Leg pain is a symptom that occurs not only due to prolonged walking. The reason for its appearance may be the development of any diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Discomfort occurs in different places: in the knee, shin or heel. Very often they are localized in the area of the thumb. If a bone in your foot hurts, then you need to see a doctor, because an unpleasant symptom in this place in most cases indicates that an ailment such as hallux valgus is developing.
This problem is quite common. If you experience pain in the bone, it is recommended to consult a specialist as soon as possible. He will prescribe the necessary set of procedures. Thanks to timely treatment, it will be possible to avoid serious consequences - foot deformation, which can only be treated surgically.
Almost every person has to travel huge distances every day. Due to the load, the bone of the big toe hurts. Discomfort occurs due to certain changes occurring in the foot. Let's remember the anatomy and see where the bone in the foot comes from and why it hurts.
The human foot has two arches. One is called longitudinal, and the other is called transverse. Both arches function as natural aromas that soften shaking when walking. The first of them is easy to determine by running your hand along the inner edge of the foot, and the second runs between the bases of the toes.
The metatarsal bones of the foot with a normal anatomical structure are located parallel to each other. They form fingers. The position of the bones changes when the ligaments and muscles weaken, the arches flatten and sag. And all this happens due to the load that negatively affects a person’s foot. If negative factors continue to affect the leg, then the following changes occur:
Hallux valgus, like any disease, has stages. In the initial stages, the disease is not very bothersome and is easily treated. In the later stages, the disease causes a lot of inconvenience. Even at rest, hallux valgus deformity can make itself felt. Patients complain that the bones on their toes become inflamed. So, below are the stages of development of the disease and characteristic symptoms.
Hallux valgus is a disease that primarily affects women. According to statistics, they are much more likely to experience this disease than men. Why does the bone on the leg hurt in women? Doctors note that in the fair sex, the muscular-ligamentous system is elastic and weak. Due to heavy loads, the foot becomes deformed. A predisposing factor is wearing narrow shoes with high heels.
The growth of bunions on the feet is not always due to hereditary factors. Sometimes the reasons for the appearance of bunions on the legs are the presence of diseases such as chronic bursitis, deforming arthrosis, exostosis of the heads of the metatarsal bones. Much more often, hallux valgus is caused by flat feet . With this disease the following changes occur:
Hallux valgus is a disease that causes a lot of discomfort. Let's figure out what causes pain. If there are bunions, the load is distributed unevenly across the feet. She moves to the thumb. In this regard, pain is felt and inflammation develops, because an unnatural process occurs in the human body.
The bone on the leg grows gradually. Hallux valgus in the initial stages of development is a protrusion of the head of the metatarsal bone. Then the lump gets bigger. The head of the bone begins to become covered with bone tissue. Such changes are adaptive in nature (the leg area becomes stronger, since it bears a significant load).
Hallux valgus deformity in the initial stages of development does not impair a person’s quality of life. With a small bone on the foot, pain does not occur. Despite this, you should definitely visit a doctor. The disease progresses quite quickly. To prevent serious consequences from occurring, you need to find out the reasons for the formation of bunions in time and undergo timely treatment.
There is no specific technique by which one could get rid of the problem and pain. It all depends on the stage of the disease. Let's find out how hallux valgus is treated at different stages of development.
Early treatment
Traditional healers recommend many remedies that can be used for hallux valgus. However, it is worth remembering that various baths, lotions, herbal ointments and decoctions are not able to completely eliminate deformation. Remedies prepared according to folk recipes can only alleviate the condition, eliminating pain and a feeling of heaviness in the legs.
What can you do if a bone in your foot hurts, and the problem has just appeared. At the initial stage, you can get rid of discomfort and correct the existing deformity using special orthopedic means:
Therapeutic massage is also often prescribed by specialists if a bone in the leg is inflamed. Thanks to massage, muscle spasms disappear, blood circulation in tissues improves, and joint mobility is restored.
Treatment in the middle stage
If a bunion in your foot grows and causes pain, then orthopedic aids alone will not do the trick. The doctor will prescribe symptomatic treatment. By taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the pain will go away.
