Arthritis is a chronic health condition that causes inflammation and degeneration in the joints of your body. This disease is common in the joints of your foot, often due to age-related changes or a lifetime of pressure put on the joint from your body weight and physical activities.
As arthritis progresses, you may notice that you can’t move your foot very well. In some cases, the toes can’t bend as they should and remain jammed into the ground.
This causes a callus — a thick patch of skin — to develop around the joint. You can also develop a growth on the joint, called a bone spur, that rubs against the ground or against your shoe.
Without proper treatment, arthritis in your foot can lead to a permanent deformity in the joint that limits your mobility and causes persistent pain.
During the evaluation, the team reviews your medical history and examines your foot. They test your range of motion and identify areas of pain and swelling.
To confirm that your pain is the result of arthritis and not a fracture or other injury, your provider uses on-site X-ray technology to get a better look at the inner structures of your joint. X-rays can also identify bone spurs that could be contributing to your pain.
When arthritis is treated in its earliest stages, the team can ease your pain with anti-inflammatory medications. You might also benefit from using functional orthotics — devices that you wear in your shoe to relieve pressure on your foot.
If oral medications aren’t enough to control pain and inflammation, your provider can recommend cortisone injections that deliver medicine directly into the affected joint.
In advanced cases of arthritis, bone spurs often surround the joint, or you can experience deformities in your joint. In this case, your provider will likely recommend surgery to remove the bone spurs and realign your joint for long-term relief of pain and improved mobility.
If you need help managing chronic pain in your foot due to arthritis, schedule a consultation at DeLoor Podiatry Associates online or by calling the office today.
