Top Treatment Options For Ankle Arthritis

Written By Meghan Belnap / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects bones and joints, and arthritis can cause even more problems if it affects the ankles. Ankle arthritis often makes walking, exercising and performing other tasks that involve standing on the feet more difficult, but treatment is available to help ease a lot of the pain and discomfort.

If you have ankle arthritis, one of these treatment options may help reduce your symptoms.

Orthotics

Orthotics consist of braces, shoe inserts and other artificial devices that are meant to correct certain foot abnormalities that often worsen the effects of ankle arthritis.

Foot pronation, foot supination and other problems that affect the structures of the feet can put additional strain on the ankles and exacerbate ankle arthritis, and these conditions can often be corrected with orthotics. You’ll likely hardly even notice that you’re wearing your orthotics as you get used to wearing them.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist can help you strengthen your ankles and reduce arthritic pain by assisting you as you perform certain exercises and stretches. Your physical therapy will include a personalized treatment program that will include safe movements to prevent additional pain and keep your ankle arthritis from worsening.

Little direct impact will be put on your ankle joints during your treatment, but the therapy should still be effective enough to alleviate your suffering.

Medications

A foot doctor may prescribe medications or recommend certain over-the-counter medicines if your ankle arthritis results in a lot of inflammation and additional pain. Joint swelling can often be reduced with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, celecoxib, and tolmetin.

Corticosteroids are sometimes prescribed to treat inflammation as well so that pain and other ankle arthritis symptoms can be alleviated. Cortisone shots may also be given if joint inflammation is particularly severe and are known to offer fast relief.

Surgery

Surgery is never a first treatment option for ankle arthritis but may be necessary if first-line treatments haven’t worked for you. Arthroscopic surgery may be performed with the use of small instruments that can remove bone spurs and other abnormalities that often worsen ankle arthritis symptoms.

Fusing the bones together through fusion surgery may also offer relief. If arthritis has caused widespread damage to ankle joints, joint replacement surgery might be necessary.

The effects of ankle arthritis don’t have to persist if you get the right treatment. A medical professional who treats ankle arthritis can recommend a treatment that’s likely to give you the best results.

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Written By:
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.