Midfoot Arthritis
arthritis treatment in Dubai
What is midfoot arthritis?
Midfoot arthritis is joint inflammation of the middle foot. The middle foot is the base of most bone joints in the foot. Midfoot arthritis can cause stiffness, pain and walking difficulty.
The arthritic changes in the middle foot can result from injuries like Lisfranc fracture dislocation and foot inversion sprains. Furthermore, joint laxity of flatfoot, tendon weakness and severe bunions can overload arthritis progressing in the middle foot and cause severe symptoms.
What symptoms are present in midfoot arthritis?
The initial symptoms usually start with swelling and activity-related pain. Most arthritis treatment in Dubai done by foot doctor claim that patients complain of pain after a period of rest, for example, in the morning while waking from bed or getting up for a break from a desk job.
You may also find difficulty in wearing shoes and walking on an uneven surface or find a change in the shape of the foot.
What may cause midfoot arthritis?
Midfoot arthritis can arise due to the following conditions.
- Posttraumatic arthritis: The cartilage wear of the joint due to injury may result in similar symptoms to osteoarthritis.
- Osteoarthritis: It is a type of arthritis that wears down joint cartilage, and bones rub against each other. The friction causes inflammation and pain in the joint. It is also called degenerative joint disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: It is an autoimmune condition when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy joints. When this happens to midfoot bones, it causes midfoot arthritis. Usually, RA midfoot arthritis occurs in both feet.
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA): PsA is an autoimmune condition that occurs in people with psoriasis, a skin condition. It affects multiple joints and tendons in the feet and unlike RA, it can happen to one foot.
How is arthritis diagnosed?
The doctor begins by inquiring about your symptoms and physically examining the pressure points in your feet. They will assess your foot for any signs of deformity, tenderness, and tendon loss.
As part of arthritis treatment in Dubai, your foot and ankle specialist may also order X-rays or bone tomography to examine the bone’s deformity in greater detail. If you experience numbness or tingling sensations in your feet, the doctor might request an MRI scan to confirm any changes.
How is midfoot arthritis treated?
The initial symptoms of arthritis can be controlled with custom-made insoles and anti-inflammatory medications. However, progressing midfoot arthritis is treated in the following ways.
- Cold therapy: The cold compress and ice packs can reduce pain and swelling.
- Prescription medications: The doctor may prescribe pain relief tablets or cortisone injections to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Exercise and lifestyle modifications: Exercise is necessary for every arthritis patient. It increases joint mobility and reduces arthritis symptoms. The doctor could advise limiting intense activities and high-impact exercises such as running, jogging, swimming etc. It is also advised to maintain your Body Mass Index (BMI).
- Physical therapy: Through physical therapy, a person learns specific exercise moves that work a particular set of muscles and improve their flexibility, coordination, strength, and range of motion.
- Assistive devices: Also, the doctor may give you foot braces or orthopaedic or custom-made shoes that fit well on your feet and alleviate foot swelling by channelizing pressure adequately.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) medications: Drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce pain and swelling.
If the above treatments don’t work or therapies are ineffective in reducing symptoms, or the arthritis symptoms have worsened, the foot and ankle specialist like Dr K P Meda may recommend surgery to you. Depending on the aim of surgery, the following types of surgery are performed for midfoot arthritis treatment.
- Arthroscopic surgery: It is a minimally invasive surgery done using an arthroscope. It removes inflamed joint tissues, bone spurs, or loose cartilage. The surgeon inserts a very small camera into foot incisions to guide miniature surgical instruments and trims the bones and soft tissues to resolve mobility issues.
- Arthrodesis: In this procedure, the joint bones are fused with metal caps, screws and plates into one piece to eliminate joint mobility and stabilise it.
Dr KP Meda is a senior UK-trained Foot & Ankle Consultant from Birmingham, currently working in King’s College Hospital. He is a renowned foot and ankle specialist in Dubai, offering arthritis treatment in Dubai, as well as a vast range of foot and ankle treatments for heel pain, bunions, hammer toe, Morton’s neuroma, and many more, both operatively and non-operatively.
Having pain in your midfoot? Consult Dr KP Meda, our foot and ankle specialist.
