If you put enough stress on your ankles over the years, there’s a good chance that you’ll eventually notice symptoms of arthritis. Arthritis occurs when the the protective cartilage in our joints wears down, leading to uncomfortable bone on bone contact within the joint. Most people suffer from osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of degenerative arthritis, but there’s another form of arthritis that affects millions of Americans – posttraumatic arthritis.
As the name implies, posttraumatic arthritis occurs in the wake of an injury to a structure. Because of the unresolved injury, joint function is compromised, and this dysfunction can lead to tissue or cartilage breakdown. This posttraumatic ankle arthritis can arise out of significant trauma, like an ankle fracture, or more slowly as a result of repetitive trauma over the years. Below, we share some tips for managing and treating posttraumatic ankle arthritis.
Managing Posttraumatic Ankle Arthritis
There are two main ways that patients can work to prevent and treat posttraumatic ankle arthritis. While you can’t always prevent trauma to your ankle, how you respond to the injury can go a long way in preventing posttraumatic ankle arthritis from taking hold, so prevention and treatment are two types of care you’ll want to consider after suffering an injury like an ankle sprain or an ankle fracture.
Prevention – Prevention really centers around providing the right type of care in the wake of an injury. Oftentimes posttraumatic ankle arthritis develops because trauma goes unaddressed for so long. For example, someone suffers a significant ankle sprain, but they just rest the ankle for a few days then start walking again despite discomfort. Some healing has taken place, but you need to pursue proactive treatments to restrengthen the area and ensure the ankle is capable of supporting the ankle complex and handling the stress you put on it. Rest and shying away from activity won’t help you get back to a pre-injury level of fitness, which is where you’ll want to be if you’re hoping to prevent posttraumatic ankle arthritis down the road. Really commit to an active rehab plan after a moderate to severe ankle sprain to get back to a pre-injury level of fitness.
Treatment – If you’re beginning to show signs of the early stages of posttraumatic arthritis, beginning treatment now will help to manage symptoms and slow the progression of arthritic degeneration. Treatment is similar to what you might pursue in the prevention stage, and it will really focus on strengthening the ankle and providing the right environment for your ankle to function correctly despite its limitations. Some of those treatments will include:
- Exercise
- Weight Loss
- Physical Therapy
Those three treatments are considered active treatments, and they will provide the most benefit to your ankle. There are also some passive treatments that can help reduce symptoms and slow the progression of ankle arthritis, and those include treatments like:
- Corticosteroid injections
- Bracing
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Icing
- Orthotic inserts
If you’re wondering which combination of treatments are right for you, have no fear, because Dr. Silverman and his team will be more than happy to assess your arthritis and develop an individualized treatment program tailored to your needs. Posttraumatic ankle arthritis isn’t going to go away on its own, in fact, it’s only likely to get worse without targeted treatment. Do yourself a favor and work to preserve as much ankle function as possible by connecting with a physician who can help you fight back against posttraumatic ankle arthritis.
For more information, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.