Almost every person from time to time complains of discomfort in the feet when walking. In this case, the joint of the big toe most often hurts. To determine how and with what to treat the disease, it is necessary to establish its cause. Pain can be caused by a simple bruised toe or uncomfortable shoes, or by serious joint pathology. If the symptom is constantly ignored or the pain is relieved with analgesics, the disease will not only destroy the joint, but will also lead to disruption of the functions of the entire musculoskeletal system of the body.
A seemingly insignificant feeling of discomfort in the area of the big toe can later turn into serious problems. The reasons why the joints in the big toes hurt and become inflamed are very numerous and varied. Let's look at the main causes of inflammation.
Painful sensations in the foot area are not always a sign of illness. In some cases, this is how the body reacts to excessive stress on the lower limbs:
If the finger is swollen, red and this is accompanied by severe pain, then physiological causes can be safely ruled out.
The moment of microtrauma may not be noticed. Minor damage occurs much more often than we think. It is enough to stumble or stumble for swelling and inflammation to appear due to the injury. The most common cause of pain is:
When a finger is injured, pronounced external symptoms usually appear, from which it is not difficult to determine the nature of the injury yourself. However, only a traumatologist can identify the extent of damage, make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
In addition to the reasons discussed, pain in the big toe can occur with a variety of diseases. These are mainly various joint diseases. Most often, they are the cause of inflammation and swelling of the joints and surrounding tissues.
The joint on the big toe is most often affected by the following ailments:
All these diseases have similar symptoms. The patient suffers from severe pain, especially during movement, his gait changes and he has difficulty choosing comfortable shoes. Having paid attention to the accompanying symptoms and examined the patient, the specialist will identify the cause of the ailment and draw up a treatment plan.
Treatment of joint ailments of any etiology is prescribed only after a thorough history taking and a complete medical examination. In this case, the main objective of the measures taken is to relieve pain.
If you have severe pain and inflammation in the metatarsal joint, it is extremely undesirable to take analgesics on your own for a long time, postponing a visit to the doctor.
Treatment should be comprehensive, its goal is to restore the function of the joint and the health of nearby tissues.
If the disease is infectious in nature, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed, including Azithromycin and Doxycycline. For pain and severe inflammation, the doctor will definitely prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in tablets or intramuscular injections. In advanced cases, intramuscular administration of corticosteroid hormones in a short course is possible.
Often, with arthritis of autoimmune etiology, the patient undergoes purification of a certain amount of blood plasma, which is called plasmaphoresis.
It is considered advisable to include in the treatment regimen for arthritis of any origin medications that protect and restore cartilage tissue. The most widely used chondroprotectors are:
Chondroprotectors, like other medications, are prescribed by a specialist. The treatment regimen and dosage of medications are determined by the doctor based on examination data and the patient’s condition. The duration of the course is at least 4–6 months.
In addition to chondroprotectors, intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid derivatives (Ostenil, Sinvisc, Giastat) is often used to alleviate the patient’s condition.
During the treatment of joint diseases, osteoporosis prevention is necessary, based on increased calcium intake. For this, a diet rich in milk, fish and cottage cheese is used.
The disease is characterized by destruction of cartilage tissue. To stop this process, chondroprotectors and intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid are used. To relieve pain and inflammation, analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, including in the form of ointments, gels (Gialgel, Traumeel, Cel-T, Voltaren in gel form, indomethacin ointment).
During therapy, it is necessary to reduce physical stress on the affected joint. When articular pathology worsens, a bandage is applied to the diseased joint, which secures the finger and prevents overload. The patient is prescribed physical therapy, and adjustments are made to the diet (a diet enriched with foods containing calcium is recommended).
The main task of the recovery period is to prevent the formation of contracture and develop the damaged joint.
A patient with an exacerbation of this disease should be treated in a hospital. The intensive therapy period is 1–2 weeks. During this time, with the help of well-chosen treatment, it is possible to localize the pain syndrome, relieve swelling and inflammation. After discharge, the patient continues to be monitored by a therapist and rheumatologist.
Medicines for gout are selected by the attending physician based on the individual characteristics of the patient and the severity of the pathology. Often the doctor has to combine various techniques, using complex treatment regimens.
In the initial stage of the disease, the patient is prescribed Colchicine. The drug affects the metabolism of uric acid in the body and has a pronounced analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect during an acute attack of gout.
Allopurinol is considered the main drug for the treatment of gout at all stages. The product prevents the formation and accumulation of urate deposits in joint tissues and promotes their dissolution and removal from the body.
