- Treatment is intended to assist patients to carry on with life activities previously accompanied with pain and stiffness. With pain relief and the ability to move once again, patients may find their mental health improves.
- Medicinal aids include anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce swelling and pain relief medications. Cortisone is sometimes injected into the joint.
- Orthotics to place in the shoe, ankle braces or orthoses, canes or specially-made shoes may be prescribed.
- Home treatments include weight management through diet and exercise. A physical therapist can recommend range-of-motion and flexibility exercises for the arthritic ankle. Exercise may be limited to types that do not put high impact on the ankle joint.
- There are seven types of surgical treatments for ankle arthritis. These are ankle joint resurfacing by cartilage replacement, arthroscopic debridement, ankle joint distraction, partial joint removeal, ankle fusion or arthrodesis, peri-ankle osteotomy (foot or leg realignment), and ankle joint replacement or arthroplasty.
- One way of determining how serious the arthritis is in an ankle is by having X-rays taken while the patient is standing on the affected limb. The severity is one factor influencing the recommendation of treatment.
