Leg pain, swelling and redness of the skin of the foot - all this can be symptoms of a disease such as arthritis. A disease significantly worsens a person’s ability to work, because walking becomes painful. There are many reasons why arthritis of the foot 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 with untimely treatment leads to their destruction.
Arthritis was previously considered a disease of the elderly. But recently, he is diagnosed even in 35-year-olds. The disease affects both men and women.
Development principle
At the ends of the bones, which are connected together, there is an elastic cartilage with a strong porous structure. Its task is to perform a depreciation function, so that a person can jump, run, and the bones do not suffer.
The junction of such cartilage is in a capsule called a “protective joint capsule”. It is tight, and in its structure is dense. 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, prevents it from drying out and wearing out quickly.
Due to the large number of reasons, an inflammatory process develops in the articular cartilage, which is commonly called arthritis in medicine. The disease can affect any joint.
Kinds
Depending on the cause, arthritis is divided into:
- primary (the main reason is joint damage);
- secondary (develops as a result of other pathologies).
The disease can have acute and chronic forms. 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.
Types of arthritis that affect the joints of the foot:
- Rheumatoid arthritis of the foot. The reason is a malfunction in the immune system. This species is able to destroy the small joints that are in the foot. The joints begin to harden, deform, cause significant pain in a person. Often rheumatoid arthritis is developing so rapidly that in a few years the patient becomes disabled. Even young people are subject to this kind of ailment, more often it is diagnosed in men.
- Osteoarthritis. This is a secondary disease, the basis of which is arthrosis. Cartilage tissue is destroyed gradually. Outgrowths appear on the joint, the foot begins to deform. Diagnosed both in men and in women, more often in old age.
- Gouty arthritis. Symptoms and treatment of this kind have their own characteristics. It develops as a result of impaired uric acid metabolism, 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 men of age.
- Reactive arthritis. The reason is a transferred infectious disease, weakened immunity. Such arthritis develops at lightning speed. Most at risk are middle-aged men.
There are also the concepts of monoarthritis (damage to one joint) and polyarthritis (damage to several joints).
Causes
The fact that everything is interconnected in the body is a well-known fact. Any pathological process affects the general state of health, including can cause arthritis. The causes of the disease are diverse:
- Autoimmune conditions. Antibodies are produced in the body that begin to kill their own cells, taking them for foreign. Cartilage can also be affected.
- Various infections. If a bacterium or fungus enters the capsule, this will lead to inflammation. As a result, the cartilage tissue begins to collapse. Often the cause is streptococcal infection, tubercle bacillus and chlamydia. They provoke the body to destroy their own cells, which justifies their danger.
- Any injuries. If a person fell, hit 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, the joints of the legs may be damaged. The foot suffers from an improperly distributed load.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Age. It is believed that the older the person, the more likely it is to get foot arthritis, the treatment of which will depend on the age of the patient. But there are times when the disease is diagnosed even in children.
- Poor nutrition. If the body lacks vitamins, minerals and trace elements, this leads to the fact that substances that are so necessary for their full functioning do not get into the joints. As a result, the cartilage tissue becomes thinner.
- Low or excessive physical activity. Often, arthritis of the big toe and other joints develops in teachers and football players due to their professional activities (excessive load on the legs).
Trigger factors:
- stressful situations;
- hypothermia;
- pregnancy;
- wearing tight or uncomfortable shoes, high heels;
- bad habits (alcohol abuse, smoking);
- helminthiasis;
- psoriasis;
- diabetes;
- gout.
Signs
How does arthritis of the foot manifest? Treatment and signs of the disease depend on the rapid development of the inflammatory process. Initially, a person develops foot pain that occurs periodically. In the morning, a little stiffness is felt, but after a warm-up it passes. By the end of the day, the legs get very tired. Often people confuse these 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, reddening of the skin in the affected joint appears. The reason is the amount of synovial fluid is increasing rapidly.
Common symptoms:
- deformation of the foot;
- chills, general malaise (signs resembling a common cold);
- the formation of bumps, nodes on the affected joint;
- local temperature increase;
- it becomes difficult for a person to walk;
- gait changes;
- sometimes the body temperature rises.
Survey
What to do if arthritis of the foot occurs? Symptoms and treatment of the disease are interconnected. Indeed, specific signs indicate the stage of the disease and its form, which is why they are repelled when prescribing therapy. The treatment of the disease is performed by an orthopedist or rheumatologist, whom you need to contact at the first symptoms of the disease.
The doctor should examine the patient’s leg, paying attention to:
- foot shape;
- nature of movements;
- gait
- skin condition in the area of a diseased joint;
- local temperature.
To make an accurate diagnosis and select an effective therapy, you will need to undergo an additional examination:
- X-ray of the foot;
- Ultrasound of the joints;
- CT and MRI;
- blood analysis;
- puncture (for examination of synovial fluid).
Treatment
How to help a patient with a diagnosis of foot arthritis? Treatment should be started immediately. With this ailment, an integrated approach is required:
- drug therapy;
- dieting;
- physiotherapeutic procedures, exercise therapy;
- operation (in severe cases).
Drug therapy
Preparations prescribed for arthritis:
- anti-inflammatory;
- painkillers;
- antibiotics
- chondroprotectors;
- glucocorticosteroids (intraarticular injection).
But medicines alone are not enough to defeat the disease.
Diet
Diet for arthritis is aimed at reducing the use of foods with a lot of purines. This is fish, meat, legumes, alcohol. Patients with arthritis should include fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs in the diet, give preference to cereals, especially millet. Compliance with the drinking regime is equally important. Drink up to 2 liters of water per day. If the patient loves tea, then it is better to give preference to green. You can drink fruit drinks, fruit drinks, but with a minimum amount of sugar or no sugar at all.
A diet for arthritis requires an increase in the amount of calcium-containing foods consumed. This is any dairy product. Dishes with a lot of fat and carbohydrates should be minimized.
Operation
Significant structural changes in the foot require surgical intervention. With such a disease, it is used:
- arthroplasty;
- arthroplasty;
- resection of hammer fingers.
Alternative methods of treatment
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. For this, a doctor may recommend one of the methods of traditional medicine (in combination with drug therapy).
The most popular recipes:
- Onion broth. To prepare the medicine, you need to boil a glass of husk from onion in a liter of water. Take 100 ml 3 times a day.
- Herb 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 the water (should be warm), dilute the salt (5 liters of water in half a glass of salt). Keep the feet in this solution for 15 minutes.
What rules should be followed when diagnosed with 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 backdrop;
- protect your feet from injuries;
- abandon excessive loads;
- lose weight;
- complete all doctor's appointments.