How to Prevent Severe Bunion Pain from Flaring Up
Do you have bunion pain that gets notably worse at times? Understanding why these flare-ups can happen can go a long way toward helping you prevent them in the future.
5 Reasons You May Have Arthritis
Arthritis takes a heavy toll in the United States. Across the country, nearly 25% of Americans deal with this condition, and it’s also the leading cause of work disability nationwide.
There are many types of arthritis, but in simple terms, having the condition means you have inflammation in one or more joints. Here at Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center in Mesa, Laveen, and Chandler, Arizona, we provide specialized arthritis care.
Our providers can help you determine if your foot or ankle pain is due to arthritis. And, if you have it, we can find out which type it is and develop a treatment plan to help you get relief. In this blog, we explain five reasons why your foot or ankle pain could be due to arthritis.
1. Unhealthy lifestyle choices
Eating the wrong foods can play a big role in causing inflammation in your body, including in your joints. In fact, the Arthritis Foundation recommends avoiding over-processed foods if you want to keep arthritis at bay.
Furthermore, consuming a poor diet — especially if you’re obese — can lead to a painful type of arthritis called gout.
2. Wear and tear
Over time, the cushioning in your joints — which is called cartilage — can break down. This can cause the bones in your joints to grind against each other. Arthritis that results from this is called osteoarthritis.
3. Autoimmune diseases
In some people, arthritis develops because their immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells, which causes inflammation in their joints. This autoimmune condition is called rheumatoid arthritis.
4. Infection
Occasionally, joint inflammation can develop due to an infection. This kind of condition is called septic arthritis.
5. Injury or trauma
If you injure a joint, you may develop a specific type of osteoarthritis called post-traumatic arthritis. If you fractured your ankle, for example, you might deal with this type of arthritis during the recovery process.
What to do about arthritis in your feet or ankles
If you have foot or ankle pain, and it feels like it could be coming from your joints, talk with our team. Not only can we help you determine if you have arthritis, but we can also apply our expertise to figure out which type of arthritis is causing your discomfort.
Then, we can customize a treatment plan to help relieve the pain, address the cause, and prevent further joint degeneration. Your arthritis care plan could include:
- Custom orthotics
- Physical therapy
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Ankle-foot orthosis (AFO)
- Cortisone injections
- Stem cell therapy
No matter the cause or type of your arthritis, we can help you live well again. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Center today. We have offices in Mesa, Laveen, and Chandler, Arizona.
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