Inflammation of bone and cartilage tissue is a pressing problem for people around the world living in modern society. Recently, the most frequently diagnosed disease of this type has become arthropathy of the ankle joint.
Over time, the progression of the disease can cause a limitation or complete loss of motor activity of the lower limbs, which often leads to extremely negative consequences - disability.
The seriousness of the consequences makes it important to understand the causes, as well as to be aware of the symptoms and treatment features of osteoarthritis of the ankle.
Ankle arthropathy - what is it?
Osteoarthritis of the ankle jointis a disease whose progression is accompanied by destruction of the cartilage tissue of the joint of the lower limbs, as well as the adjacent bones.
It is also worth noting that osteoarthritis of the ankle joint is characterized by a chronic nature and an undulating course (systematic periods of exacerbations followed by remissions).
The disease is characteristic mainly for people of the older generation, but recently it is increasingly appearing in a situation where arthropathy is diagnosed in people under the age of 45. According to statistics, destruction of the cartilage tissue of the ankle is detected in 6% of applicants.
Early diagnosis and a well-defined treatment plan for ankle arthropathy can completely cure the disease.
Main causes and principles of development of osteoarthritis of the ankle
Ankle joint arthropathy is a special disease that can be a primary phenomenon, or it can be secondary, in which the disease develops after injury or inflammation.
Regardless of the type, arthropathy occurs mainly in conditions of disruption of the natural processes that occur within the articular cartilage.
Considering the main factors in the development of the disease, it is worth highlighting:
- minor injuries, as well as serious injuries to the ankle joint.
- excess body weight;
- performing surgery on a joint;
- improperly selected shoes, abuse of high heels.
- excessive physical activity;
- metabolic disorders caused by various diseases (gout, hormonal imbalance).
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- genetic predisposition?
- bad ecology.
Under conditions of normal metabolic processes, superficial synovial tissues are characterized by smoothness and elasticity, ensuring unimpeded gliding during movement.
When a joint is injured or metabolic processes are disturbed, the smoothness and elasticity of the tissues is lost, which causes friction and significantly worsens the consequences.
Types and grades of ankle osteoarthritis
Today, it is customary to distinguish two types of joints found in the ankle joint:
- primary– development of pathological processes directly in healthy cartilage tissues.
- secondary (post-traumatic)– degenerative processes that occur during the development of various types of diseases/injuries.
In addition, modern medicine also distinguishes various degrees of degenerative disease:
1st degree ankle joint arthropathy– the first stage of the development of the disease, which is accompanied by a clear manifestation of symptoms. Patients mainly complain of symptoms such as:
- increased fatigue;
- leg pain.
During diagnostic procedures, pathological processes are practically invisible, which complicates the process of identifying the disease.
Ankle joint arthropathy 2 degrees– manifests itself in intense pain that disturbs the healthy sleep of patients.
Visual signs of the disease appear. The inflammation of the joint is visually noticeable: a local change in the color of the skin (redness) appears, as well as an increase in its temperature. In addition, swelling begins, movements are limited.
3rd degree ankle joint arthropathy– is accompanied by severe discomfort and severe pain pain, which is a sign of the beginning of the conversion of cartilage into bone tissue.
Joint mobility is limited or completely lost. Joint movements occur with a crunch.
The lack of the necessary treatment for arthropathy of the ankle joint in the last stages of the disease inevitably leads to a loss of working capacity and the acquisition of the "disabled" status.
Symptoms of ankle arthrosis
Before understanding how and how to treat osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, it is important to determine its symptoms.
Considering the clinical picture of the disease, one can notice that the main symptoms of arthrosis located in the ankle joint are increased fatigue and severe pain. As the disease develops, the condition worsens, which leads to increased pain that does not subside even during periods of rest and long sleep.
Over time, the motor activity of the affected joint is significantly limited, and a fairly severe deformation of the ankle is visually visible. However, in addition to this, symptoms of ankle arthrosis include:
- increase in pain even with little effort.
- discoloration of the skin and swelling of the tissues of the affected joint.
- leg swelling;
- characteristic creaking when moving the joint.
- loss of the ability to move the ankle freely.
- local increase in temperature indicators.
The presence of a few or even one symptom of ankle arthropathy should be the reason for the urgent search for specialized medical help.
Which doctor should I consult and how should I treat ankle joint arthropathy?
Doctors such as orthopedic traumatologists and rheumatologists treat osteoarthritis of the ankle. If you suspect the presence of a disease, you should avoid self-medication. Ignoring the symptomatic manifestations can aggravate the degenerative processes and lead to extremely negative consequences.
Grade 1 and 2 ankle arthropathy can be successfully treated. For this reason, when the first signs appear, it is important to contact your local doctor, who will refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.
Despite the complexity of the condition, grade 3 ankle arthropathy is also treatable, but mainly radical measures are used.
Today, various methods are used to treat ankle arthropathy, including non-drug therapy and medication.
Let's look at the available methods in more detail.
Physiotherapy for ankle osteoarthritis
Physiotherapyis a unique field of modern medicine that uses natural as well as artificially created natural capabilities to prevent and treat various diseases.
The use of physical therapy as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the ankle makes it possible to significantly reduce the amount or completely eliminate the use of drugs.
Physiotherapy methods help to significantly improve blood circulation in the affected joint, which ensures the activation and acceleration of the recovery processes occurring within the ankle.
