Shooting pains in legs.
Causes . This condition is popularly known as sciatica . The pain, which begins in the back and then shoots down to the legs, may be accompanied by a tingling or crawling sensation. In addition, there may be increased abnormal sensitivity of the skin of the legs, when even a light touch causes a sensation of pain. Sometimes patients feel weakness in the muscles of the thighs and legs. Coughing, sneezing and exercise worsen the condition.
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve or part of it becomes compressed for any reason. True sciatica is a disease that depends on anatomical causes, that is, on structural changes. Most often it develops from a displaced or ruptured intervertebral disc . In this case, the displaced disc presses on the sciatic nerve; or the compression occurs from an anatomical narrowing of the spinal canal, which causes compression of the nerve roots.
Narrowing of the spinal canal usually affects people over 50 years of age. Sciatica can also be caused by spindylolisthesis (a defect in which the vertebrae are displaced from their normal location), a tumor, or a fracture of the spine.
Even if you experience shooting pains in the back of your legs, this is not necessarily true sciatica. 90% of patients suffering from shooting pains in the legs experience them for other reasons. Pain may occur due to swelling of the surrounding tissue along the sciatic nerve, which may cause transient irritation.
The disease is often caused by the profession and personal habits of the patient, says Dr. Abraham. “A person who sits in one place for a long time, such as a truck driver, or repeats the same movements year after year, such as a bricklayer or mechanic, may get sciatica. I have observed and treated several men who were in the habit of carrying a wallet in their back pocket and whose work required them to sit for long periods of time during the day. The wallet, through the soft tissue of the buttock, compressed the sciatic nerve and thereby caused pain. As soon as the wallet was transferred to another pocket, the pain went away.
What to do . Doctors say that if you have had one minor episode of such pain, then you do not need medical help. But if the pain, having arisen, continues for several days, then you need to see a doctor.
If the painful condition goes away in 7-10 days, then further treatment . If the pain does not subside, then you need consultations with specialists - an orthopedic surgeon, a physiotherapist, a neurologist and a neurosurgeon - to find out the specific cause of the disease. The examination in most cases includes an x-ray, computed tomography, scan or lumbar puncture (lumbar puncture). In a small percentage of cases, an anatomical cause is found, such as a slipped or ruptured disc or narrowing of the spinal canal, in which case surgery will likely be required.
But in the vast majority of cases, there are no miraculous healing methods. The patient has to change his lifestyle or give up at least some habits, for example, sit less, move more. Dr Abraham suggests the best exercises are stretching, yoga and swimming. In the simplest cases, just move your wallet from the back pocket of your trousers to the inside pocket of your jacket!
Pain in the toes bothers many people. Medical statistics are relentless. According to her data, the number of young people who turn to doctors with this problem has increased sharply in recent decades.
Toes, like other joints, hurt for a reason. Why does this unpleasant symptom occur? Typically, there are several reasons:
Chronic or acute inflammation of the joint manifests itself not only during the day, but also at night, which begins to manifest itself at 3-4 hours. Arthritis is a consequence of one of the systemic diseases, such as:
A person is able to independently determine the specifics of the disease if he listens to his body. For example, with psoriatic arthritis, the most common problem is the big toe. True gout, which primarily affects the stronger sex, has the same symptom.
A degenerative process that results in the destruction of cartilage on the surface of the joint. In addition to pain, this disease is characterized by crunching in the joints even with the slightest movement, stiffness after a night's rest, and painful seals along the edges of the joint space.
Daily pain, numbness, loss of mobility. What other symptoms are typical for numerous toe diseases?
Women are more likely to suffer from arthrosis of the big toe. A long-term habit of wearing high-heeled shoes with narrow toes is to blame. As a result, the joint becomes deformed, loses sensitivity and mobility, and the finger becomes bent. If the disease is advanced, the finger finally loses its motor function, and you can only “put it back in place” with the help of your hands. The inflammation spreads further to cover the second and third toes. Foot deformation occurs. Arthrosis in an advanced stage is practically untreatable.
One of the symptoms is loss of sensation, characteristic pain when moving the toes. Impaired blood flow and inflamed nerve endings make themselves known at night when the feet begin to “burn.” A person feels a burning sensation and discomfort in the toes.