In addition, a specialist at the middle stage of development of the disease will prescribe the following procedures:
Treatment in an advanced stage
If there is severe deformation of the feet and there are complaints that the bone on the big toe is very painful, treatment with conservative methods is ineffective. It will only make the situation a little easier. The deformity can only be eliminated through surgery.
There are a huge number of methods for surgical treatment of hallux valgus. The most common of them is osteotomy, which means shortening the corresponding metatarsal hand and returning the finger to the anatomically correct position.
In many modern clinics, deformity correction is carried out through small punctures. Special screws are used to hold the bone together and do not need to be removed. The rehabilitation period lasts for several months. For the first time after surgery, they wear special shoes, and then switch to orthopedic models. Read more about operations and recovery after them >
Unfortunately, not all people who have pain in the bone near the big toe turn to specialists. Some continue to endure pain and believe that this disease is completely harmless and does not pose a health risk.
In fact, hallux valgus is a serious ailment. If you do not pay attention to it in time, then other problems may be added to the bones:
That is why the answer to the question of what to do if the bone in your foot is swollen, growing and hurts is simple. You need to see a doctor immediately.
A bunion near the big toe is not only an unaesthetic appearance and discomfort when putting on tight shoes, but also severe pain. The pain is especially severe when walking and in the evening, after being on your feet all day. There are different ways to relieve pain in the big toe bone, which we will consider.
Wearing special insoles or shoes is not only a reduction and elimination of hallux valgus pain, but also prevents the lump from increasing in size. The selection of orthopedic devices is carried out under the supervision of the attending physician or specialist. And then when walking, the load on the metatarsal bone will be reduced, and the pain will be reduced.
Now let's look at how to relieve pain in the leg near the bone with the help of gymnastics. This technique helps in the early stages of valgus, when the bump is not yet very prominent from the plane of the foot.
You need to stand with your bare feet on the floor, placing your feet next to each other (so that they touch each other). We begin to lift our toes up while remaining on our heels. This will help relax the metatarsal bone and relieve stress on it. If you have problems with balance, you can hold on to a wall or nearby objects.
Another useful exercise for pain is walking on the outer arch of the foot. During the exercise, painful sensations will be present, but after a few minutes they will subside and disappear.
Massaging the foot also helps relieve pain in the bunion of the foot. It is better to massage yourself - it is easier to calculate the pressure and not cause yourself even more pain. The massage begins with stroking movements to warm up the feet. After warming up, you can begin massaging the problem area directly: the bone needs to be thoroughly kneaded to improve blood circulation and joint mobility. It’s good if the massage is combined with rubbing in an anti-valgus cream - purchased or homemade.
Relief from pain in a bunion using folk remedies is very popular. Firstly, it is not as harmful as medications, and the effect is sometimes faster and stronger. Let's look at several options for relieving pain in a bunion using traditional medicine recipes.
An elementary recipe, the ingredients for which can be found in every home:
Dissolve the simple ingredients in a bowl of warm water. We take this bath for 20 minutes. After this, we do not rinse our feet, but simply dry them with a towel. Lubricate the bone with iodine and put on woolen socks. The pain subsides after half an hour, so you can sleep peacefully.
To prepare a rub that helps relieve hallux valgus pain, you will need:
Crush aspirin into powder and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a dark bottle and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Rub the resulting product on the bone on your foot every time pain occurs.
Mix the ingredients until you get a mushy mixture. Lubricate the bone and around it. We put a shoe cover on our feet. We wait until the pain subsides, after which we wash off the compress with water. To prepare the next compress mixture, you should use fresh urine.
Egg ointment will help soothe the pain in the lump near the thumb. The egg in the shell should be completely filled with 70% acetic acid, covered with a lid and put in a dark place for a couple of weeks. When the shell has dissolved, mix the egg with pork fat (1 tbsp), Vaseline (1 tbsp) and turpentine (1 tbsp). The resulting ointment can be used every day to prevent hallux valgus pain.
The most effective and simplest method, which is used most often, is medication treatment. A tablet of analgin or another anesthetic dulls the pain and makes it possible to concentrate on work or sleep. But frequent use of painkillers is harmful, because over time the pills become addictive and stop working. Therefore, it is recommended to take analgesics only in extreme cases, when there is no other way to relieve pain in the bone area.
