Arthritis and Your Feet: How to Thrive and Prevent Complications

Your feet are complicated pieces of equipment. Each foot includes 185 bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. That’s a lot of moving parts. When arthritis enters the picture, things don’t work quite like they should.

At Austin Foot & Ankle Institute, we’ve helped hundreds of patients work through arthritis issues with their feet.

Here’s how you can thrive and prevent complications if you face this battle.

How does arthritis affect your feet?

There are more than 100 types of arthritis, but the ones that most commonly affect the feet and ankles are osteoarthritis (occurs naturally as you age), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disorder), and post-traumatic arthritis (develops after an injury).

Symptoms include foot pain, swelling, stiffness and reduced range of motion. You may also experience sensitivity, warmth around affected joints, and difficulty walking.

How can you manage the disease?

There’s no cure for arthritis, but lifestyle modifications and treatments can keep it from getting worse and help you thrive.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to relieve arthritis symptoms and slow the progression. You may think exercise would make your symptoms worse, but it actually helps by strengthening your muscles and tendons. 

Aim for a mix of stretching, strengthening, and aerobic exercises.

Weight management

If you’re overweight, your feet are going to feel the impact. For every extra pound you carry, you put 6 extra pounds of pressure on your foot. Losing weight can improve arthritis symptoms dramatically. Losing even 5 pounds reduces the load on your feet by 30 pounds.

Exercise helps lower your weight, as does eating a healthy, balanced diet. 

Foot care

Make sure you take good care of your feet. If you don't treat your condition, complications could develop, including hallux rigidus (the bones of your big toe fuse together), bunions (a bony lump forms on the side of your big toe), and corns or calluses.

To prevent these problems, help your feet by wearing comfortable shoes that provide plenty of room for your toes to spread out. Also, consider custom orthotics to give your feet more support and improve your foot alignment, gait, and posture.

If you’re reading this post, you’re likely dealing with arthritis in your feet. We’d love to help restore their function so you can live the life you want. Schedule your visit today by calling our office in Austin or Bee Cave, Texas, or requesting your appointment online.