We do tend to recommend that people get in and treat their arthritic conditions of their foot earlier than later for many reasons. For one thing, the person at home doesn't realize how far progressed it is, and it may be severe, or more severe than they think it is. And, it could be causing other damage to other joints in the foot or ankle. As one joint becomes more stiff, the other joints have to take up the load for that joint, and so it can be causing other problems in other areas of the foot or ankle. Other things such as bone spurs can cause impingement, and sometimes these are easier treated than waiting until the joints have been completely destroyed by the arthritis. By just going in and taking bone spurs out, a lot of times we can make people feel better without having to do major fusion operations or other forms of surgery.