Each method works differently: gymnastics helps some, baths help others, and pills help others. In any case, you should not endure the pain, but you also cannot constantly drown it out. It is not the symptom that needs to be eliminated, but the disease itself, therefore, if a bunion appears on the leg, you need to contact an orthopedist who will choose the most appropriate treatment method.
Pain in the bunion at the base of the big toe is a common problem faced by many middle-aged and elderly women. Painful sensations are caused by hallux valgus, an orthopedic disease that in most cases develops as a result of prolonged wearing of incorrectly selected shoe models.
A bunion, also called a bunion, is the thick, protruding head of the metatarsal bone of the big toe. Deformation of the head of the bone occurs when there is improper load on the foot, which occurs when wearing:
The bones on the feet hurt and grow not only because of poorly chosen shoes - improper load may not be the main cause, but a provoking factor in the development of deformity when:
The bone on the foot near the big toe hurts with a significant change in the angle between the first and second metatarsal bones (second and third stages of valgus deformity); at the initial stage of the disease, pain rarely occurs.
Sometimes a lump on the foot near the big toe hurts in adolescents during puberty (the lump appears as a result of rapid growth and a sharp increase in the load on the foot).
Many women initially treat the appearance of a bunion as a cosmetic defect - at the initial stage of the disease, the bunion only hurts after a long walk in uncomfortable shoes that rub against the protruding bunion. As the pathology develops, the pain intensifies and is observed more often, and the deformation of the thumb itself becomes more noticeable.
The initial stage of hallux valgus.
The bones of the big toes hurt due to constant trauma (pressure and friction) when wearing shoes.
As a result of regular injury to the bone, the mucous bursa of the first metatarsophalangeal joint often becomes inflamed and bursitis develops, which is characterized by severe aching and throbbing pain. At night, these pains intensify, swelling and symptoms of general malaise (weakness, fever, etc.) appear.
Pain in the bone on the foot near the big toe also occurs as a result of degenerative changes in the bone tissue of the head of the first metatarsal bone (in this case, there is increased sensitivity of the tissue around the bump, swelling and pain in the area of the bone itself).
Since the first stage of hallux valgus is successfully treated with conservative methods, women who occasionally experience pain in the bones of their feet are advised to consult an orthopedist. It is also recommended to consult an orthopedist for patients who:
An orthopedic surgeon will make a diagnosis, determine the likely cause and stage of the disease, and select the appropriate treatment.
If a bone in the leg hurts with a slight degree of deformation (first or second stage of the disease), conservative treatment methods are used. To prevent the deformity from getting worse and the protruding lump from being injured, you can use:
If the bunions on the feet grow and hurt, valgus clamps and correctors are used to prevent further development of the pathology and reduce pain symptoms, but it is advisable to use these products after consulting an orthopedist.
Severe pain due to inflammation of the joint is eliminated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An orthopedic doctor may prescribe Artra, a drug in tablet form that has an anti-inflammatory effect, reduces pain and promotes tissue regeneration. It is possible to use Meloxicam tablets, which eliminate pain and relieve inflammation, as well as the injection of corticosteroids into the tissue near the affected joint.
Pain in the area of the bunion in a hospital setting helps to eliminate:
To get rid of bunion pain, it is also important to choose the right shoes. Orthopedists recommend choosing models with a wide toe and optimal heel height (3-4 cm). For patients with flat feet, it is advisable to select special insoles that help correctly distribute the load when walking.
If the bone in your foot is swollen and painful, you can relieve pain using traditional methods - ointments, compresses and foot baths help relieve inflammation and swelling.
Herbal infusions can also help relieve pain at home. An effective remedy for pain in the bone area is an infusion of sedge, which is prepared from 2 tbsp. dry grass. Dry sedge is poured into a glass of boiling water, infused and taken three times a day for ? glasses.
For hallux valgus, regular foot massage and therapeutic exercises are also recommended.
If conservative methods are ineffective, surgical treatment is indicated for patients. Thanks to the use of modern low-traumatic surgical techniques, pain in patients in the postoperative period is minimal, and relapses and complications are extremely rare.
