Pain in the legs, swelling and redness of the skin of the foot - all this can be symptoms of a disease such as arthritis. The disease significantly impairs a person's ability to work, because walking becomes painful. There are many reasons why foot arthritis occurs. Treatment of the disease should be started immediately, as there is a risk of complications that require surgical intervention, and can also lead to disability.
Features of the disease
Arthritis is considered common and at the same time one of the most painful ailments. It is characterized by an inflammatory process in the joint area, which occurs for many reasons, and if untimely treatment leads to their destruction.
Arthritis used to be considered a disease of the elderly. But recently it has been diagnosed even in 35-year-olds. The disease affects both men and women.
Development principle
At the ends of the bones that are connected to each other, there is an elastic cartilage with a strong porous structure. Its task is to perform a shock-absorbing function, thanks to which a person can jump, run, and the bones do not suffer.
The junction of these cartilages is located in a capsule, which is called the "protective joint capsule". It is hermetic, and dense in structure. Inside this capsule is a synovial fluid designed to lubricate the joint so that it, in turn, glides well when moving. On top of that, this fluid nourishes the cartilage, preventing it from drying out and wearing out quickly.
Due to a large number of causes, an inflammatory process develops in the articular cartilage, which in medicine is commonly called arthritis. The disease can affect any joint.
Views
Depending on the cause, arthritis is divided into:
- primary (main cause is joint damage);
- secondary (develops as a result of other pathologies).
The disease can be acute or chronic. In the acute form, the disease develops rapidly, with significant pain and stiffness of movements. The chronic form is characterized by a sluggish process with periods of exacerbation and remission.
Varieties of arthritis that affect the joints of the foot:
- Rheumatoid arthritis of the foot. The reason is a violation of the immune system. This species is capable of destroying small joints that are in the foot. Joints startthicken, deform, cause significant pain in a person. Often, rheumatoid arthritis develops so rapidly that in a few years the patient becomes disabled. Even young people are susceptible to this type of ailment, it is more often diagnosed in men.
- Osteoarthritis. This is a secondary disease, the basis of which is arthrosis. Cartilage tissue is destroyed gradually. Growths appear on the joint, the foot begins to deform. Diagnosed in both men and women, more often in old age.
- Gouty arthritis. Symptoms and treatment of this type have their own characteristics. It develops as a result of a violation of the metabolism of uric acid, which leads to deposits of urate in the joints. Basically, the big toe suffers, where a “bump” is formed. More often this type of disease is diagnosed in older men.
- Reactive arthritis. The reason is a transferred infectious disease, weakened immunity. Such arthritis develops at lightning speed. Middle-aged men are most often at risk.
There is also the concept of monoarthritis (damage to one joint) and polyarthritis (damage to several joints).
Reasons
The fact that everything in the body is interconnected is a well-known fact. Any pathological process affects the general state of he alth, including arthritis. The causes of the disease are manifold:
- Autoimmune conditions. Antibodies are produced in the body, which begin to kill their own cells, mistaking them for foreign ones. Cartilage tissue can also suffer from this.
- Variousinfections. If a bacterium or fungus gets into the capsule, it will lead to inflammation. As a result, the cartilage begins to break down. Often the cause is streptococcal infection, tubercle bacillus and chlamydia. They provoke the body to destroy its own cells, which justifies their danger.
- Any injury. If a person falls, hits hard, this can lead to injury to the cartilage tissue, the appearance of cracks on it. There is such a thing as chronic trauma. We are talking about excess weight, which provokes a constant load on the legs and leads to the development of arthritis.
- Birth defects. If there is clubfoot or flat feet, this can damage the joints of the legs. The foot suffers from an improperly distributed load.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Age. It is believed that the older the person, the more likely to get arthritis of the foot, the treatment of which will depend on the age of the patient. But there are cases when the disease is diagnosed even in children.
- Bad food. If the body receives less vitamins, minerals and trace elements, this leads to the fact that substances that are so necessary for their full functioning do not enter the joints. As a result, the cartilage becomes thinner.
