Pain in the big toe

When your big toe hurts, it's not just pain, but a warning about foot diseases that need to be treated. You don't want to lose your ability to walk upright, do you? Then you need to study the reasons why your toe hurts and eliminate them.

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Arthrosis of the big toe

This disease is also called gout, but this is not true. Gout and arthrosis are completely different diagnoses that require different treatment. They are united by a similar symptom - pain in the big toe. According to statistics, gout is a fairly rare disease, especially in comparison with arthrosis, which affects people's feet much more often.

Arthrosis of the big toe mainly affects women; men are more likely to suffer from gout.

The culprits of arthrosis are improper wearing of shoes. Women would rather endure pain than choose unfashionable shoes. And then suffer from it. Arthrosis develops because the foot suffers discomfort due to tight socks. The toes are very closely attached to each other, uncomfortable shoes press on them, and this pressure increases even more when walking. In this case, blood flow is disrupted, the big toe is deformed, it is rubbed by uncomfortable shoes, and the toe begins to hurt a lot over time.

In addition to the bunion, when walking in uncomfortable shoes, the joints also suffer, which over time expand and thicken, and finger movements, even the simplest ones, begin to cause pain not only when walking, but also when at rest.

Consequences of arthrosis

If a person does not change his walking regime, does not buy comfortable leather shoes that fit his foot, the bone becomes so deformed that it remains in this position. The toe becomes crooked, and if it is fixed in this state for a long time, it is very difficult to correct its position.

In addition, when the skin of the toe rubs against uncomfortable shoes, inflammation occurs in the periarticular bag. At the same time, the joint also becomes inflamed. This is expressed by redness, swelling, severe pain. This is where the pain in the big toe comes from and this is what its nature is.

The big toe is not alone, it is located next to other toes, so it affects their shape too. The neighboring toes also become deformed, change their shape and hurt. Then medications may not help, and a surgeon's intervention is required.

Therefore, it is better not to let things get to this point, and if you have pain in your big toe, change your shoes and also take all measures to prevent deformation of the other toes.

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Morton's neuroma

This condition is also called plantar fasciitis. It involves the entire sole of the foot, as well as the toes, particularly the big toe. The pain is usually felt at the base of the toe. The pain is caused by the nerve roots being compressed by tight shoes or an awkward foot position. The pain becomes even more severe when the nerve roots become thicker and more irritable due to inflammation.

Plantar fasciitis, or Morton's syndrome, can be distinguished by pain at the base of the toes - the second, third, or fourth. The pain worsens after a person has overexerted himself due to increased physical activity, long walks, or standing for a long time. If one toe hurts, the pain can radiate to the next toes, as well as to the calf area.

Women are at risk, especially after age 35. They are five times more likely to develop Morton's neuroma than men.

Big Toe Pain and Diabetes

Diabetes can also provoke pain in the big toe, oddly enough. These pains can occur during walking, after overloads, and are most disturbing at night and in the morning. The pains are caused by vascular diseases and excessive irritability of the nerve endings.

Pain in the toes can be accompanied by a burning sensation in the soles.

Where does an ingrown toenail come from?

Factors that lead to ingrown toenails

• Very tight, unnatural shoes
• Big toe injuries
• Fractures and dislocations of the big toe
• Incorrect nail cutting (to the flesh, uneven)
• Fungal and other infectious diseases
• Inflammatory processes in the joints of the toe

Symptoms of a nail growing into the thumb include its deformation, redness of the upper phalanx of the finger, there may even be pus or fungus, as well as severe pain in the finger. The pain may not be very strong at first, and then increase and even have a twitching character.

In this case, home treatments may not help or only worsen the situation; you need to see a traumatologist, infectious disease specialist, or therapist.