Caring for Your Feet When You Have Arthritis

For some time now, your feet feel stiff when you rise in the morning. Your mother had arthritis in her feet and ankles. Could this be happening to you? Find out with a podiatric examination at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut. Dr. Joseph Treadwell, Dr. Christian Davis, and Dr. Rihamary Jimenez treat a variety of lower extremity conditions and injuries. These Plainville, Danbury, and New Milford, CT, podiatrists help people just like you manage their arthritis symptoms and lead active, fulfilling lives.

Afflicting millions

Yes, millions of Americans suffer from either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Basically, osteoarthritis is related to age (over 50) and obesity. In fact, the Arthritis Foundation says that 47 percent of people with body weight issues have this type of arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is related to inflammation and fluid build-up in the joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, RA is autoimmune. In other words, the human body actually declares war on its own connective tissues in the joints.

With both kinds of arthritis, carefully devised treatment plans help patients manage their symptoms. In the realm of foot and ankle health, your podiatrists in Plainville, Danbury, and New Milford employ a variety of treatment modalities, many of which are simple and non-invasive. While your professional team at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut uses surgery to help some arthritic individuals (with reconstruction of the foot or ankle, for example), a common sense, lifestyle modification approach is usually their first choice.

Symptoms of arthritis in the feet

You already may be familiar with the symptoms of arthritis. They include:

• Pain
• Redness and a burning sensation in the joints
• Stiffness, particularly in the morning
• Inflammation
• Fluid accumulation
• Difficulties with gait and balance

When you see your podiatrist, he or she will examine your feet and take X-rays and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These diagnostics, along with a review or your symptoms, will tell your foot doctor how best to proceed.

Caring for your feet

Elements common to an arthritis treatment plan are:

1. Exercise and physical therapy, including very specific stretching exercises
2. Wearing well-supportive shoes with wide toe boxes
3. Using shoe padding to cushion areas of friction
4. Wearing customized shoe inserts to correct gait problems
5. Maintaining an optimal body weight
6. Cortisone injections

You may come to Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut periodically to work with your foot doctor in tracking your progress and in modifying your treatment plan as needed.

Get on your feet

Manage your arthritis. You can with expert and compassionate help from Dr. Treadwell, Dr. Davis, and Dr. Jimenez at Foot & Ankle Specialists of Connecticut. To arrange a consultation, call one of our three convenient offices. In Plainville, call (860) 747-2200. For Danbury, phone (203) 748-2220, and in New Milford, phone (860) 355-3139.