Non-Surgical:
While there is no cure for arthritis, there are treatments that can help relieve pain.
Change Lifestyle: Changes in your daily life can help reduce pain and slow the progression of the disease. Changes include:
- Reduce participation in activities that aggravate the disease
- Switch from high impact exercises to low impact exercises. For example, instead of running try cycling or swimming.
- Losing weight can reduce stress on foot and ankle joints. As a result, this will reduce pain and discomfort.
Physical Therapy: Practicing certain exercises can increase range of motion and strengthen the joints. Consult your doctor or physical therapist to find the correct exercises for your condition.
Physical Therapy can reduce stress, but it also can increase friction. If your condition is caused or aggravated by friction your symptoms will worsen. If this happens your doctor or therapist will encourage other treatments.
Surgical:
Surgery may be recommended if your condition does not improve with non-surgical treatment. The type of surgery will be dependent on the location severity of your condition. In some cases doctors will recommend more than one type of surgery.
Arthroscopic Debridement: This procedure is performed in the early stages of arthritis. Debridement, or cleansing, is the removal of loose cartilage, inflamed synovial tissue, and bone spurs from around the joint.
Arthrodesis: This procedure fuses the bones of the joint together. This makes one, two or more bones. The goal of this procedure is to reduce pain by eliminating motion in the joint.
Total Ankle Replacement: Total Ankle Replacement, also known as Arthroplasty, the surgeon will remove the damaged cartilage and bone. They then will replace them with metal and plastic joint surfaces to restore the function of the joint.