Common Foot and Ankle Problems Among Runners
Running is an important part of your life, and the health benefits from this exercise are impressive. That said, running can be hard on your feet and ankles, making them more vulnerable to injury.
4 Types of Arthritis That Can Affect Your Feet and Ankles
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month in the United States, so our team of podiatry specialists at Neuhaus Foot and Ankle thought it would be a good time to discuss how arthritis can affect your feet and ankles.
At least 1 in 4 adults in the US has an arthritis diagnosis, and we suspect this number is on the low side as many cases go undiagnosed. No matter the final tally, suffice it to say that more than 100 different types of arthritis are causing joint pain and inflammation in millions of Americans.
Since our focus is on feet and ankles, we’re going to focus on the forms of arthritis that affect your lower appendages.
1. Osteoarthritis
Each of your feet contains 28 bones and more than 30 joints, and this doesn’t include your ankles, which are also major joints.
Consider how hard all of these joints work, enabling your mobility and providing support for your entire body.
Given their workload, it’s no surprise that osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading contributor to foot and ankle arthritis. We also refer to OA as a wear-and-tear disease — over time, the protective cartilage inside the joint breaks down, allowing friction between your bones that leads to pain and inflammation.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis
There are autoimmune forms of the disease, and the most common of those is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects about 1.5 million Americans.
With RA, your body mistakenly attacks the synovial linings inside your joints. This first starts in the smaller joints in your hands and feet. As the RA progresses, it can move to larger joints, such as your ankles, knees, and hips.
3. Post-traumatic arthritis
Injuries to your feet and ankles over the years can become post-traumatic arthritis. This degenerative form of arthritis can lead to a premature breakdown of the cartilage in your joint after an injury.
4. Gout
Rounding out the most common forms of arthritis to attack your lower limbs is gout, which affects more than 9 million Americans. Gout occurs when uric acid builds up in your body, which leads to the formation of sharp crystals in your joints. Gout usually occurs in the big toe.
These are the most common culprits of arthritis in your feet and ankles. While there’s no cure for arthritis, there are steps we can take to manage joint pain and inflammation to preserve your ability to move without pain.
To explore your options for treating arthritis in your feet or ankles, we invite you to contact one of our 18 locations in Tennessee to schedule an appointment with one of our foot health experts today.
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