For any articular pathologies of the big toes, there are several tips that can be followed to reduce the intensity of pain attacks:
Treatment of the big toe should be comprehensive. In addition to tablets and injections, anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointments should be applied to the sore joint daily, and physical procedures should be performed: magnetic therapy, ozokerite and therapeutic mud applications, laser exposure.
For arthritis and osteoarthritis of the first toe, lotions with medical bile and Bischofite help well.
In untreated cases, you can try to return (reposition) the damaged joint to its place. If the deformity of the joint is severe, the only treatment option is surgery.
Pain in the joint of the big toe is a sign of many, sometimes dangerous, diseases. Each case deserves the closest attention and specialist advice. Only a doctor can establish the correct diagnosis and advise how to treat joint pathology.
Joint diseases are a common pathology among middle-aged and older people. Most of these diseases are accompanied by decreased performance, pain and discomfort, and often cosmetic defects. Moreover, in some cases, these conditions are quite difficult to treat. Particularly troublesome is damage to the joints of the fingers, in which they swell, become inactive and have difficulty coping with their physiological functions.
First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of this symptom. An increase in the volume of a finger can be a sign of many diseases, including infectious ones. Correct diagnosis is the key to competent and timely treatment, which will allow you to forget about the problem, if not forever, then for a long time.
If your finger is swollen, then before visiting a doctor you should determine the presence or absence of other symptoms.
First of all, you need to assess the extent of the damage. Some diseases affect just one finger (such as felon), while others involve both hands (such as rheumatoid arthritis). You should also examine your fingers for symmetry of the pathological process. If the fingers of both hands are swollen, this most likely indicates an autoimmune, systemic nature of the disease.
It is important to determine what exactly causes the increase in volume of the finger. Most often this is associated with edema resulting from the inflammatory process in the interphalangeal joints. You can determine the presence of edema with a simple test - put a ring of the usual size on your finger. If it turns out to be small, then this reliably indicates the presence of pathological changes in the tissues of the finger.
See if your finger is red? This is one of the main symptoms of inflammation of the joint tissue - arthritis, which can be observed in rheumatological diseases and infectious diseases. The finger may swell without redness of the skin with deforming osteoarthritis, but the role of autoimmune processes in this case cannot be excluded.
As a rule, swelling of the finger is accompanied by a violation of its functions. It becomes stiff, often it is not possible to even bend it, let alone perform any more complex movements. By the way, diseases of the joints of the fingers are often detected in musicians - not only because their fingers are stressed, but also because they monitor the slightest change in their function.
Finally, the most important symptom, the presence of which must be determined, is pain and other unpleasant sensations in the finger. In most cases they are present, although they can be of varying degrees of severity and intensity. Some autoimmune diseases are characterized by changes in the strength of painful sensations during the day: patients experience the most excruciating pain and stiffness in movements in the morning. Usually by lunchtime joint mobility improves and pain decreases.
Rheumatoid arthritis of the fingers
The first thing to think about if your fingers are swollen is rheumatoid arthritis. This disease symmetrically affects the small joints of the hands and feet, but larger joints may also be involved. Characteristic is morning stiffness and pain, which goes away during the day when patients have more or less “developed” the joints. Sometimes small nodes form on the fingers, which can become inflamed and even open with the release of pus (Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes).
Another common cause of swollen fingers is gout. This disease is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joint tissues. The disease is characterized by a long course, and its most important feature is gout attacks, or attacks, with the following symptoms:
A rare cause of swollen fingers is pyrophosphate arthropathy. It is not entirely clear why this disease occurs, but it is mainly associated with hemochromatosis, a pathological condition in which iron accumulates in organs and tissues. Pyrophosphate arthropathy can occur acutely in the form of attacks resembling gout (pseudo-gout), as well as chronically with a picture of prolonged arthritis (pseudo-osteoarthrosis).
Degenerative diseases, among which deforming osteoarthritis is the most important, can also lead to an increase in the size of the fingers. The disease lasts a long time and is characterized by symmetrical damage to the joints, the development of stiffness, and changes in their shape. Acute conditions are not typical for osteoarthritis. If sudden pain, swelling and redness of the joint appear, additional arthritis should be suspected.
A large group of joint diseases consists of infectious arthritis. Any bacterial or viral infection, even a common ARVI, if treated incorrectly, can lead to complications in the joints. However, there are several diseases for which arthritis and arthropathy are the leading symptoms:
This means that each removed tick must also be checked for borreliosis, and if you are told that encephalitis has not been detected, it is too early to calm down.
The joints of the hands may become swollen due to the use of certain medications. Numerous cases of palmoplantar erythrodysesthesia, a common complication that occurs during certain chemotherapy regimens, have been described. There is redness of the palms and soles, swelling of the fingers and decreased mobility. Characterized by sensory disturbances in the form of itching, burning, tingling sensation and numbness in the affected area.
