Arthritis in Feet
Types of Arthritis:
Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic arthritis, Reactive arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia, Gout, Lupus, Scleroderma, Polymyalgia Rheumatica.
Osteoarthritis:
A degenerative disease that causes thinning or destruction of cartilage, leaving the ends of bones unprotected. This causes pain, stiffness, swelling, deformity and decreased mobility of the joint. Weight bearing joints including the hips, knees, lumbar spine and feet are most commonly affected. It is primarily caused by wear and tear; however, it can be secondarily caused by obesity, gout, infection, previous surgery and from abnormalities present at birth. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affectng approximately 28% of people over the age of 65. This figure increases to 37% over the age of 85. The 2002/3 New Zealand Health Survery calculated that 7.7% of the population have osteoarthritis, though more females than men are affected.
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
An autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and destruction of synovial joints throughout the body, especially the small joints of the hands and feet. This can lead to pain, swelling, redness, deformity and stiffness in the joints, particularly in the morning or after long periods of inactivity. It can also affect tissue in the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys and eyes.
What Is The Cause?
Each of the different types of arthritis have different causes and look different.
Osteoarthritis has a genetic tendency, as do many of the arthritis. However osteoarthritis tends to be more associated with wear and loss of articular cartilage. This can be accelerated post injury or joint damage. Articular cartilage functions a lot like enamal on your teeth protecting the underlying tooth (or bone in this case).
Long Term Solution
Short term Pain relief can be aquired through the use of medication. Supportive footwear and foot orthoses can also be useful for longer term relief providing stability and relief from compression of the affected joint/s.
The range of specific footwear is larger now than ever, and selecting suitable footwear will help a number of different arthritic foot and lower limb conditions. We can help with this.
Weight loss will put less stress through arthritic joints. Exercise helps to maintain muscle strength and mobility to stabolise the joints and helps reduce pain. Non-weight bearing excersise such as swimming or aqua jogging is ideal to reduce the load on the joints and pain whilst exercising.
Surgery to replace or fuse the affected joint/s ,ay be required if severe pain is experienced and activities of daily living are hindered; however, in some cases residual pain exists, so forms of conservative care are still required to manage the condition.
Still In Pain?
Are you feeling like you have tried everything but you are still in pain?
Do you feel like you have seen every health practitioner you can about your arthritis pain problems?
We have a track record of diagnosing and succesfully treating arthritis cases that have previously proven difficult to resolve.
We'd love to help you make your joints more comfortable, and get you back doing what you love.
Contact Us
