The foot is composed of a large number of bones with an even larger amount of articulations between them. Because of this, arthritis and degenerative joint disease of the foot is common. Any one of these joints can wear down like tires on a car. When this happens, the nice, smooth, supple cartilage is replaced by raw, uneven, and painful bone formation. This change is most common as a result of aging or trauma. Many younger patients do not recall a specific injury, however, repetitive microtrauma from our active lifestyles is just as big of a culprit; hiking, skiing, rock climbing, and trail running can contribute to formation of midfoot arthritis.

The important thing to note, though, is that the most important treatment option for midfoot arthritis is to keep moving.  While arthritic changes are painful, there is no evidence to suggest that continued activity actively makes the condition worse, so at we at Eagle-Summit Foot & Ankle always give the good news to keep doing what you do!  We can alleviate the pain and inflammation with conservative measures most of the time, but there are also surgical options available should those fail. Foot surgery gets a bad rap sometimes, but if your arthritis has failed the easier options, surgery can be a very viable fix. Don’t delay on getting into Eagle-Summit Foot & Ankle with your foot pain!