If swelling of the fingers appears, you should consult a rheumatologist or therapist. At the appointment, the doctor will clarify the complaints, collect anamnesis, conduct a thorough examination of the fingers and prescribe the necessary tests:
Additionally, the doctor may prescribe instrumental research methods, for example, an ECG to assess the nature of cardiac activity, since many processes, for example, rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, can occur with myocardial damage.
The prognosis of the disease depends on its stage, cause and timeliness of seeking medical help. For rheumatological diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, gout, pyrophosphate arthropathy) with long-term conservative treatment, excellent results can be achieved. Complete antibacterial therapy for infectious arthritis in most cases provides complete cure. The sooner you start treating the disease, the faster the recovery will come.
The big toe is quite vulnerable and susceptible to bruises, injuries and many chronic pathologies. This is due to the special load that falls on the finger during physical activity: walking, jumping or running.
If a person is bothered by pain in the joints of his toes, and he does not know why this is happening, he should immediately contact the clinic to find out the cause.
Joint diseases can often provoke pain in the joint of the first finger, especially if the patient is over 40 years old. Such diseases include bursitis, gout, arthritis and osteoarthritis. These diseases are quite dangerous for the general condition of a person and require mandatory timely treatment.
When there is pain in the joint of the thumb, an inflammatory process develops in it. It manifests itself as acute, throbbing, burning pain. It is typical that discomfort intensifies in the evening, and reaches its peak during night sleep. At the same time, the patient notes that the joint of the thumb is swollen, and the tissue around it has acquired a bright red color.
Sometimes joint pathologies can make themselves felt by other, no less unpleasant symptoms:
If the patient detects at least one of these symptoms, then treatment of the disease should be started immediately.
The disease can develop for various reasons. However, pain often occurs as a result of certain factors. This may be a weakening of the immune system, which entails the unhindered penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the body, causing infectious inflammation.
A person may suffer from low immunity due to previous diseases of viral etiology, for example, influenza or ARVI. This problem is also typical for women during pregnancy.
The causes of pain in the finger may lie in severe infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis, tuberculosis, metabolic disorders in the body, which is the beginning of the development of gout around the thumb.
Other causes of thumb problems:
If the disease is advanced, then these are the causes of severe complications that can be eliminated surgically.
If pain occurs, the doctor first recommends that the patient undergo an x-ray examination to find out why the finger is swollen. It is also recommended to undergo an ultrasound, donate blood and urine for laboratory tests.
After this, the optimal treatment will be selected. It will stop inflammation in the thumb joint and relieve pain. If therapeutic methods do not have the desired effect, the patient should see a rheumatologist.
It is extremely important to begin treating the disease as early as possible when the big toe pathology is at an early stage. Otherwise, there is a high probability of severe and irreversible pathological changes in the joint.
If the disease is not advanced, then treatment without the use of drugs is quite possible, limited to:
In all other situations, when the inflammatory process is long-lasting, a comprehensive approach to therapy will be required for the patient’s recovery. Treatment involves taking medications recommended by the doctor, following special health procedures, and performing gymnastic exercises.
Treatment of pain in the joint of the first finger is carried out with the mandatory use of medications:
In order to relieve the load from the joint and reliably protect it from excessive stress, doctors advise putting a special bandage on the first toe for fixation. Such a bandage will help dull the discomfort while walking.
You can buy special pads at the pharmacy. They are placed between the first and second toes, which prevents the toes from closing. If the joints of your toes hurt and your toe has recently become swollen, then you can get rid of the troubles if you just choose the right shoes. You should avoid shoes with a narrow toe and prefer a pair with a wide toe or sports models.
Depending on the severity of the disease, the doctor will prescribe massage treatment. The method can be highly effective for people who suffer from joint problems, including inflammation in the big toe.
Therapeutic massage, if carried out according to all the rules, will help noticeably:
In addition, massage treatment can remove all toxic substances from the inflamed area, which, in turn, will accelerate the regeneration of affected joint tissues.
However, such procedures are not always useful. Thus, a course of massage is strictly prohibited for acute forms of the disease of the first toe, as this can provoke a worsening of the problem and a deterioration in the patient’s general health.
If the case is particularly severe, then the only way to get rid of the discomfort will be surgery. During the procedure, the doctor performs partial joint replacement. Sometimes complete dentures may be required.
With severe arthritis, arthrosis, or gout on the feet, absolute deformation of the bone of the big toe occurs. Because of this, at the slightest attempt to step on the affected limb, the patient feels very severe and acute pain.
For this reason, for the majority of patients, surgery becomes the last hope and opportunity to regain lost health, return to a full life, getting rid of the cause of pain in the finger.