Painful sensations cover the base of the fingers. This neurotic disease is often inherent in the fairer sex. The reason is injuries, wearing uncomfortable shoes. As a result of a pinched nerve, traumatic neuritis develops. Numerous injuries and physical activity aggravate the situation. When walking, painful sensations arise that cover all the fingers. They spread to the foot and calf.
Impaired blood circulation can result from diseases such as atherosclerosis of the arteries of the legs, endarteritis. The lack of oxygen and nutrients that the tissues and joints of the legs receive less of causes pain, numbness, and paleness of the skin. The fingers become cold, lose mobility and sensitivity. Nails crack, break, hair falls out on legs. With endarteritis, a person suffers from intermittent claudication. After taking a few steps, he suddenly feels a sharp pain in his foot, toes, numbness, and heaviness. Symptoms also disappear suddenly and reappear after a short period of time. Coldness in the lower extremities is also characteristic of this disease. The cause of atherosclerosis of the arteries is the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. The lumens of blood vessels become narrower and shrink. Spasm and pain occur in the lower extremities, which remain cold even in the warm season.
The inflammatory process, which covers the periarticular cavities, is characteristic of the big toe. As a result of excessive accumulation of joint fluid, the toe begins to swell, body temperature rises, and the skin becomes inflamed and red. When pressed, the pain intensifies. Chronic bursitis is especially dangerous when it affects other joints. Nausea, fever, headaches and joint pain are its signs. Complete treatment will help save precious time and prevent the disease from reaching a critical stage requiring surgical intervention.
It is characterized as a purulent-necrotic process. Originating in the bones, it affects the bone marrow and adjacent tissues. The cause of this disease is an infection that causes suppuration. As a rule, the disease develops against the background of injuries and fractures. The inflammatory process manifests itself with a critical increase in body temperature, headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness, sharp pain in the toes and feet. Timely treatment is necessary. In its advanced form, the disease does not manifest itself as aggressively. The pain subsides, the skin remains red, and fistulas and suppuration may appear at the site of injury. Gradually, the joints become deformed and lose motor function.
Excessive stress on the foot and toe muscles can lead to hammertoe deformity. As a result, the fingers seem to tighten, the joints protrude, and bone calluses form. The person experiences pain. Wearing shoes is uncomfortable. Constant friction leads to ulcers. Motor function is limited.
The variety of causes of excruciating pain in the toes requires a mandatory full medical examination. Only a doctor, based on the results of the necessary studies, can make a final diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. If you experience symptoms that cause concern, you should make an appointment with your GP. The doctor, having determined the specifics of the disease, will give a referral to a rheumatologist, surgeon, dermatologist or neurologist. Traditional medicine for combating pain in the toes has proven itself positively. But they should be used only as an auxiliary treatment.
To avoid problems, you should follow simple rules:
Careful, attentive attitude towards your own body, care and care are the best companions for excellent well-being and general health.
Gout is a disease caused by a disorder of purine metabolism. It is characterized by an increase in the amount of uric acid in the blood, and deposits of its salts (urates) in the joint tissues.
Another characteristic symptom of gout is tophi, which look like foci of pathological compactions located in the subcutaneous tissue. They are usually localized above the affected joints, on the extensor surfaces of the legs and thighs, on the ears, on the Achilles tendons or on the forehead.
Arthritis is a chronic or acute inflammation of the joint and surrounding tissues. This pathology is one of the manifestations of any systemic connective tissue disease:
Isolated lesions of the toes in arthritis are quite rare. Most often, in such patients, the inflammatory process spreads to other joints. In addition, arthritis is very characterized by symmetrical pain, that is, damage to the same joints on both legs.
1. Limitation of movements in the joint.
2. Changes in its shape.
3. Unnatural crunching noise under load.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative-dystrophic disease of the joint that develops as a result of the destruction of cartilage tissue on the articular surface. With this pathology, pain initially occurs periodically, only after physical activity, and quickly disappears with rest. But as the disease progresses, the intensity of the pain increases; it does not disappear after rest, and may appear at night.
