Foot arthritis much more common than thought

Painful foot osteoarthritis affects one in six people over 50 years, equating to 3.5 million people in the UK, says new research published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Data from 5,109 people aged over 50 years found that foot osteoarthritis affects women more than men, especially those who have had manual jobs. About 75% of those with foot osteoarthritis reported difficulty with simple daily activities such as walking, standing and shopping.

Typical features of foot osteoarthritis are inflammation in and around the joints, swelling of the bone and damage to cartilage, causing stiffness, pain and difficulty moving.

“We have long known about some forms of osteoarthritis in the feet such as bunions, which are a common type of osteoarthritic damage affecting the big toe joints and are taken much more seriously, with both on-surgical and surgical treatments widely employed,” says Prof Anthony Redmond from Arthritis Research UK. “The study tells us that if we want to keep our over 50s active and healthy we should be similarly serious about arch or midfoot pain. While osteoarthritis does not yet have a miracle cure, the associated pain and disability are not inevitable and people with foot pain should be given genuine treatment options – something can always be done.”