
- Arthroplasty.
- Endoprosthetics.
During arthroscopy, the surgeon makes a small incision near the joint and inserts a tiny camera into it, which assesses 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 the least expensive method of treatment, as the person recovers quickly after the operation, and the incision made does not fill more than any normal cut.
In some cases, deformity of this limb causes osteoarthritis of the ankle joint (treatment for this will be somewhat different from treatment for other types of disease), because the load is distributed incorrectly over the entire ankle. Purpose of osteotomyThis curvature (coxarthrosis) is intended to correct and align the bone. It is generally contraindicated in the elderly and is used to treat younger patients. During arthroplasty, a portion of the material is taken from the femur, which is calledis not subjected to heavy loads, and is transferred to the ankle joint. With the method of endoprosthetics, the affected area is completely or partially removed and replaced with an artificial one, butThe device is similar in structure.
Other treatment and prevention
Methods of treating arthrosis of the ankle joint do not in any way end with the use of various drugs. The next step in treatment will be a wide variety of options. Therapeutic exercise (exercise therapy) restores muscle tone and the anklereturns to its former mobility. The scheme of exercises is established by specialists. First of all, physiotherapy exercises are performed in the prone position, over time - sitting and standing.
Another option is to fix the feet. During such classes, it would be appropriate to fix the foot with a bandage or refer to the principle of tapering. This is done with the help of special tapes and ointments (tips). Thus, the prevention of injuryThe risk is minimized, as comfortable lotions help in this. This principle is widely known among professional athletes.
Another method is kinesiology taping. Here, cotton adhesive tapes made of hypoallergenic material are applied to the foot. The latter dries quickly on the foot, is easily fixed and does not cause any feeling of discomfort.
Some doctors are skeptical about the next method of treatment for deforming osteoarthritis of the ankle joint. However, it has been scientifically proven that magnetotherapy, electrophoresis and Vitafon treatments significantly enhance the effect of drugs, so they are completelyGives relief from pain.
Each massage session should be performed by a specialist and last for about 15-20 minutes. At the same time, the actions are performed not only on the ankle joint, but also on adjacent areas, because the muscles of the foot throughout the work of the foot. The course usually lasts 2 weeks with a break of 2 days, but treatment can be adjusted on the recommendation of a specialist.
Diet for arthrosis of the ankle joint should be balanced and include the use of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, minerals. In no case should nutrition for arthrosis be scarce. In any case, a variety of dishesAre good and healthy. Vitamins will also be important for arthrosis. They can be obtained with the help of pills and by using vitamins from fruits and vegetables.
To prevent the development of the disease, follow several simple rules, and the disease will not manifest itself.
For example, control your diet. Do not give up your favorite harmful products at all - try to minimize their consumption.
When working or playing sports, try to avoid injuries and heavy loads. Be sure to do a warm-up before your favorite workouts. It is forbidden to sit with arthrosis, but if the patient has relapsed from the disease and continues his old activitiesIf it is back in, it should be done as carefully as possible. Patients should wear comfortable shoes. Preference is given to high quality shoes, so high heels should be abandoned.