Inflammation of the joint capsule of the big toe with the accumulation of fluid (exudate) in its cavity is called bursitis. This pathology is characterized by swelling, pain, redness and heat in the area of the thumb.
Tendonitis is a whole group of inflammatory tendon lesions. In the event that the process affects not only the tendon, but also the surrounding membranes, they speak of the occurrence of tenosynovitis. The ligamentous apparatus of the big toe is susceptible to this disease due to its high traumatic nature. In addition, inflammation of the foot ligaments can cause pain not only in the big toe, but also in the rest of the toes.
The main symptoms of tendinitis are:
Among toe injuries, fractures of the phalangeal bones are the most common. This is due to the fact that the phalanges of the fingers are poorly protected from external influences, and these bones themselves are small in diameter and do not have significant strength. Most often, the terminal phalanges of the 1st and 2nd toes are susceptible to fractures, since they protrude significantly forward compared to the rest.
Pain and lameness from a fracture persist for a long time. A characteristic symptom is that to reduce pain, a person usually tries to shift the weight to the heel. Often the nail bed is also damaged, which subsequently serves as a site for infection.
Osteomyelitis is a purulent-necrotic process that occurs in the bone and bone marrow, affecting the surrounding soft tissue. The cause of this pathology is the penetration of microflora into the body that produces pus. Often, osteomyelitis in the toes develops as a complication of various bone pathologies, for example, with open fractures.
The patient's condition is greatly deteriorating, which is due to increasing intoxication of the body. This disease also manifests itself with the following symptoms:
In the first few days, severe pain appears in the foot, which can spread to the lower leg. Painful contractures develop in the affected bones and joints. Active movement of the toes is impossible, and passive movement is severely limited. Edema in the muscles and soft tissues of the foot and leg quickly increases. The skin over the affected area becomes purple in color and is very tense. Often a pronounced venous pattern appears on it.
The cause of pain in the toes may be a rotating nail. The big toe is most susceptible to this pathology. The development of this disorder is provoked by wearing uncomfortable shoes, as well as cutting nails too short.
Hallux valgus is a curvature of the metatarsophalangeal joint in which the big toe deviates towards its neighbors. The main reason for the development of this disorder is flat feet and weakness of the tendon-ligamentous apparatus. Additional factors that contribute to the occurrence of hallux valgus, and therefore an increase in pain, are wearing narrow shoes or shoes with excessively high heels.
In such cases, the occurrence of pain in the toes is associated with disorders of the musculoskeletal system in the form of clubfoot of varying severity. Due to improper positioning of the foot when walking, the load on it is unevenly distributed. The thumb is gradually pushed outward and upward, displacing the rest along with it.
The development of hammertoes is associated with flattening of the foot and increased pressure on it. Most often this occurs with flat feet.
The growths of dead cells that form dense hardenings on the skin are called calluses. In most cases, such growths occur on the balls of the toes, on the heels or on the lateral surfaces of the big toe. Often such hardening has a long base in the form of a root penetrating deeply into the tissue. Calluses are usually painless at rest, but have a pronounced pain intensity with exercise, walking and pressure on the affected area.
Morton's neuroma, or plantar fasciitis, is an inflammation of the foot's own ligaments. The cause of pain in this disease is too much pressure on the nerves that run along the arch of the foot. Women are susceptible to this pathology much more often than men, due to chronic microtrauma of the feet when wearing high-heeled shoes.
One of the common symptoms of diabetes is changes in sensation and pain in the toes that appear when walking. Also, with diabetes, a burning sensation in the feet is often observed, mainly at night. The cause of these conditions is poor circulation in the lower extremities and damage to nerve endings.
Pain in the toes may be a manifestation of damage to the arterial vessels of the lower extremities. Common symptoms for such diseases are:
1. Whitening of toes.
2. Pain during exercise.
Endarteritis is an inflammatory lesion of arterial vessels, which most often occurs in the lower extremities. A characteristic symptom of this disease is the so-called “intermittent claudication.” When walking begins, movements are relatively easy for the patient, but then pain, numbness and heaviness rapidly increase in the legs. All these symptoms disappear after a short rest, but appear again after the next few steps. In addition, endarteritis, as well as atherosclerotic lesions of the arteries of the lower extremities, is characterized by a frequent feeling of cold in the legs. Patients also often complain of cramps in the muscles of the legs.
