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Toe pain
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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What causes pain in toes?
It is no secret that walking has a generally beneficial effect on the human body, improving, for example, blood circulation, increasing the strength of joints and bones. But, in turn, excessive stress on the legs can have an adverse effect if there are a number of negative reasons that can lead to pain in the toes.
If, for example, you have poor blood circulation, then excessive loads on your legs with such a pathological process can provoke pain. Change of seasons, for example, summer-fall, sudden weather changes, unfavorable weather conditions can trigger various discomforts in the toes. In this case, the following symptoms may be observed: swelling of the limbs, local hyperemia, edema. Here, most likely, we are talking about the occurrence of arthritis, a frequent causative agent of pain in the fingers of both hands and feet. With arthritis of the toes, one to several joints can be affected. The variability of the causes of this disease is very wide. These can be injuries, infections, and even weakened immunity. Sharp and intense pain in the toes occurs mainly at night, subsiding and calming down by the morning. Burning and sharp pain in the toes leads to limited mobility and stiffness of movement. Painkillers will help to alleviate the condition, a strict diet is also recommended. With such a diagnosis, massage procedures, warming up, and therapeutic exercises are indicated. Treatment must be prescribed by an experienced specialist.
The next unfavorable factor causing pain in the toes is arthrosis. It should be noted that arthrosis is much less common than arthritis. Arthrosis can be provoked by wearing tight shoes, prolonged hypothermia, excessive loads, and various joint injuries. All this can cause circulatory disorders and, as a consequence, arthrosis. The causes that cause destruction and inflammation of tissues in the joints have not yet been fully studied. Arthrosis is most often accompanied by minor swelling, redness, and fever. An effective diagnostic method in this case is X-ray. Various physiotherapeutic procedures and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for treatment.
Pain in the toes can be caused by plantar fasciitis, or more simply, heel pain. Heel pain occurs as a result of pressure on the nerve endings.
With diabetes, pain in the toes can occur due to circulatory problems, even to the point of loss of sensitivity.
Diseases of the arteries of the legs are another factor associated with this type of pain. The tissues must be fully saturated with oxygen - if this does not happen, various complications may arise. Negative consequences in this case can be caused, for example, by atherosclerosis of the vessels. Factors such as smoking, high cholesterol, and harmful industrial work can provoke the appearance of a disease of the arteries of the legs.
Toe pain can also be caused by the big toe being deviated to the side as a result of a joint curvature. The impetus for this type of deformation can be flat feet, as well as insufficient strength of the ligamentous apparatus. In this case, creams and ointments based on herbal components that have the ability to relieve inflammation and relieve pain are used to relieve pain. A complication in this case can be arthrosis, which subsequently affects the joints.
You should also be aware of the consequences of bruises and injuries that can cause pain in the toes.
Such a nuisance as an ingrown nail, even with minor discomfort, can cause pain in the fingers in the future. Comfortable shoes and moderate nail trimming will help prevent the appearance of such a defect.
Pain in the toes can also be associated with growths of dead cells on the surface of the skin - feet, heels, big toe. In this case, quite severe pain sensations can occur. An experienced surgeon or neurologist, after a thorough diagnosis, will be able to choose the right treatment method, with the help of which pain in the toes will be successfully eliminated.