To prevent a bunion that appears on your leg from hurting, it is recommended:
It is also advisable to introduce into the diet foods that help strengthen connective, bone and cartilage tissue (seaweed, legumes, jelly, jellied meat, etc.), eliminate alcohol, spicy and fatty foods.
You should also visit an orthopedist in a timely manner and follow his recommendations.
Protruding, enlarged and painful bones on the big toe are classified in medical practice as hallux valgus. This condition is most common among women, which is explained by prolonged wearing of high-heeled shoes. It is important to remember that if the bone on the foot near the big toe hurts, you need to start therapeutic measures in a timely manner, this will stop the pathological process at the very beginning of its development.
With hallux valgus, the feet lose their physiological shape, expanding and flattening. When palpating the metatarsal phalanx, exostosis (bone growth) is determined, the skin over which is thick and painful. The motor activity of the joint is sharply limited, and passive extension of the fingers is accompanied by pain and discomfort.
Numerous studies indicate that women and children are most susceptible to this disease; in the latter, this is due to the weakness of the ligamentous-muscular system and its insufficient formation at an early age.
The most common causes of pain in a bunion can be the following pathological conditions:
Patient complaints of bone pain are quite common. In addition to the general discomfort, the bone looks unsightly from an aesthetic point of view, so corrective treatment is required after the root causes of this condition are identified.
There are a sufficient number of factors that lead to pain in the bunion, but hallux valgus and gouty arthritis stand out among others.
This condition is accompanied by the establishment of the phalanx of the thumb at a certain angle, which leads to deviation of the finger outward from the axis. At the same time, the first phalanx and the upper part of the metatarsus protrude in the medial (inward) direction.
Characteristic changes in the foot with hallux valgus
In turn, hallux valgus is possible due to the following factors:
Quite often, valgus deformities are provoked by flat feet, which leads to serious pathological changes in the joint. Such violations include a decrease in the shock-absorbing properties of the foot, displacement of natural support points, and improper distribution of loads on the foot. In addition, there is a significant increase in the size of the metatarsal bones and the formation of dislocations and subluxations in them.
Since valgus changes in the toe are characteristic signs of transverse flatfoot, the following symptoms are possible:
In the absence of timely therapy to eliminate valgus changes in 1 finger, the development of deforming osteoarthritis and X-shaped legs is possible.
This disease is provoked as a result of a disruption in the body’s production and excretion of urate, which settles in the joint capsule and other organs. In the normal state, urates (tophi) are excreted from the body along with urine. Most often, gout occurs among men over forty years of age. In women, gout is extremely rare and is more severe.
Ring-shaped formation of tophi in gout
The disease is accompanied by the following manifestations:
There is a sharp increase in body temperature.
With gout, the big toes are primarily affected, which is accompanied by the formation of urate crystals, which have a spherical shape (up to 2 cm in diameter) and disfigure the foot. In this case, the bone is not affected, since urates in most cases accumulate in the soft structures of the foot joint. Often the cause of the pathological condition is chronic bursitis, arthrosis and exostosis of the head of the metatarsal bone.
The symptoms of valgus deformities directly depend on the stage of development of the process. Unfortunately, in most cases, patients do not pay attention to such manifestations until they notice that the foot is sharply swollen, the pain has intensified, and long walking causes significant discomfort.
The formation of a lump on the leg at the initial stage is accompanied by minor discomfort. However, the further process leads to increased stress on the feet and a gradual change in the tumor.
Hallux valgus changes are characterized by swelling of the feet, the formation of calluses and corns
The following signs are characteristic of such changes:
It is the deforming changes that explain the reasons why the bones on the leg hurt. Moreover, as the disease progresses to an advanced stage, the symptoms intensify, but even at the very beginning of the disease it is quite possible to suspect a pathology.
In this case, the following stages of disease development are distinguished:
In the absence of therapeutic measures, a number of serious complications are possible, including deformation of all fingers and the development of an inflammatory process. It is important to remember that a bunion should not be considered just a cosmetic defect, since such a condition can indicate serious medical problems, since foot deformation contributes to the disruption of many body functions.
For a more complete picture of pathological changes in the foot, a diagnostic study is prescribed, which includes x-ray of the joint, computed tomography and MRI.
