Foot Arthritis: Less Common, Just As Painful

Close to 40 million of the American population are living with arthritis. Those who are at the age of 50 and above are the ones who commonly have to live with this disease. And those in the more advanced age have higher tendencies to develop foot arthritis, although anyone can have it regardless of age.

There are 33 joints on a foot, plus, it carries the entire weight of our body while walking or standing up. This means that damage incurred by these joints is highly possible. A person’s weight may also be attributed because the excess load of the body further heightens the burden of the joints.

Compared to arthritis of the knee, which is the most common, and hip arthritis, foot arthritis is the least likely to occur among patients. The ankle and the big toe of the foot are the main concerns of arthritis in the feet.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Your Feet

Rheumatoid Arthritis which is primarily attributed to old age due to wear after years of exertion is one of the major types of foot arthritis. This is the most frequent form of arthritis in the foot. Oftentimes, this is due to the collapse of the joint that causes the pain when the foot is moved.

Osteoarthritis of the Foot

The other type, which is osteoarthritis, is from the damage to the cartilage in the toes or in the ankle causing the bones to merge. This irregularity in the cartilage makes the once easy and fluid movement of the joint painful.

Previous accidents may have also caused fracture to the foot or a sprain that wasn’t detected immediately. This neglect may have aggravated the joint further into a point where osteoarthritis is developed and felt severely. Osteoarthritis happens in fewer cases than with rheumatoid arthritis.

A type of osteoarthritis which affects the big toe is Hallux Rigidus. This is when the big toe absorbs great amounts of pressure during walking.

Diagnosing Foot Arthritis

The foremost thing doctors ask to identify arthritis of the foot is someone’s medical history. This is vital in spotting what type of arthritis one has or if it really is arthritis or just some form of muscle pain. Age may be the primary culprit as it is of course common to people with old age. Trauma brought to the foot may be another factor why there is pain.

Symptoms include pain primarily, stiffness, usually felt in the morning, a noticeable soreness of the foot, a feeling of softness when touched and limited to none mobility of the foot...