The main types of arthritis of the toes

Arthritis of the toes refers to inflammatory joint damage and is characterized by damage to the articular cartilage and articular capsule. Most often this disease is registered in adulthood( after 50 years).In addition, arthritis of the toes is the main cause of pain in the legs and feet, therefore requires timely treatment.

The main types of joint arthritis

• osteoarthritis - manifested by the destruction of articular cartilage, which leads to severe pain in the legs. Patients are difficult to move, their movements after being immobilized become chained and painful, redness and swelling develops around the affected joints;

• gout - arthritis of the toes and feet. With this disease, the crystals of uric acid accumulate in capsules of the joints of the fingers, which leads to intense pain, often in the region of the big toe.

It should be noted that this arthritis of the big toe is more often diagnosed among men;

• rheumatoid arthritis of the toes - affects all age categories, belongs to quite serious diseases and can occur with the defeat of almost all joints in the body.
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This arthritis of the toes leads to the development of significant joint deformities, provoking the disability of the patients. In this pathology, there is also a general deformation of the feet, which prevents normal movement. In addition, inflammation is joined to the deformations, which is most often localized at the sites of attachment of the tendon, which worsens the condition of the patients.

General description of

Foot arthritis includes hip, knee, and joints of the toes. It is worth noting that when one joint is affected, they say monoarthritis, an example of which can be arthritis of the joint of the big toe, developing in isolation. Can also develop polyarthritis - simultaneous lesion of several joints( general).

Arthritis of the joints of the toes can be acute or become chronic. On etiology, it can be traumatic, dystrophic or infectious. With arthritis of the toes, the symptoms are almost the same, despite the etiology. So, the main signs of different types is the stiffness of the affected joints, an increase in the temperature of surrounding tissues, pain that can increase during movement and after a resting state, as well as swelling in the area of ​​pathological changes and limited movement of the affected area.

Principles of therapy

For leg arthritis treatment should be comprehensive. Only the right approach to how to treat illness can save patients from disability. So, the treatment should include:

• antibiotic therapy - prescribe for the infectious nature of arthritis;
• anti-inflammatory treatment - use a special ointment, which includes diclofenac( effectively removes inflammation and reduces pain);
• for arthritis of the toes is also treated for the restoration of the cartilaginous tissue of the joints. For this purpose, chondroprotectors are prescribed;
• gymnastics and dietary nutrition with a high content of vitamin E and antioxidants;
• in extreme cases, surgical treatment is applied.

How to arrange treatment for

Of course, if there is inflammation in the joints of the toes, one should never do self-diagnosis and prescribe one's own treatment without consulting a qualified rheumatologist or therapist. To establish an accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive examination is needed, which should include:

• clinical analysis of blood and urine;
• biochemical analyzes, and acute phase parameters characterizing the state of the body's immune system and biochemical tests( urea, creatinine, uric acid in case of suspected gout) should be determined;
• immunological studies - with suspected development of rheumatoid arthritis or any autoimmune inflammatory process in the body;
• X-ray examination of affected joints.

When a disease occurs, it is important to timely stop an acute attack of the disease - for this purpose, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are actively used for systemic therapy( inside or in the form of intramuscular injections), and locally to the affected joints - ointment improves the condition of the fingers and allows the person to move independently.

If steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ineffective, short courses, regardless of the nature of the disease, are prescribed steroid hormones. Further treatment is determined by the main diagnosis - with rheumatoid arthritis, basic therapy should be prescribed, which help to stop the activity of the autoimmune inflammatory process, steroid hormones. When detecting gout, it is mandatory to use a diet that limits the intake of foods rich in purines in the body, and the administration of drugs that slow down the formation of uric acid in the body and accelerate its excretion.