X-ray of reactive arthritis
Based on the result obtained after studying the images, not only deformations of bone tissue are determined, but also narrowing of the joint space, reactive and deforming arthritis and osteophytes. After this, the orthopedist, and, if necessary, the traumatologist, selects the most optimal therapy.
If you seek medical help early, the growth of a bunion can be stopped with conservative therapy, which includes a number of therapeutic agents and actions.
After consultation with a doctor, the use of special orthopedic devices is recommended to reduce very severe pain symptoms and foot deformities.
To fix the big toe in a physiologically correct position, it is necessary to apply an abductor bandage to the foot, and also use special silicone toe separators to facilitate the patient’s movement.
Orthopedic bandage for the metatarsal phalanx of the big toe
In addition, it is recommended to use orthopedic insoles for shoes, which allow you to properly distribute the load on the foot and relieve tension in the ankle joint.
To relieve muscle spasm, reduce inflammation, restore joint mobility and increase blood flow in the foot, massage is necessary. It is important to take into account that such a procedure is auxiliary and it is not recommended to treat the disease with massage alone. The procedure involves influencing the acupuncture points of the foot, as well as stroking, kneading and rubbing. The duration of the massage is no more than 20 minutes (daily for 10 days).
Individually designed gymnastics are quite effective in the early stages of bunion formation. A set of exercises allows you to restore mobility to the joint, help strengthen the arch of the foot and relieve muscle spasms if the bones on the big toe hurt.
The following exercises are recommended:
Despite the apparent simplicity of gymnastics, when performed regularly, fairly good results are noted. In addition, exercise therapy, massage and physiotherapy, especially shock wave therapy, which destroys articular growths, must be combined with proper nutrition. In case of a pronounced inflammatory process, accompanied by pain in the bone area, X-ray therapy, electrophoresis and phonophoresis can be used.
At an advanced stage, the doctor may prescribe a course of NSAIDs (Ortofen, Diclofenac, Nimesil, Ketonal, etc.). If conservative therapy is ineffective and the size of the bunion increases, surgical intervention is performed.
There are several ways to remove a bone near the thumb, depending on the root cause of the tumor and the severity of the symptoms. The most commonly used method is osteotomy, which involves shortening the metatarsus with subsequent restoration of the physiological position of the fingers.
Open osteotomy of the metatarsal bones
The operation can be performed as a closed method, when all manipulations are carried out through a small puncture, without leaving behind scar tissue and without requiring long-term rehabilitation. With the open method, a deep incision is made in soft tissues and skin. In this case, the duration of the rehabilitation period can reach 2-3 months, during which the patient must reduce physical activity and wear special orthopedic shoes.
To relieve pain symptoms and relieve the inflammatory process at an early stage of its development, you can use folk recipes. Such methods are not able to influence the cause of the development of pathology, therefore they are recommended by specialists only as a temporary method.
Despite the fact that folk recipes in most cases use herbal ingredients, before starting treatment you should consult a doctor who will tell you how to relieve this condition without causing harm to the body as a whole.
Let's list the most common recipes.
To rub the sore area, it is recommended to prepare a tincture of 100 g. dandelion flowers and 1 bottle of iodine. The healing solution should be infused in a dark place for at least 5 days, after which the foot is pre-steamed and lubricated with the prepared product (daily, 2 times a day for 2 weeks).
When your feet hurt, it is recommended to soak your feet in a warm bath with the addition of 5% iodine (10 drops) and sea salt (2 tablespoons). The procedure is performed daily for 1 month for 15 minutes.
To get rid of a bunion, you can prepare a compress from a cabbage leaf smeared with liquid honey. It is best to do it before bed (for 1 month), and remove it in the morning by rinsing your foot with warm water.
It must be remembered that even after getting rid of a bunion, it is recommended to continue to use various orthopedic devices that maximally relieve the arch of the foot when walking, thereby restoring the functionality of the foot. In addition, at the first manifestations, when there is severe pain and active growth of the bone in the foot area, you should contact a medical institution to receive professional medical advice. In the initial stage of development of the disease, it is quite possible to cope with it without resorting to radical intervention.
