Arthritis is a condition that affects joints from all over the body. It is one of the most common types of condition experienced by people in their late 40-50s. Arthritis in legs can cause pain, stiffness, inflammation and discomfort that is persistent. This condition can alter with your daily life making it difficult to perform day-to-day activities. That’s why understanding and managing arthritis is crucial as it would only improve your quality of life.
Arthritis in Legs Symptoms
It is not necessary to always associate arthritis and leg pain together. Leg pain can be caused because of a variety of reasons including, muscle fatigue, over-exercising, and muscle strain. However, arthritis in legs majorly impacts the joints and brings stiffness that reduces mobility. You might be wondering then what are the symptoms of arthritis in legs, and how can we distinguish them. The most common symptoms of arthritis in legs are joint pain, stiffness that restricts normal mobility, swelling in legs, and tenderness around the joints.
People experiencing arthritis in legs symptoms may also experience heat around leg joints and skin discolouration. Several different types of arthritis can slightly change the symptoms based on the exact condition. Your healthcare provider will be able to diagnose the exact condition and suggest the right kind of treatment.
Causes of Arthritis in Legs
Arthritis in legs or inflammation in your joints can be caused due to various factors including age, family history of arthritis, obesity, and others. One of the prime reasons for arthritis can be wear and tear of cartilage with age. This condition is called Osteoarthritis. People may also experience arthritis and leg pain if they develop gout, a condition that is caused due to excessive uric acid in the blood. In some cases, autoimmune conditions cause arthritis and leg pain. This type of arthritis is called rheumatoid arthritis. Other factors like injury in the legs, and viral infections (COVID-19) can come out as the cause of the condition.
Timely arthritis in legs treatment is essential to manage the condition effectively. Seeking help from a healthcare provider at the earliest is recommended as they could suggest certain medications, and exercises to manage the condition effectively.
Different Types of Legs Arthritis
Understanding what are the symptoms of arthritis in the legs and diagnosing the exact kind of arthritis you have can help escalate your treatment positively. Arthritis is commonly a condition experienced by people in their 50s, however some experience it earlier in life due to various factors and the type of the condition.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Gradual wearing out of cartilage between the joints can also cause arthritis in legs. This type of arthritis is known as Osteoarthritis. The over-the-time deterioration in the cartilage of knees or ankles can lead to inflammation causing leg pain. This is one of the most common kinds of arthritis found in people and is mostly seen in older adults.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy cells of your body for unknown reasons, causing distress and pain. This auto-immune arthritis in legs may depict early symptoms like tenderness in small joints like that of your toes. Like all arthritis in legs, symptoms of this condition are similar and can commonly affect legs, back and hip joints.
Infectious (septic) Arthritis
Infectious arthritis and leg pain occur when infection from some other part of the body affects the joints of your legs. This infection directly attacks the joints in your body causing joint pain and discomfort. Mostly bacterial infections lead to a rise in this kind of arthritis.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a type of arthritis caused due to inflammation of the sacs around the joints called bursae. PMR is another type of autoimmune arthritis that is commonly seen in women and people above 50. This kind of arthritis in legs symptoms include stiffness, in the hips shoulders, and other joints in the body especially in the morning.
Arthritis in Legs Treatment
The condition of arthritis has no cure. However, with proper diagnosis and medications arthritis and leg pain can be managed to lead a healthy life.
Physical therapy
Doctors might suggest taking physical or occupational therapy to help cope with your arthritis symptoms better. This physiotherapy may include strengthening exercises, low-impact swimming, and walking. Along with a proper diet for arthritis, physiotherapy sessions can help you manage arthritis and leg pain better by contributing to increased mobility.
Medications
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain-relieving medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are some of the medications that doctors may suggest to control arthritis in leg symptoms. You can also use herbal plant-based medications and pain relief gels on the joints to help manage the discomfort.
Surgery
Prolonged arthritis and leg pain can lead to severe mobility issues and discomfort. So in such cases, surgical interventions like joint replacement, repair or fusion may be necessary. Involving surgical methods can immensely reduce pain and restore function.
Conclusion
Combating arthritis in legs symptoms can be tricky and get worse if not taken proper care. The stiffness and inflammation in joints can be discomforting physically and mentally. So it is always advisable to seek guidance from a healthcare provider at the earliest. If left untreated, Arthritis can lead to permanent restriction to mobility due to damaged joints, tissues or ligaments of your body.
FAQs
1) Can leg arthritis be cured?
Arthritis as a condition has no cure. However, with the help of certain anti-inflammatory medications, low low-impact exercises you can improve your lifestyle while dealing with arthritis.
2) What are the symptoms of arthritis in the legs?
Arthritis in legs symptoms may include inflammation, stiffness, and sensitivity to touch in knees, ankles or toes joints.
3) Is walking good for arthritis?
Yes, walking and some other small exercises may help in coping and managing arthritis and leg pain better.
