Foot and Ankle Arthritis Treatment

What You Need To Know

Understanding arthritis in your feet and how it can be managed.

Managing Arthritis in the Foot and Ankle

Arthritis can cause pain in your feet as well as your knees, fingers and wrists. Arthritis is inflammation of a joint and is very common in the small joints of the ankle and foot, especially in the big toe and midfoot.

Degenerative arthritis slowly wears away joints (the link where bones meet and move). In the beginning, you may notice that the affected joint seems stiff. It may even ache. As the joint lining (cartilage) breaks down, the bones rub against each other, causing pain and swelling. Over time, bone spurs develop, and the joint’s range of motion becomes limited. But movement doesn’t have to cause pain.

Common symptoms include pain with motion, tenderness, joint swelling, joint warmth, and difficulty walking. When arthritis affects your big toe, your foot hurts when it pushes off the ground. When it affects the rear or midfoot joints, you feel pain when you put weight on your foot.

Aging, the wear and tear of daily use, and injury are the common causes of arthritis. Many people eventually develop some arthritis in their feet.

To learn the cause of your joint problem, your doctor asks about your medical history and examines your feet for skin changes and swelling. X-rays and MRI may be used to check the condition of a joint. If you are noticing ongoing stiffness or pain, schedule an evaluation so we can build a treatment plan that fits your needs.

Treatment Options and Recovery

There is no cure for arthritis, but once we have confirmed our diagnosis we can help you manage your arthritis to relieve your discomfort. Conservative care is almost always the starting point, and many patients find lasting relief without surgery.

Conservative options include custom-fitted orthotics to ease pain and minimize pressure on the foot, reducing excess weight to relieve joint stress, switching to low-impact exercise like swimming or biking, physical therapy to increase range of motion and muscle strength, and anti-inflammatory medication. Ice, aspirin, or ibuprofen may also help relieve mild symptoms after activity.

Several types of arthritis can affect the foot and ankle. Osteoarthritis most often affects those during and after middle age. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the tissue covering the joint. Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid crystals in the big toe and other joints. Arthritis can also result from trauma such as fractures and dislocations.

If conservative measures do not help, we will discuss surgery with you. Your doctor may trim damaged bone or shave away bone spurs. If damage is more severe, the joint may be fused, or in some cases removed and replaced with an implant. Recovery depends on the procedure, and you may need crutches, a cane, a cast, or a surgical shoe while the foot heals. With the right plan in place, most patients return to comfortable daily activity.