Channel One in the program “Little Things in Life” talked about how to get rid of a bunion without surgery in just 1.5-2 months. All you need is for this.
The bone on the foot near the big toe hurts - doctors are increasingly hearing such complaints from patients, mostly female. This is because ladies begin to wear the wrong shoes from an early age, and it is from adolescence that the bunions acquire their basic shape. One can only imagine what will happen to the feet when a schoolgirl from middle school puts on heels or stilettos.
How to relieve pain in a bone?
Often the bone on the big toe hurts precisely because of the deformation of the bone, it is called valgus. If you examine it visually, you can see a protruding bone on the foot near the toes. It is this that causes so much discomfort, and curing this disease is not easy. If you do not start treatment as soon as you feel pain, the lump will grow to such a size that your fingers will begin to overlap each other. You will no longer be able to put on your usual shoes, and walking will turn into agony.
So, you have pain in the bones of your feet, what should you do? Make an appointment with an orthopedist immediately. The specialist will examine and prescribe treatment, thanks to which it will still be possible to do without a surgeon’s operation.
Statistics show that for more than half of patients the disease ultimately ends with surgery. But medicine does not stand still, and a development has already appeared that is designed to radically solve this serious problem.
Our patient, a 45-year-old woman, was one of the first to try the new technique. She is the first to have grade 4 hallux valgus deformity corrected without surgery Our center tested a special device, a foot corrector. The idea of the method is to gradually straighten it by applying a little force on the thumb.
The feet have arches. Longitudinal and transverse. They are like springs, absorbing our steps, thanks to them, we do not shake when we walk. If we run our hand along the edge of the foot, we will feel the first of them, and the other is between the toes. The latter is located parallel to the bones and forms the toes. Their location begins to change when the muscles become weak. And they become weak due to overload of the legs.
There are several stages:
There are many answers to the question – why does a bunion hurt? Let's look at only the main versions:
It often happens that children whose parents suffered from this disease develop foot deformities in adulthood.
Doctors believe that as we age, the ligaments of the foot become completely weakened, and this becomes the cause of bunions on the feet. However, this point of view is very controversial, since deformities are sometimes found in young girls.
Often, valgus occurs after arthrosis, flat feet, or exostosis.
Perhaps something bulky fell on the leg or there were sprains or dislocations.
It's simple. When displacement occurs, the entire leg is not loaded; part of the support passes into the big toe, which is why pain is experienced. Again, the lump itself does not grow immediately, the longer time passes, the more it grows, and the load increases, and accordingly the pain becomes stronger.
The sooner you notice changes, the easier and cheaper it is to cure. At the very beginning of the disease, you can use special means - an orthopedic bandage that fixes the finger in the desired degree, pads that prevent shoes from pressing on the bump, partitions between the fingers, insoles. A competent massage often helps - it gives the muscles their former elasticity and joints mobility, blood circulates better and nourishes the cells of the legs.
If the disease was diagnosed later, then medication cannot be avoided. Anti-inflammatory drugs are usually taken. Physiotherapy and exercise therapy have a good effect.
If the disease is severely advanced, surgery is suggested. In modern medicine, there are several ways to treat hallux valgus with the help of surgeons. One of the popular ones is osteotomy. The specialist trims the metatarsal hand and returns the finger to the right place.
In more advanced institutions, small punctures are made and medical screws are inserted (they are not removed later). The patient will have to wear specialized shoes for some time.
No operation is needed if used.
There are contraindications for operations:
The cost of the operation varies from 20,000 to 150,000 rubles.
What you need to know if you are undergoing surgical treatment:
There are many such people. The bone on the side of my foot hurts, so what? In their opinion, this is a natural process and it is better to be patient. However, you should remember that this is a very serious disease, and if the process is started, then you will face such complications in the future as:
Special exercises that will improve the condition of your feet. You need to do gymnastics daily:
There is a lot of useful advice on the Internet about treatment with folk remedies. We cannot help but say a few words about them. Just remember that all these grandma’s recipes do not cancel your trip to a specialist.
Means for oral administration:
An interesting method using snow:
This method is called the Headquarters method. The idea is that you need to apply snow and salt to the sore spot. Keep for at least seven minutes. Then wipe the water and bandage it. Place a shawl or woolen sock over the bandage. Don't get up for several hours.