The cause of pain in the toes may be atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities. This pathology occurs when cholesterol plaques are deposited on the inner surface of the walls of blood vessels.
Pain in the toes, especially in the spaces between them, may be a consequence of dermatological diseases. Most often these are massive fungal infections of the feet.
Establishing the correct diagnosis and prescribing therapy is best left to a specialist. If you experience pain in your toes, you should consult a traumatologist, rheumatologist or dermatologist. The best measures you can take on your own are:
Pain in the toes is caused by a wide range of different diseases, and therefore this symptom turns out to be a reason to contact various medical specialists whose competence includes the diagnosis and treatment of the disease that provoked them. Thus, the answer to the question of which doctor to contact for pain in the toes depends on what kind of disease the person is supposed to have. And the assumption of the disease is based not only on pain in the toes, but also on the basis of other existing symptoms. Thus, it is obvious that the choice of doctor to consult in a particular case of toe pain depends on other symptoms the person has. Below we will indicate which doctors of specialties you should contact depending on the accompanying symptoms.
Since pain in the toes is provoked by various pathologies, in each case, for this symptom, the doctor can prescribe various tests and examinations, which he chooses depending on the suspected disease. Accordingly, the list of examinations will always depend on the presumptive diagnosis, which is made by the doctor based on other symptoms the person has, in addition to pain. Therefore, below we will indicate what tests and examinations a doctor can prescribe for pain in the toes, depending on what other symptoms it is combined with.
If gout is suspected, the doctor usually prescribes all of the above tests, as they are necessary to confirm the suspected diagnosis. The most important tests for diagnosing gout are determining the concentration of uric acid in the blood, identifying crystals of uric acid salts in the joint fluid and the contents of tophi. Ultrasound of the kidneys may reveal urate stones. On x-rays, changes characteristic of gout become visible only five years after the onset of painful attacks in the joints.
First of all, if arthritis is suspected, blood tests are prescribed (general, biochemical, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, CIC, immunoglobulins), as this is necessary to confirm the inflammatory nature of the disease. So, if the blood tests are normal, then we are not talking about arthritis, and the doctor will have to additionally talk in detail and examine the patient again in order to make another presumptive diagnosis.
First of all, to exclude possible arthritis, the doctor prescribes a complete blood count and a blood test for C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor. If all tests are normal, then we are talking about arthrosis, and to diagnose it, the doctor first of all prescribes x-rays and ultrasound. If technically possible, it is better to replace x-rays with computed tomography, as it allows you to obtain more data. As a rule, after an ultrasound and x-ray/tomography, the examination is not continued, since the results of these examinations are sufficient for an accurate diagnosis. But if arthrosis has led to severe deformation of the joints of the toes, inflammation of the joint capsule, ligaments or tendons, or there is a need for surgery, then magnetic resonance imaging is additionally prescribed.
Usually, X-rays and ultrasound are prescribed first. X-rays can detect bone deformations, and ultrasound can detect the neuroma itself. That is why the optimal method for diagnosing Morton's neuroma is ultrasound. Tomography is rarely prescribed, since although it allows identifying neuromas, its information content is lower than that of ultrasound.
To diagnose diabetes, a test for glucose levels in the blood and urine and a glucose tolerance test are required, the results of which are sufficient to make a diagnosis. Other analyzes can be neglected if they cannot be performed, since they are considered additional. Thus, the level of C-peptide in the blood makes it possible to distinguish between the first and second types of diabetes (but this can be done without tests), and the concentration of glycosylated hemoglobin makes it possible to assess the risk of complications. If the doctor suspects the presence of complications of diabetes (and with pain in the toes, their likelihood is high), then an ultrasound of the kidneys, rheoencephalography of the brain and rheovasography of the vessels of the legs are prescribed.
First, the doctor measures pressure, listens to heart sounds, determines the pulsation of the arteries of the legs, after which he necessarily prescribes ultrasound, Dopplerography, arteriography and rheovasography of the vessels of the lower extremities. In practice, in most cases, these studies are quite sufficient to make a diagnosis and distinguish between endarteritis and atherosclerosis, but in case of doubt, the doctor may additionally prescribe other tests from the above. Thus, to confirm atherosclerosis, angiography is prescribed, and endarteritis - thermography, capillaroscopy and functional tests.
