Arthritis Can Damage Your Feet

A variety of diseases can affect the joints in your feet and ankles, with foot arthritis being a primary factor affecting the more than thirty joints that are in each of your feet. The pain and stiffness can make it difficult to bend your ankles and toes and decrease your ability to walk without considerable discomfort.

Some causes of arthritic pain in the feet and ankles include:

1)    Osteoarthritis - Daily living and aging with all the pounding on the joints over the years eventually catches up with you, causing varying degrees of osteoarthritis which is a result of losing the protective cartilage in the joints.

2)     Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints causing crippling deformities.

3)     Arthritis caused by injury - Joints that have suffered a previous injury, such as from a sprained ankle, are more likely to be affected by arthritic conditions, especially if the underlying injury was not properly treated when it occurred.

Treatment for foot arthritis

Many therapies are available to treat foot arthritis. Wearing properly fitted shoes with custom orthotic inserts can help transfer pressure from affected joints and decrease the pain. Flexing and strengthening exercises that can restore some mobility are often very effective.

If you are suffering from arthritic foot pain, we highly recommend that you consult our board-certified podiatrists Andrew Shapiro, DPM and Michael Barkin, DPM. With access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, we can assist you with heel pain, ankle sprains, diabetic foot care, toe deformities, nail fungus, and skin problems, among many other conditions. Our practice is conveniently located on West Merrick Road in Valley Stream to accommodate all of your foot care needs. Call (516) 825-3860 or book an appointment online today!