Everything You Need to Know Concerning Ankle Arthritis

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Ankle Arthritis

Swelling and pain around your ankle joint is a serious concern that requires immediate medical interventions. Usually, the two symptoms are common in people suffering from ankle arthritis, requiring early diagnosis and treatment before serious complications arise. Typically, you begin experiencing a reduced range of motion, affecting your mobility while carrying out different tasks. Therefore, if you are experiencing pain and suspect it might be due to ankle arthritis, arthritis treatment Phoenix specialists provide a solution to all your concerns. They perform thorough evaluations to confirm the test and offer appropriate treatment options to ease pain and reduce inflammation. Below is all you need to know concerning ankle arthritis, including various treatment options available.

What is ankle arthritis?

Generally, ankle arthritis is a medical condition commonly characterized by inflammation, swelling, or pain around your ankle, even though more than a hundred types of arthritis are more likely to cause the same symptoms on your ankle if they are not treated.

What causes ankle arthritis?

The function of your feet and ankle is to provide balance and absorb shock while running, walking, or standing to help you navigate around properly. However, with time the ankle and foot joints become irritated and inflamed, causing pain and discomfort that makes it quite challenging to move. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage surrounding your ankle and feet joints break down secondary to tear and wear. And with time, the bones forming the joint begin rubbing each other because the protective barrier disappears, the cartilage surrounding the joint.

Examples of common causes of ankle arthritis include a family history of arthritis, joint infection, rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that leads to chronic joint inflammation, excess weight gain which exerts pressure on your ankle joints, and previous unhealed ankle injuries. And if ankle arthritis is left untreated over time, it worsens, leading to serious complications like permanent disability. Therefore, you are encouraged to seek immediate medical help when you begin experiencing inflammation and pain around your ankle joint.

What are the treatment options available for ankle arthritis?

Your care provider may recommend several treatment options to help reduce inflammation and pain around your ankle joint. They include:

Amniotic membrane allograft injections

Platelet-rich plasma or amniotic membrane allograft injections are offered to promote tissue repair in your ankle joint. It does so by delivering growth factors that attract healing cells which reduce pain and inflammation of the affected joint. And within ten days after this treatment, most patients begin experiencing relief.

Ankle brace

An ankle brace aims to support and compress your ankle joint, thus reducing inflammation, swelling, and pain around your ankle joint.

Arthroplasty

It is a surgical procedure that involves reconstructing your ankle joint using a prosthesis, thus alleviating symptoms.

Fusion surgery

In severe cases of ankle arthritis unresponsive to nonsurgical treatments, ankle fusion is recommended. It is a surgical procedure that involves holding your ankle joint in place using metal implants.

There are other treatment options available, including medications and Stryker STAR[21] . Therefore, if you are experiencing pain, swelling, and inflammation around your ankle joint and seek treatment, you can get started by booking your appointment at Phoenix Foot and Ankle Institute today.