Usually, the doctor first prescribes dermatoscopy, examination under a Wood's lamp, and microscopy of scrapings from the skin and nails, since these studies make it possible to make a diagnosis in most cases. However, if it was not possible to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes sowing scrapings from the skin and fungus on nutrient media to determine the causative agent of the fungal infection and make a diagnosis.
Pain in the toes, if severe enough, can prevent a person from leading a normal lifestyle. The causes of this symptom vary from completely harmless conditions, with proper treatment, to pathologies that directly threaten human life.
The list of diseases characterized by this symptom is as follows:
Pain localized in the big toe of the right foot may indicate gout; increased discomfort when walking may indicate a disease of the interdigital nerve.
Arthritis of the toes is the general name for lesions of the interphalangeal joints of the feet. Independent forms of arthritis that may cause pain in the toes include:
In addition, arthritis can be a symptom of a number of pathologies that are diverse in nature (hepatitis, chlamydia, Lyme disease, psoriasis, etc.). In this case, a person may not pay attention to the pain in the toes, since it is overshadowed by other, more pronounced symptoms.
People at risk for arthritis include:
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by damage to connective tissue and leading, among other things, to deformation of small joints. This condition is characterized by:
Particularly prominent is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which is diagnosed in children under 16 years of age and which in all its forms is characterized by a systemic inflammatory process.
Septic arthritis is infectious in nature - fungal or bacterial (staphylococci or streptococci). Such lesions of small joints are rare: the pathogen is carried along with the bloodstream, and the joints of the knee and hip are usually affected. The disease has the following symptoms:
The chronic form of septic arthritis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tuberculosis bacillus) or the fungus Candida albicans (the causative agent of candidiasis).
This pathology is a consequence of some kind of trauma. As a result, monoarthritis (inflammation of one joint) usually develops.
Osteoarthrosis (arthrosis, osteoarthritis) is an inflammatory disease of the joints in which degenerative changes occur in cartilage tissue. The nature of pain in the toes with this disease changes with its progression:
Acute arthritis or polyarthritis is one of the stages through which the development of gout occurs, a disease caused by deposits of uric acid salts (urates) in the tissues of the body. The nature of finger pain with gout is as follows:
In everyday life, this pathology is often confused with arthrosis of the big toe. It should be remembered that progressive gout is characterized by the formation of tophi - small yellowish subcutaneous nodules (granulomas).
The so-called pseudogout (pyrophosphate arthropathy) - a pronounced type of chondrocalcinosis - has other causes (deposits of calcium pyrophosphate Ca2P2O7). Its symptoms are generally the same, but the intensity of pain is usually lower. In rare cases, there is no pain at all with this disease.
Morton's neuroma is a benign tumor of the interdigital nerve of the foot. With this disease the following are observed:
Pain in the toes in diabetes mellitus is an integral part of the diabetic osteoarthropathy syndrome (Charcot foot) that develops in the absence of adequate treatment, in which the following are observed:
Obliterating atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities is a disease of the arteries of the legs, characterized by the deposition of cholesterol in them and the proliferation of connective tissue, leading to blockage of blood vessels.
As the disease progresses, when walking, severe pain occurs in the legs, including in the fingers, which causes the development of so-called intermittent claudication (Charcot's syndrome) - a special gait of a person suffering from atherosclerosis and endarteritis, in which he is forced to stop after walking a short distance.
Obliterating endarteritis is a pathology of the blood vessels of the legs, characterized by their narrowing, impaired blood supply and resulting tissue necrosis. The pain is:
Onychocryptosis (ingrown toenail) is an inflammatory disease in which the nail plate grows into the skin due to trauma, onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nails) or wearing too tight shoes. Pain with this pathology:
Quite acute pain occurs when the wet skin callus that appears as a result of a finger injury is irritated. It usually occurs on the outside of the big toe.
Pain in the toes of the right or left foot (primarily the big toes) can be caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes.
