ARTHRITIS

Arthritis is a medical term for a condition that causes inflammation of your joints and is a condition that affects about 1 in every 5 U.S. adults.There are more than 100 types of arthritis but the most common types are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. These two conditions cause chronic pain and restricted mobility.  

CAUSES

Normal wear and tear is one of the most common causes of arthritis. Arthritis is also a common symptom of various autoimmune disorders, which often target the soft tissue in the joints. Additional causes may include:
-Reduction of cartilage tissue
-Injury
-Family history of arthritis

TYPES OF ARTHRITIS

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis and happens due to the normal “wear and tear” of the joint during daily activities. This degenerative condition breaks down the protective cartilage that surrounds the ends of the bones, causing the bones to rub together. As the cartilage wears away, the friction that happens when a person moves causes inflammation. It can be extremely painful, especially when the cartilage is completely worn down, producing a condition known as “bone to bone”, the action of raw bone rubbing together. 
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder causing the body’s immune system to attack the body’s own cells and tissues. This causes inflammation in the lining of your joints making them swollen, stiff, warm and painful. Unlike Osteoarthritis, this type of chronic joint pain and stiffness can be mildly improved with gentle movements. 

SYMPTOMS

Arthritic symptoms include:
-Stiffness 
-Joint pain
-Swelling
Without treatment the symptoms can progress and become more severe causing loss of range of motion, deformity in the affected joint, or inability of the joint to support weight. 

ARTHRITIS IN THE FOOT

The feet are mostly affected by Osteoarthritis as the most common type of Arthritis, affecting one in six people over the age of 50. Arthritis affects all the joints not excluding the foot which contains more than 30 joints. 

  • Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the Metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP) that connects your big toe to your foot
  • Rheumatoid arthritis usually appears in both feet and affects the same joints in each foot. 
  • It should be noted that Gout also frequently affects only the feet, often the big toe.
  • Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) causes sausage-like swelling called dactylitis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis also causes enthesitis, such as plantar fasciitis and pain at the Achilles tendon.

TREATMENTS 

-Nsaids
-Medication Management
-Medial Branch Blocks
-Radiofrequency Ablation
-Physical Therapy
-Joint Replacement