- Low or excessive physical activity. Often, arthritis in the big toe and other joints develops in teachers and football players due to their professional activities (excessive stress on the legs).
Trigger factors:
- stress situations;
- hypothermia;
- pregnancy;
- wearing tight or uncomfortable shoes, high heels;
- bad habits (alcohol abuse, smoking);
- helminthiasis;
- psoriasis;
- diabetes mellitus;
- gout.
Signs
How does foot arthritis manifest itself? Treatment and signs of the disease depend on the rapidity of the development of the inflammatory process. Initially, a person has pain in the foot, which occurs periodically. In the morning there is a slight stiffness, but after a warm-up it disappears. By the end of the day, the legs are very tired. Often people confuse such symptoms with fatigue and do not go to the doctor.
The disease develops, and the pain intensifies. Puffiness of the foot is added to everything, redness of the skin in the area of the affected joint appears. The reason is that the amount of synovial fluid is rapidly increasing.
Common symptoms:
- foot deformity;
- chills, general malaise (features reminiscent of a cold);
- formation of bumps, knots on the affected joint;
- local temperature increase;
- it becomes difficult for a person to walk;
- gait changes;
- sometimes body temperature rises.
Examination
What to do if there is arthritis in the foot? Symptoms and treatment of the disease are interrelated. After all, specific signs speak of the stage of the disease and its type, which is why they are repelled when prescribing therapy. The disease is treated by an orthopedist or rheumatologist,who needs to be contacted at the first symptoms of the disease.
The doctor should examine the patient's leg, paying attention to:
- foot shape;
- character of movements;
- gait;
- skin condition in the area of the diseased joint;
- local temperature.
To make an accurate diagnosis and select an effective therapy, you will need to undergo an additional examination:
- foot x-ray;
- Ultrasound of joints;
- CT and MRI;
- blood test;
- puncture (to examine synovial fluid).
Treatment
How to help a patient diagnosed with arthritis of the foot? Treatment should be started immediately. With such an ailment, an integrated approach is required:
- drug therapy;
- diet;
- physiotherapy, exercise therapy;
- surgery (in severe cases).
Drug therapy
Drugs prescribed for arthritis:
- anti-inflammatory;
- painkillers;
- antibiotics;
- chondroprotectors;
- glucocorticosteroids (intra-articular injection).
But drugs alone are not enough to defeat the disease.
Diet
The Arthritis Diet focuses on cutting down on foods high in purines. These are fish, meat, legumes, alcohol. A patient with arthritis should include fresh vegetables, fruits, greens in the diet, givepreference for cereals, especially millet. Compliance with the drinking regime is no less important. You need to drink up to 2 liters of water per day. If the patient likes tea, then it is better to give preference to green. You can drink fruit drinks, compotes, but with a minimum amount of sugar or without it at all.
An arthritis diet requires an increase in calcium-containing foods. This is any dairy product. Meals high in fat and carbohydrates should be kept to a minimum.
Operation
Significant structural changes in the foot require surgery. For such a disease, apply:
- arthroplasty;
- endoprosthetics;
- resection of hammertoes.
Folk treatments
Gouty arthritis, the symptoms and treatment of which have their own characteristics, requires the removal of urates from the body. The elimination of inflammation also applies to other forms of the disease. To do this, the doctor may recommend one of the methods of traditional medicine (in combination with drug therapy).
Most Popular Recipes:
- Onion broth. To prepare the medicine, you will need to boil a glass of onion peel in a liter of water. Take 100 ml 3 times a day.
- Herbal tea. You can use any herbs that have an anti-inflammatory effect. Brew and drink tea should be several times a day.
- Saline baths. In water (should be warm), dilute s alt (5 literswater half a glass of s alt). Keep your feet in this solution for 15 minutes.
What rules should be followed when diagnosing arthritis? The causes of the disease speak for themselves.
General recommendations:
- refuse to wear tight shoes, high heels;
- choose shoes with arch support, with a tight back;
- protect legs from injury;
- refuse from excessive loads;
- lose excess weight;
- follow all doctor's orders.