A recent finger injury, depending on its severity, leads to various pain sensations, provided that the nerve endings are preserved.
Depending on the pathology of the patient, he may need consultation:
Regardless of what causes the condition in which your toes hurt, you should not neglect the opportunity to receive qualified medical care.
Pain that occurs in the toes, as in any other location, brings great discomfort to a person. It can be dull, aching, throbbing or sharp, depending on the cause of its occurrence. Usually, toes hurt due to diseases such as:
Also, severe pain in the toes can be caused by ingrown nails, improper trimming and filing of which leads to a piece of the nail plate cutting into the skin, causing suppuration and other inflammatory processes. As a result, the toes become very swollen and painful, making it difficult for the patient to walk and lead a normal life. Those who in such cases do not seek medical help in time risk being left without a finger altogether, since an ingrown nail can lead to gangrene.
Depending on the type of arthritis, different toes hurt. With the reactive and psoriatic form of this disease, pain and inflammation occur in the big toes, as well as with gout. Rheumatoid causes pain and inflammation in various combinations and variations in the other four. Despite the fact that arthritis spreads to different fingers, any type of this disease is characterized by an inflammatory rhythm of pain that occurs at 3-4 am.
People call arthrosis of the big toe gout, but in reality it has nothing to do with it. Of course, gout also affects and hurts the toes, but it occurs much less frequently, and mainly in men. Arthrosis mostly affects women who wear high-heeled shoes with narrow toes. These shoes press and tilt the big toes inward towards the second toe. As a result of the deviation, small cartilaginous growths begin to protrude and gradually become deformed. They are what keep the big toes in a straight position and, when wearing the right shoes, prevent them from bending.
Over time, not only the cartilage deforms, but also the entire joint - it becomes wider than required, and movement in it is sharply limited. With advanced arthrosis, the toes become swollen and painful due to incorrect positioning; returning them to their natural position is almost impossible. On top of this, crooked big toes put pressure on the next ones, which leads to a combined deformation of the entire foot.
Another reason why toes hurt is Morton's neuroma or, as it is also called, plantar fasciitis. The disease causes increased pressure and pinching of the nerve endings at the base of the toes (second, third and fourth). Pain sensations appear in this area, which gradually intensify and become unbearable when walking and carrying heavy objects; the pain can radiate to the remaining fingers and towards the calves.
Diabetes causes problems with blood vessels and hyperactivity of nerve endings, which causes numbness in the foot as a whole. When walking, the joints of the toes hurt, and there is often a burning sensation in the feet, even at rest.
Diseases of the arteries of the legs (atherosclerosis or obliterating endarteritis) can also be the reasons why the toes hurt. These diseases are accompanied by noticeable pallor and dryness of all or some fingers, as well as brittle nails and hair loss on the legs.
If you experience pain in your toes, you should immediately contact an experienced specialist. Depending on the cause of the pain, the following doctors can help in such cases:
If a patient has pain in the joints of his toes, doctors, first of all, recommend reducing the load on them. Then, depending on the cause, medication or surgery may be prescribed.
When pain is caused by vascular diseases or metabolic disorders, it is necessary to eradicate the root cause of the disease. Limiting the consumption of carbohydrates and animal fats is necessary for those who have pain in their toes due to atherosclerosis. It is also important to control body weight for those whose primary cause of symptoms is diabetes.
If pain is provoked by gout, the patient is strongly advised to limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages, meat and fatty foods, coffee, cocoa, strong black and green tea, and also to exclude bath procedures during treatment.
For those who have pain in their toes due to ingrown toenails, the direct route is to the podiatry or surgery department. It is very difficult to cure a nail in advanced cases on your own; you need to know many nuances and have special tools with you. It is important to observe the rules of personal hygiene: thoroughly wash your feet with soap several times a day, wear clean socks made of natural fabric, and also exclude shoes that restrict the movement of your feet from your wardrobe.
Fractures or severe injuries to the toes, which also cause pain, especially in the first few hours after the incident, require immediate medical attention.
Whatever the reason why your toes hurt, only a doctor after a thorough examination can tell you what to do and what methods can be used to get rid of it. Self-medication in such cases is not worth it - without knowing the exact diagnosis and using the wrong treatment, you can only aggravate an already painful condition.