In the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle, the following are used:
- laser radiation;
- ultrasonic influence;
- electrical stimulation.
The treatment of ankle arthropathy is determined according to the symptoms that appear and the intensity of the disease.
Massage and ankle arthrosis
Massageis a complex of mechanical and reflex techniques, the use of which ensures increased blood circulation, which significantly accelerates the recovery of affected tissues.
The treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle with massage, in addition to reducing the rate of progression of the disease, helps to prevent the possibility of its exacerbation.
Only a specialist who knows the structural features of the joints can perform massage for the treatment of arthropathy of the ankle joint. It is important to note that the duration of the massage should be at least 25 minutes.
The use of massage alongside exercises for ankle joints will ensure the achievement of the most effective results in a relatively short period of time.
Exercises and exercise therapy for ankle arthropathy
Despite the fact that many are of the opinion that physical therapy (physical therapy) for arthropathy is ineffective, physical activity is the key to getting rid of the hated pain and significantly improving well-being.
Correctly selected exercises for ankle arthropathy lead to:
- eliminating the feeling of stiffness when walking.
- activation of blood circulation in the internal tissues of the joint.
- slowing down and in some cases even completely stopping the course of the disease.
- rehabilitation, improvement of quality of life.
It is important to note that for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, exercises are selected exclusively according to the recommendations of the attending physician.
Surgery for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint
In a situation where conservative treatment of ankle osteoarthritis does not produce the desired results, a more radical method of eliminating the disease comes to the rescue - surgery.
Today, the following types of surgery are possible:
- endoprosthetic– Total ankle replacement
- arthroscopy– elimination of excessive formations inside the ankle.
- arthrodesis– immobilization of the ankle while preserving the remains of the cartilage.
Surgery belongs to the category of methods of last resort for the treatment of ankle arthropathy. Early diagnosis and a well-structured treatment plan can prevent the need for radical measures.
In order to consolidate the postoperative result and speed up the recovery of the joint, experts prescribe a set of exercises for osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Treatment of ankle arthropathy with drugs
Drug treatment of ankle arthropathy is part of complex treatment, providing an opportunity to relieve unpleasant symptoms and stop degenerative changes.
How to treat arthropathy of the ankle joint can be determined only by a specialist who knows the characteristics of the diagnosed disease. Self-medication with drugs can cause irreparable damage to the body.
All drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are divided into several groups, each of which differs not only in the principles of action, but also in the degree of effectiveness.
Let's look at some of them in more detail.
Anti-inflammatory and painkillers
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint are used at various stages of the development of the disease.
The main goal of this type of action is to relieve pain and relieve inflammation in the joint.
Today, the drug market offers anti-inflammatory and painkillers not only in the form of gels and ointments, but also in the form of tablets, patches and injections.
Antispasmodic-muscle relaxants
Medicines for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, such as antispasmodics and muscle relaxants, are prescribed as an active aid in combating the spasms of the muscles adjacent to the affected joints.
Antispasmodics provide muscle relaxation and pain relief. .
Carboprotectors
Chondroprostateis a drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint, providing stimulation for the production of a sufficient amount of intra-articular fluid, which ensures accelerated tissue regeneration and saturation with necessary vitamins and minerals.
Possible complications
In the absence of comprehensive treatment for ankle arthropathy, the chance of full recovery is reduced to almost zero.
Self-medication and ignoring the symptoms of the disease inevitably lead to immobilization and disability of the limbs.
In the presence of symptoms and insufficient treatment of arthropathy of the ankle joint, the progress of destructive processes causes the appearance of osteophytes (growths in the bone tissue), which negatively affect the quality of life of the person.
The constant swelling of the tissues of the affected joint can also cause the development of pathological processes in the blood vessels, in particular, deterioration of blood circulation, reduced blood flow.
Long-term destructive processes that develop in the joint lead to immobilization of the ankle, which increases the risk of accompanying diseases and injuries.
Basic principles of dietary nutrition for ankle arthropathy
According to numerous studies, it has been noted that arthritis occurs mainly in people who do not follow their diet.
Following a diet and taking into account certain nutritional principles accelerates the treatment of many diseases, especially arthropathy.
The basic principle of nutrition for arthritis is balance. In addition, criteria such as:
- regularity of meals;
- variety of food products;
- correspondence between nutritional value and intensity of energy expenditure.
During the treatment and recovery period, the patient's diet should consist mainly of dishes prepared with gelatin. In addition, it is important to prefer foods enriched with vitamins of various groups and other beneficial microelements.
To speed up your recovery, it is also recommended that you avoid drinking carbonated drinks with sugar and alcohol.
Prevention of osteoarthritis in the ankle
The best treatment for osteoarthritis of the ankle isprevention.
To minimize or completely eliminate the possibility of degenerative-dystrophic processes in the ankle, experts around the world recommend following the simplest principles:
- constant monitoring of nutrition;
- monitoring and control of optimal body weight.
- caution and avoid injuries to the lower limbs.
- taking enough time for a good warm-up before physical activity.
- early treatment of inflammatory diseases.
- maintaining the optimal balance of trace elements in the body.
Compliance with the simplest preventive recommendations will eliminate the possibility of the appearance of symptoms of ankle arthropathy and will limit the need to treat diseases of this kind.
Remember, the advice of a doctor when observing the initial symptoms of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint guarantees an early diagnosis and high-quality, successful treatment.