Arthritis can cause a great deal of pain, making even everyday activities (such as walking or standing) a struggle. Although arthritis can affect any of your joints, it’s especially problematic when prevalent in your lower limbs—your knees, ankles and feet. When you stand, the tremendous weight-bearing load on your feet places immense stress on your joints, amplifying the pain and swelling caused by arthritis. Although there is no cure for arthritis, early diagnosis and proper medical care can reduce the impact of your symptoms and help reclaim your mobility and independence. Our foot care practitioners have the knowledge, expertise and access to cutting-edge tools and techniques to help reduce the pain and swelling in your feet and ankles. Let’s work together to bring back that spring in your step and achieve long-lasting relief.
When should you visit a foot care practitioner?
Arthritis can impact your general mobility and prevent you from living a healthy, active lifestyle. Because of this, we recommend regularly visiting a foot care practitioner to help minimize the symptoms caused by your arthritic feet and prevent further deterioration. Even if your arthritis isn’t currently flaring, it’ll still respond to treatments that improve circulation, minimize pressure, improve cushioning, and lubricate the joints. Since arthritis can affect the structure and function of your feet, see your foot care practitioner right away if you notice:
- Joint swelling, pain, tenderness, redness, or heat
- Limited joint mobility
- Early morning stiffness
- Skin changes such as rashes and growths
- Difficulty walking or running
Don’t hesitate!
Arthritic symptoms tend to worsen over time, so the earlier you seek treatment, the easier it is to optimize your future wellness and quality of life.
What to expect during your visit
During your appointment, your foot care practitioner will perform a comprehensive evaluation, diagnose new conditions, and offer treatment options to fix and prevent any problems. Here’s a quick overview of what you should expect during your visit:
Evaluation
Our evaluation process is straightforward and non-invasive, designed to quickly get to the root of the problem and develop optimal treatment options. During your visit, your evaluation MAY include:
- A review of your past medical history and the history of your present illness or conditions
- Comprehensive foot and lower limb inspection and physical assessment
- Biomechanical assessment and gait analysis: how you walk, stand and run, where your feet apply pressure, and how the energy generated from walking transfers through your body
- Assessing your daily footwear and self-care habits
- X-rays, vascular, dermatological or neurological exams and functional tests of all types depending on need
Treatment
After your foot care practitioner completes their assessment, they’ll explain their findings and the treatment options available to you. Your treatment plan will vary depending on your condition and the details of your specific case, but it could include:
- Routine foot care: General cleaning and preventative maintenance; corns and callus removal
- Orthotics: To increase cushioning, relieve foot pressure antagonizing your joints, and correct improper stance, positioning or movement.
- Stretches and exercises: Targeted stretching and low-impact exercise can help reduce pain and mobility issues caused by arthritis.
- Theralase cold laser therapy: Has proven to help reduce pain and inflammation in some forms of arthritis.
- Foot care-related advice and education: Tips and techniques for maintaining foot health and preventing future complications when away from our office: advice on proper footwear, hygiene, at-home, self-care practices movement techniques, etc.
- Surgery: If you’ve developed a foot condition and it’s resistant to other treatments, your podiatrist may perform minor surgery to correct the issue and prevent it from recurring. Surgery is always a last-resort measure. Except in rare circumstances, we’ll never recommend it unless all other options have failed.
For a more in-depth view of all the treatments we offer at our clinic, head to our Treatments and Devices page.
Your treatment, your way
We aim to design practical, realistic, fast-acting treatment plans that are at most only a minor inconvenience and get you back to living healthy and pain-free as soon as possible. Through patient-doctor collaboration, we’ll work together to identify a proven, effective treatment plan that matches not only the needs of your condition but the needs of your specific situation and lifestyle.