Stop walking with hallux valgus. Start using.
First of all, the shoes must have arch support. The foot in the boot or shoe should be tight; laces and fasteners play an important role here; check that they are not loose. The back is hard and made of dense material. The sole is flexible. Materials are only natural and breathable.
The disease progressed quite quickly. At first this lump just gave me discomfort on my leg. Then I started to get very sick. Due to the fact that the big toe began to bend inside the foot, he began to push the second, which began to rise up and rest against the top of the toe of the shoe. And a painful callus formed at the bottom of my foot. And by the age of 54, I could no longer walk in my shoes at all! My legs felt like they were in a red-hot vice.
Discomfort caused by pain in a bone in the leg is familiar to about 30% of women after 35 years of age. And with age, the number of women facing this problem increases. Most often, it is women who suffer from pain of this kind, and there is a logical explanation for this.
The answer is usually obvious - this is a bone that appears, which is often called a bump, and it most often appears near the thumb. But many people are familiar with the bumps and bones that appear near the little finger and even on the side. What causes their appearance, and most importantly, how to deal with them interests everyone who is faced with this problem.
It should be noted that there may be several reasons for the appearance of a bump on the foot, the most common of which will be included in the first list of reasons:
Deformities caused by these reasons are commonly called hallux valgus.
The second list of reasons includes bone diseases, among them are:
These bones will require a different type of treatment and the nature of their occurrence will be destructive processes occurring in the joints and bones of the foot. They often become one of the manifestations of the patient’s general condition.
Many people complain that the bone on their foot near the big toe hurts. Ignorance of the cause of this pain causes people to suffer from it. To get rid of or prevent this pain, let's find out what can cause it and what symptoms are accompanied.
The most common manifestation of a bunion is a lump near the big toe. The main reason for their appearance will be the reasons described in the first list.
The fact is that the bones of the foot are located parallel, and the load on the foot has a longitudinal (from the heel to the big toe) and transverse (toe line) lines. This allows the body's load to be placed evenly on the bones of the foot. When wearing tight shoes, high heels, or the presence of other factors listed in the first block of reasons, the loads are redistributed.
They grow to the base of the big toe, the metatarsal bone cannot withstand such a load and begins to deviate to the side, at the same time the other bones move towards the remaining fingers, as if running into them. There is curvature of the bone and growth of cartilage on the damaged joint.
Important! What many consider to be salt deposits is actually overgrown cartilage tissue on a deformed joint.
This problem manifests itself, first of all, by the appearance of a noticeable lump at the base of the big toe. In the initial stages, pain does not appear, only visually noticeable changes in the shape of the finger.
Then comes an unpleasant burning pain that occurs after standing for a long time or walking for a long time.
Attention! Another unpleasant consequence of a bone will be a change in gait.
At first she becomes overweight, clumsy, and then lameness appears. Since the body weight will be redistributed, the load on the knees and hip joints will increase. They will find themselves in a changed, unusual position, which will have a negative impact on them.
There are three stages of development of hallux valgus:
1st stage. The visual appearance of a bump, it becomes noticeable, pain appears from time to time. The offset does not exceed 20 0. The first signs of a change in gait appear. At this time, one of the problems will be the selection of shoes.
2nd stage. The appearance of frequent pain: pain appears during long walks, standing, the lump visually enlarges, it becomes increasingly difficult to choose shoes, the toe is greatly displaced. Lameness becomes noticeable. During this period, the deviation ranges from 20 to 50 0.
3rd stage. The pain is almost constant, it bothers me even at rest, and it is very difficult to find shoes. Walking hurts. The displacement is above 50 0, it affects other phalanges.
Important! When a bone on the side of the leg hurts, treatment will largely depend on the stage of the disease.
If the causes of the lump near the thumb are bone diseases: bursitis, gout, osteoporosis (from the second list of reasons), then the pain and enlargement of the lump is rapid, it burns very much, the lump will turn red, be hot and very painful. It will immediately make walking difficult.
If such symptoms appear, consultation with an orthopedist or surgeon is required. Since these diseases require special diagnostics (x-rays and tests), as well as specific treatment that is different from the treatment of hallux valgus.
