What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that affects the joints causing stiffness and loss of mobility. It usually affects the joints in the hands, feet, and knees.

This condition occurs when cartilage breaks down due to wear and tear on the joints, causing friction in the joint as it moves. This results in inflammation, swelling, and pain. Osteoarthritis often affects people over 50 years old. It can also occur in people if they have a previous history of an injury or a fracture.

Several factors can cause Osteoarthritis. Here are five causes of Osteoarthritis:

• Heredity
• Aging
• Repetitive Overuse Injuries
• Obesity
• Trauma

Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis of the foot and ankle

• Foot examination

The doctor will examine your feet and ankles, checking for tenderness, swelling, redness, and deformity. They may also look at your gait (the way you walk).

• X-rays

X-rays can help your doctor see how much joint space is lost due to Osteoarthritis. This makes it easier to diagnose Osteoarthritis and stage it into various stages depending upon the X-ray picture.

• CT scan

A CT allows your doctor to see the joint destruction in minute detail, especially in early cases, and also helps in planning their surgery.

Osteoarthritis of the foot and ankle is a gradually progressive condition that affects daily activities of your life. If it progresses to a severe problem, you might have to have your foot or ankle surgically treated. You can contact Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Clinic, Pune.

Dr. Chetan Oswal is an Orthopedic surgeon with exclusive expertise in the foot and ankle area. He has had his advanced surgical fellowship from the United kingdom. Complicated foot and ankle surgery are his forte. Dr. Chetan Oswal with his specialized training in foot and ankle reconstruction offers minimally invasive keyhole surgery for foot and ankle problems which enables patients to recover quickly & resume work/duties/sports at the earliest. Dr. Chetan Oswal assures them to treat his patients with all his medical knowledge and skills.

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Here are, Six Common Causes of Feet and Heel Pain

• Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia is an important part of your foot as it keeps your bones in the proper places. When it has some inflammation or thinning, the bones will go out of their places making the arch flatten and the foot widen. If it does not get treated within time, it will affect not only the way you walk but also your body’s alignment.

• Achilles tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis refers to the inflammation of tendons because of overuse or repetitive action during sports. This can be painful due to inflammation as it is the largest tendon in one’s body. It connects your heel to your calf muscle that flexes when running or walking at each step.

• Corns

They are small, yellow, round bumps that develop above your toes and can be extremely painful. This can cause pain to the entire foot including the heel. It happens due to bad fitting shoes.

• Heel spurs

It is a type of bony growth that happens below the heel where it will connect to the tissue that will run through your foot length. Excess weight can inflame and pull the bone. This can push your body to make an extra bone that can cause pain.

• Diabetic neuropathy

People who have diabetes have fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. This can cause damage to your feet. Some symptoms are pain in your feet and heels.

• Stone bruises

It is termed metatarsalgia. These can appear due to bad-fitting shoes and high-impact exercises. The area between the arch of your foot and toes can have sharp pain.

To prevent foot and heel pain, you can get treatments from Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Foot and Ankle Clinic, Pune

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Most common foot ulcers happen below the big toes and balls of the feet. They can not only affect your bones but also your feet. Diabetic patients can prevent foot ulcers by taking proper care of their feet.

Cause of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Ulcers in diabetic patients happen due to the following reasons:

• Nerve damage
• Wounded or irritated feet
• Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar
• Poor circulation

Symptoms of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Diabetic foot ulcers can stain the socks or leak into the shoe. Redness, swelling, odors, and irritation can be some of the first symptoms.

Your doctors can identify its seriousness on a scale of zero to five depending on the symptoms. These can be superficial or deeper ulcers.

Treatment for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

If you have pain from foot ulcers, you need to stay off from using your feet. This treatment refers to off-loading and it is very useful for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

You can wear some items for the protection of the feet –

• Shoe inserts for preventing calluses and corns
• Foot braces
• Designed shoes for people who suffer from diabetes
• Compression wraps
• Casts

Doctors can eliminate foot ulcers by removing the dead skin or with debridement. Any infection of foot ulcer requires immediate treatment. However, treatment is not the same for all infections.

Ulcer tissues can be sent to laboratories to find out what kind of antibiotic can help. In case your doctor sees a serious infection, he may ask for an X-ray to look for a bone infection.

If you seek treatment for diabetic ulcers, you can Contact Dr. Chetan Oswal at Orthowin Clinic, Pune.

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Effect of Bunions

Bunions become worse due to various reasons. Some of these reasons may be:

• Wearing small shoes or tight shoes. Sometimes it causes pressure on your big toes, and this can result in bunions
• If you wear shoes that have pointy toes or high heels, it can result in a bunion
• Also, if you tend to stand for a more extended period, you can have this problem

Symptoms of Having Bunion

There are various symptoms and signs of having bunions :

• Calluses on the second toe
• Infrequent pain
• Difficulty in moving your toe
• Difficulty in walking
• Inability to find the right shoe
• Decrease in the flexibility of your big toe
• Presence of lump near the joint of your big toe

How can You Prevent Bunions?

You must take care of your feet during your early adulthood. You can also Consult Doctor Chetan Oswal from Pune, who can guide you with various care guidelines.

Moreover, follow these steps to keep your foot in good health.

• Keep track of your foot shape as you grow and develop over time. Especially if your family has any condition of bunions, you should be alert of any discomfort you feel with your foot.
• Exercise can cure a lot of your problems. It can strengthen your feet. Try to pick up small objects like pebbles with your toes.
• Do not wear short shoes or tight shoes. Discard the shoes whenever they pinch your toes.
• You should avoid the use of pointed toes or high heels.

If you’re suffering from bump on inner side of your big toe, Visit Orthowin Foot and Ankle Clinic & Consult with Dr. Chetan Oswal can give you a proper diagnosis & go over your treatment options. Book an appointment today.

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