Tips for Working Out When You Have a Neuroma
If you have a neuroma, which can cause pain in the ball of your foot, trying to exercise can be tricky. Read on to learn how you can work out comfortably if you have this condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system attacks its own tissues. In RA, the defenses that protect the body from infection instead damage normal tissue (such as cartilage and ligaments) and soften bone.
The joints of your body are covered with a lining â called synovium â that lubricates the joint and makes it easier to move. Rheumatoid arthritis causes an overactivity of this lining. It swells and becomes inflamed, destroying the joint, as well as the ligaments and other tissues that support it. Weakened ligaments can cause joint deformities â such as claw toe or hammer toe. Softening of the bone (osteopenia) can result in stress fractures and collapse of bone.
Rheumatoid arthritis is not an isolated disease of the bones and joints. It affects tissues throughout the body, causing damage to the blood vessels, nerves, and tendons. Deformities of the hands and feet are the more obvious signs of RA. In about 20% of patients, foot and ankle symptoms are the first signs of the disease.
The exact cause of RA is not known. There may be a genetic reason â some people may be more likely to develop the disease because of family heredity. However, doctors suspect that it takes a chemical or environmental "trigger" to activate the disease in people who genetically inherit RA.
The most common symptoms are pain, swelling, and stiffness. Unlike osteoarthritis, which typically affects one specific joint, symptoms of RA usually appear in both feet, affecting the same joints on each foot.
Ankle
Difficulty with inclines (ramps) and stairs are the early signs of ankle involvement. As the disease progresses, simple walking and standing can become painful.
Hindfoot (Heel Region of the Foot)
The main function of the hindfoot is to perform the side-to-side motion of the foot. Difficulty walking on uneven ground, grass, or gravel are the initial signs. Pain is common just beneath the fibula (the smaller lower leg bone) on the outside of the foot.
As the disease progresses, the alignment of the foot may shift as the bones move out of their normal positions. This can result in a flatfoot deformity. Pain and discomfort may be felt along the posterior tibial tendon (main tendon that supports the arch) on the inside of the ankle, or on the outside of the ankle beneath the fibula.
Midfoot (Top of the Foot)
With RA, the ligaments that support the midfoot become weakened and the arch collapses. With loss of the arch, the foot commonly collapses and the front of the foot points outward. RA also damages the cartilage, causing arthritic pain that is present with or without shoes. Over time, the shape of the foot can change because the structures that support it degenerate. This can create a large bony prominence (bump) on the arch. All of these changes in the shape of the foot can make it very difficult to wear shoes.
Nonsurgical Treatment rest, ice, Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Medication, orthodics, braces and Steroid Injection.Your doctor may recommend surgery depending upon the extent of cartilage damage and your response to nonsurgical options.
Further questions contact Annapolis Foot and Ankle Center. Please call to schedule an appointment with either Dr. Eric S. Harmelin or Dr. John G. DeLeonibus.
Annapolis 410-266-7666
Washington 301-262-8558
