Ankle joint disease is a degenerative pathological disease of malnutrition, which is characterized by the gradual destruction of cartilage, joints and adjacent bone structures, as well as ligaments and even muscles, resulting in impaired mobility and even disability. The cause of this pathology may be trauma, including post-traumatic arthropathy of the ankle joint, metabolic disorders in the body, or some inflammatory diseases.
Do not self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, please see a doctor.
Taking into account the patient’s chief complaint and the results of X-ray and ultrasound examinations, a pathological diagnosis is established. It is necessary to treat the disease mainly conservatively, and surgical intervention is only required in severe (neglected) cases.
The disease has a chronic fluctuating process in which a worsening period alternates with a quiet period, but even if there are no symptoms, the pathological progress continues. Therefore, over time, if the treatment is ineffective, the ankle will be completely destroyed without execution. In most cases, the elderly suffer from arthropathy, which is due to the natural metabolic process in the body, but there are other reasons that can lead to the development of arthropathy.
reason
In medical practice, there are two types of joint disease: primary and secondary. Primary development is an independent pathology without obvious cause. The secondary is the result of any adverse effects, such as trauma.
The main causes of this disease are as follows:
- diabetes;
- Thyroid disease;
- Excess weight;
- People who exercise or often walk in high heels may experience persistent microtrauma;
- Rheumatism;
- Trauma in the area (fracture, dislocation);
- Inflammatory process caused by diseases such as gout and arthritis;
- An inherited metabolic disorder that causes tissue thinning.
Sometimes this disease occurs in children, and its causes may be:
- Tissue dysplasia;
- Congenital abnormalities;
- Thyrotoxicosis;
- trauma;
- Joint inflammation.
Degree and symptoms
Ankle joint disease has a three-degree course, which determines the symptoms of the disease. It is important to remember that this disease develops gradually, so joint disease is not obvious at first, and then becomes more and more obvious. At the same time, the changes that have occurred are already incurable, and a stage of pathological treatment can only prevent the development of the disease.
In the first stage of the disease, the tissue thins, which does not occur on the entire surface, but in different parts-the formation of specific pancreatic islets.
The first-degree disease is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Excessive fatigue, long-term pressure on the legs;
- Discomfort in the joints after walking in high heels;
- A slight pain that disappears when resting.
X-ray or ultrasound did not find any pathological changes in the joints, so doctors cannot make a diagnosis at this stage.
In the early stage of the onset, you can use folk remedies for treatment at home-first, refuse to wear high heels, lose weight (if necessary), do exercise therapy, or use some folk methods, which will be discussed below.
With the second degree of the pathological process in the area of tissue thinning, the load falls on the underlying bone. As a result, it will grow and form osteophytes, which can damage healthy areas of cartilage tissue located on the opposite side or nearby. The symptoms of second-degree joint disease are already more obvious. These are:
- Pain with less pressure will not disappear immediately after stopping;
- Night pain occurs, which affects the quality of sleep;
- Limited joint movement in the morning (it takes some time to work);
- Cope with the weather together.
In the third degree, deformity of the ankle joint develops. During this period, the tissue of the entire joint becomes thinner, just like a bone structure. On the one hand, the muscles are overstretched, and on the other hand, they spasm, trying to keep the joints in the correct position. The tertiary symptoms of ankle deformity joint disease and other pathological symptoms are related to complete loss of mobility and severe pain:
- Severe pain that does not stop even when resting;
- In the morning, joints need long-term development, even for minimal exercise;
- Crunchy feeling;
- Need to take painkillers to relieve pain;
- Activities in the affected areas are restricted or even completely impaired.
Pathological features such as traumatic arthropathy of the ankle include some other symptoms:
- Swelling and redness of the affected area;
- Local temperature rise;
- A creaking or creaking sound.
Diagnosis and treatment
X-ray examination plays a decisive role in disease diagnosis. However, it is important for the doctor to listen to the patient's complaints, which may enable him to make a diagnosis at an early stage when radiographic changes are not visible. In severe cases, the patient is referred for CT or MRI of the ankle.
The treatment of ankle joint disease depends on the stage of the disease. In the initial stage, it is enough to change the lifestyle and the correct state of exercise. Massage and exercise therapy will be useful at this stage, which will improve blood circulation. If we talk about folk remedies that can be used at home, then it can reduce pain and ease the inflammatory process. These folk remedies that anyone can use at home are:
- Apply olive oil to the affected area in the morning;
- Use burdock leaves all night to attach to painful joints;
- Prepare comfrey ointment and apply to the affected area twice a day;
- Put mumiyo inside in the form of a tablet and rub it into the affected joint.
There are other alternative treatments, but it is important to remember that they are not a panacea for the treatment of diseases. Only when they are combined with medication, diet, exercise therapy, and a correct lifestyle can the progression of destruction be prevented.
If we talk about the use of drugs to treat ankle joint disease, then it includes the use of anti-inflammatory and analgesics. In addition, patients were prescribed chondrogenic agents to protect the joints for a long time (at least six months).
In order to improve the nutrition of the affected joints, vascular drugs such as niacin are needed. Hyaluronic acid therapy is considered effective, and in some cases, one-time use of hormones is required.
Also need to combine physical therapy methods to treat the disease. Shown are special exercises for ankle joint disease, selected by a physical therapist in each case. It is very important that gymnastics for ankle joint disease will not cause pain to the patient, but at the same time, the patient should feel some discomfort, otherwise the operation will be ineffective.
Among other physical therapy methods, it shows:
- Magnetic therapy;
- Laser Treatment;
- Vocalize
- Thermal procedures and some other types of exposure.
Surgery for this disease is only applicable in severe cases where the joint is completely destroyed. Usually, patients use joint prostheses to restore mobility to their limbs, but other surgical techniques are also used—the doctor will make a choice based on the patient's condition.