Affiliated Foot Care Center
Call 860•349•8500 or 203•294•4977
Arthritis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of the cartilage and lining of the body's joints. Inflammation causes redness, warmth, pain and swelling. About 40 million Americans suffer from arthritis. By the year 2020, about 60 million Americans will have arthritis. Arthritis is a major cause of foot pain because each foot has 33 joints, each one of which may become affected by the disease.
There are three types of arthritis that we treat:
Osteoarthritis causes excessive strain and the wearing away of cartilage in the joints of the foot. Movement becomes very difficult and painful. The pain and swelling worsens while standing or walking, and stiffness usually occurs after periods of rest.
Gout is another form of arthritis that also leads to foot complications. Excess uric acid crystals collect in and around the joints of the big toe. The big toe joint is commonly the focal point due to the stress and pressure it experiences during walking and other weight bearing activities. This often leads to severe pain in the big toe. Men are more likely to develop gouty arthritis than women.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the most crippling form of the disease that can affect people of all ages. It can cause severe deformities of the joints with associated fatigue of the entire body. People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis often develop severe forefoot problems such as bunions, hammer toes, claw toes, and others.
Proper treatment of arthritis includes proper footwear, orthotics, and/or forefoot supports. Arthritic footwear should also accommodate swelling of the foot. Orthotics designed to provide comfort, support and extra cushioning are also recommended. Our custom orthotics will reduce pressure to provide a comfortable and healthy environment for the foot.
We can also supply you with custom forefoot supports such as gel toe caps, gel toe shields, gel toe straighteners and others to provide relief. We have also found that arthritis respoonds very well to our High Power Laser Therapy. With just a few treatments your arthritis pain can be gone entirely.