Things You Need to Know About Ankle Arthritis

Image via WikipediaArthritis is the swelling and inflammation of the joints. It comes from the Greek work "arthro" meaning joint and "itis" which means inflammation.

Ankle arthritis is a condition where the ankle joint has been worn out due to the natural wear and tear process and can cause moderate to severe heel pain. Our bones are lined with cartilages inside the joints, very similar to the white stuff seen on a chicken drum stick. If you will notice, this cartilage is very smooth and slippery, very important in reducing any friction during articulation.

Now if your ankle joint develops arthritis, the cartilage bone loses its smooth and slippery qualities. This causes severe pain and can lead to secondary complications in the joint called synovitis. This also occurs when the soft tissues within the joints get inflamed.

Common conditions that can lead to ankle arthritis:

    * Previous injury to the ankle like frequent sprains can damage the cartilages.

    * Being obese can put a lot of stress to the ankle. These patients also accelerate the extent of damage to the joints.

    * Infections. Infection to the joints can eat away the smooth surface of the cartilages.

    * Genetics

There are several treatments for ankle arthritis. Resting is the simplest yet effective way  to manage ankle pain due to arthritis. Taking pain killers help but are not recommended since you are masking the pain therefore can lead to further injury. Ankle Distraction is a technique where the ankle joint is literally pulled apart for several weeks. This promotes healing of the damaged cartilage and has a very good success rate in reducing pain.

Also, our joints begin to stiffen as we age. During this time, Omega-3 fatty acids also help support healthy joints, joint flexibility and range of motion.Glucosamine is a natural compound that is found in healthy cartilage. It has been used in the complementary therapies in osteoarthritis, available joint smoother supplements.