Arthritis can affect any of your joints, including those in your feet.
Joint damage from arthritis can cause pain, swelling, and physical changes to the joints.
Arthritisis a general term that describes more than 100rheumatic diseasesthat affect the joints.
Doucefleur / Getty Images
The main symptoms of arthritis are pain and swelling in one or more joints.
Arthritis can be acute (sudden and short-term) or chronic (gradual and long-lasting).
With most types of arthritis, the joints become worn down or damaged over time.
Its primary function is to reduce friction during joint movement.
Arthritis can affect one or more of the joints of your foot.
You may have symptoms in one foot or both feet.
Arthritis will cause the joints to wear down and lose their cartilage.
As a result, the bones will rub against each other, causing pain.
The soft tissues in joints might also become worn.
Over time, the joint will not move and work as it should.
The earliest signs of arthritis in the feet are pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Arthritis symptoms in the feet can start suddenly and get worse quickly or develop gradually.
Depending on the pop in of arthritis you have, one foot or both feet might be affected.
Over time, arthritis in the feet can worsen, leading to advanced symptoms.
OA causes joint cartilage to wear away, leading to bone-on-bone pain and bone spurs.
RA often starts in the feet, and because RA is symmetrical, it will affect both feet.
RA will cause inflammation of the small joints and soft tissues of the feet.
RA can affect both the ankles and feet.
It most commonly affects the feet and, frequently, the big toe.
In PsA, those attacks are directed at the joints and theenthesesthe places where tendons and ligaments meet bone.
It frequently affects one or both feet.
Foot problems are among the earliest signs of PsA.
Like PsA, AS is an autoimmune disease that affects the entheses.
Causes of Arthritis
Different types of arthritis conditions will have differing causes.
Infection and injury can cause cartilage tissue breakdown, leading to OA.
Gout is because of too much uric acid in the body.
How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?
Next, you will be asked when and where the pain began and what worsens or improves symptoms.
The healthcare provider will also examine your foot and ankle for swelling and tenderness.
You may be asked about your footwear to determine if your shoes provide sufficient support while walking.
A test called agait analysisis generally included in the physical examination.
Arthritis can cause severe pain, affect your mobility, and lead to joint damage.
Causes of foot arthritis are aging, injury, genes and familyhistory, and autoimmune disorders.
A Word From Verywell
Arthritis can be a painful and disabling condition, especially if left untreated.
Treatment for arthritis can focus on symptom relief and maintaining joint function to reduce the potential for disability.
It will cause inflammation of all or part of the foot in the same joints on both sides.
The wearing down of the joints of the feet commonly occurs as people age.
Most people notice arthritis in their feet and other joints after age 40.
MedlinePlus.Foot Injuries and disorders.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the foot and ankle.
2019;12(1).
2015;50(2):261-273. doi:10.3233/WOR-131739
American College of Rheumatology.Genetics and rheumatic disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.
Arthritis Foundation.12 benefits of walking.