Numbness is usually a temporary loss of sensation in the skin, which is accompanied by tingling, burning or crawling. Persistent numbness of the toes is a symptom that characterizes disorders of the blood supply and innervation, therefore it is a signal of trouble in the upper parts of the body, possibly requiring immediate medical attention.
Vertebrologists at the Doctor Ignatiev Clinic in Kyiv often observe numbness in the toes in patients with varying degrees of degenerative changes in the spine. As a rule, this is not the only symptom, but often numbness begins as a single manifestation long before the onset of the main clinical picture. In any case, persistent numbness of the toes is a cause for concern and an immediate visit to an experienced specialist, whose appointment is possible after an appointment.
Diagnosis of numbness of the toes requires mandatory clarification of the cause of this condition. For this, various instrumental techniques are used - radiography of the spine, ultrasound of blood vessels, computer and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and others.
Pain in the foot and toes
Any therapeutic measures should be aimed, first of all, at eliminating the causative factor of the disease, one of the manifestations of which is numbness of the toes . It is necessary to restore the patency of the vessels supplying the lower extremities and release the nerve fibers from the compressed state. The following methods are used for this:
Doctors at the Kyiv “Clinic of Doctor Ignatiev” try to make the most of all their capabilities to restore normal sensitivity of the skin of the legs, as well as eliminate other disorders that most often occur with lumbar osteochondrosis and its complications. It is important to start treatment in a timely manner - this is the only way for patients to quickly achieve recovery.
The cause of pain in the toes can be various diseases, which we will consider in this article.
Different types of arthritis cause pain in specific toes. Thus, reactive and psoriatic arthritis most often affects the thumb. Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in other toes. As a rule, with arthritis, pain intensifies at certain times of the day. This often happens at night, around 3-4 o'clock.
The cause of pain in the big toe can be arthrosis, popularly mistakenly called gout. In women, arthrosis develops as a result of wearing shoes with a narrow toe. Due to flat feet or the special structure of the foot, the big toe bone is constantly rubbed by shoes and gradually becomes deformed. Then the entire joint becomes deformed, it increases in size, and its mobility is significantly reduced. If arthrosis is not treated properly, the big toe joint will become fixed in the wrong position, and it will be almost impossible to return it to its normal state.
Excessive rubbing of the thumb can also cause a disease such as bursitis . With bursitis, the periarticular mucous membrane becomes inflamed, redness and swelling of the joint is observed, and every touch of the finger brings acute pain.
Toes can also hurt due to vascular disease, in particular the arteries of the legs. With this disease, the toes become white and pain occurs. Symptoms of the disease are often observed when the legs become cold or during physical activity, such as running, climbing or descending stairs, and sometimes just walking.
Morton's neuroma (interdigital neuroma) causes burning and shooting pain at the base of the toes, as well as numbness. The pain may radiate to other fingers or the calf muscle and go away after removing shoes, but sometimes the pain occurs even at night.
Morton's neuroma is thought to be the result of a thickening of the plantar nerve: the surrounding ligaments and bones begin to put excessive pressure on the nerve, which causes pain. The cause of these disorders may be transverse flat feet or wearing tight shoes and high heels. It is no coincidence that Morton's neuroma is much more common in women than in men.
It is not uncommon for people with diabetes to complain of numbness in the feet and toes, pain in the toes when walking, as well as a burning sensation in the feet, which sometimes gets noticeably worse at night. These symptoms may be the result of increased nerve activity or vascular disease.
With a disease such as an ingrown nail, the nail plate grows into the tissue of the finger, which leads to suppuration and excessive growth of soft tissue. As a rule, an ingrown toenail occurs on the big toe due to improper nail cutting, wearing too tight shoes, fungal diseases, etc. Symptoms of an ingrown toenail are constant pain, redness, swelling and discharge of pus in the ingrown area.
When skin cells die, hard spots may appear on the heels, big toes, and balls of the feet, causing pain. Some hardenings have a so-called core - a root deeply embedded in the skin.
We hope this article helped you find the reason why your toes hurt and take the necessary measures to eliminate it. Be healthy!