Arthritis
Description
Arthritis is a disabling disease. It is characterised by inflammation of the cartilage and the lining of the body’s joints. There are lots of different types of arthritis.
Symptoms include swelling in one or more joints, recurring pain or tenderness in any joint, redness or heat in a joint, limitation in motion, early morning stiffness, and skin changes including rashes or growths. The three main types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gouty arthritis. Each foot contains 33 joints and has to change from the 26 bones being loosely packed (providing shock absorption) to becoming a tightly packed rigid lever ( to propel you forwards) whilst experiencing the force of up to 4.5 times your body weight. Thus the feet are more susceptible to arthritis than other parts of the body. Additionally their function can lead to abnormal forces being applied higher up the body meaning that your foot function can have a direct influence on how quickly your knees, hips and back may develop osteoarthritis.
- Hereditary
- Age
- Excessive weight
- Abnormal forces due to poor foot function and/or posture
- Systemic disease
- Ill-fitting shoes
- Trauma
Some likely causes:
- Viral and bacterial infections
- Prescription and illegal drugs
- Although when you present with arthritis the damage is done we can often help to minimize your pain be it in your feet, knees, hips or back
- Your feet are the foundations of your body and they are the number one reason for arthritic damage occurring in other weight bearing joints
What we can do
Stabilizing those joints with the use of orthotics and muscle strengthening can really help reduce further wear and damage and reduce the associated pain meaning risky operations such as knee and hip replacements can often be postponed for many years.