Important! Treatment of acute inflammatory processes: bursitis, gout will require urgent, long-term and complex treatment. The sooner it is started, the more favorable the prognosis for recovery will be.
An equally common problem is when the bone on the foot near the little toe hurts. Pain can occur for various reasons, which we will discuss.
Usually the pain is acute, the lump itself is hot, swollen, and redness is noticeable. Very often, swelling of the feet occurs, which makes it difficult to put on shoes and walk. In some cases, the pain is so severe that it prevents you from walking.
Important! A lump near the little finger may appear simultaneously with such formations near the thumb and on the side, or it may be isolated.
The appearance of a lump near the little finger may be associated with:
Treatment of a lump that appears near the little finger will definitely require contacting an orthopedist or surgeon.
The pain that appears will definitely force us to take measures to eliminate it. Many people do not know what to do if the bones in their feet hurt and what actions to take to eliminate it. It is very important to take adequate measures to not only reduce pain, but also stop the development of the disease.
After all, a bunion on the foot can cause a lot of inconvenience with the choice of shoes and disruption of gait. In addition, it often causes serious health problems.
Important! If a lump occurs on the big toe or anywhere else on the foot, consult a podiatrist for a consultation. With the help of examination and testing, it will be determined which of the reasons caused this pathology.
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Thus, the treatment of hallux valgus today has a whole arsenal of means: fixators, correctors, gymnastics, special massage in the later stages - joint replacement operations.
Treatment is effective using special clamps that fix the curved bone in the correct position. This allows you to avoid pain, but the fixator is not able to completely cure the disease. Therefore, along with wearing a retainer, it is necessary to carry out treatment.
Treatment procedures should include special gymnastics and massages. Which will help restore blood circulation and train muscles and ligaments.
In later stages, when walking is very difficult, surgery will be required to straighten the bone. It is worth remembering that there will be two operations. The first is designed to secure the metatarsal bone in the right place, and the second is to resume the function of the foot. You will have to walk between them with aids (crutches).
Important! The operation is complicated, but it restores the bone well.
For bones caused by gout, bursitis or arthrosis, treatment will be appropriate to the disease.
In each specific case, this will be decided by the doctor who treats the bunion. So, treating gout will require treating the whole body, and not just the swollen bone. It may be necessary to use antibiotics or resection of the affected cavity (for extensive bursitis).
A protruding bump on the big toe is often treated with folk remedies. We have already written about how to treat a bunion at home, so we will present the most effective methods. Among them there are not only herbs, but also those that can be bought at the pharmacy.
One of the good painkillers would be ointments and creams. They will become a remedy for swelling and inflammation. Among ointments for bones, chicken egg ointment is well known.
Place the egg and shell in acetic acid in the dark for 2 weeks. Then throws out the shell, shake the contents of the glass, add lard and turpentine, shake again until smooth. The ointment is ready - apply to the sore spot.
It is believed that bird bile, which can be bought at a pharmacy, is a good remedy for a bulging lump on the thumb.
Day 1: wash the bone with warm water and lubricate the sore spot with bile at night, every other day.
Day 2: Lubricate the day with a solution of vinegar (9%) and iodine (5 drops).
Grind the pepper to a powder, mix all the ingredients and leave for 2 weeks in a dark place. Make compresses for the bone at night. In the morning, remove any remaining residue with warm water.
For compresses you need fresh river fish. It is necessary to wash a piece well according to the size of the bone. Apply it to the sore spot and cover with gauze. This procedure should be carried out for 7 days. For the next 7 days, lubricate the cone with fir oil.
Regular table or sea salt works well in the early stages. It is good for making foot baths. The pain goes away and the swelling goes away well.
Prevention of protruding bunions is very important. It should include proper nutrition and wearing comfortable shoes. Special massage and gymnastics for the legs are very good. They will help strengthen your leg muscles. By the way, if you are tormented by a spur on your leg, then read about how to quickly get rid of this unpleasant ailment.
Treatment should begin as soon as the lump is discovered. Since it will no longer be possible to restore the damaged integrity of the foot, you can only stop further deformation, and therefore further protrusion of the bump.