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Pain in the joints of the toes

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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The joints of the toes take part in the walking process and serve as a "shock absorber" by softening the tremors that are transmitted to the body and arise when walking, jumping, running.

Pain in the joints of the toes occurs when joint diseases occur. The most common of these are: sprains and muscles that surround finger joints, trauma, arthritis of a particular joint, osteoarthritis, gout or rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes there are others, but they are much less common. In cases of rheumatoid arthritis, the diagnosis can only be made by doctors. In doing so, they are based on X-ray images, changes in the analyzes and a rather specific symptomatology of these diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, is characterized by symmetrical joint damage (in other words, the same joints on both extremities), often the ankle joints and the joints of the feet. At the same time there are signs of inflammation (redness of the joint, puffiness, and also limited mobility in the joints).

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Diseases that cause pain in the joints of the toes

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Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect both children and people of mature age. Often the process affects the joints of the hands. Osteoarthritis often causes pain in the knee and hip joints, with the inflammatory process, as a rule, absent. Moreover, almost always this ailment occurs in elderly and elderly people, although family types of osteoarthrosis transmitted by inheritance, in which the disease begins in adolescence and even at a younger age, can also occur. For osteoarthrosis, pain in the joints of the toes after physical exertion, at the end of the day, is characteristic, whereas in rheumatoid arthritis the pain is usually slightly reduced after minor physical activity.

In rheumatoid arthritis, joints of the fingers and wrist joints can be disturbed, and pain can occur in the joints of the toes, ankles and even in the temporal joints.

Painful sensations, as a rule, have an average degree of strength, redness and swelling of the joints are observed, and on both sides equally and not less than 2 groups of joints (for example, temporal and ankle). In the mornings, some stiffness may be disturbed for several hours, there is a need to "disperse". Pain in the joints of the toes can appear both periodically and be permanent.

We take measures. You need to immediately seek advice from a rheumatologist. In spite of the fact that rheumatoid arthritis does not lend itself to complete cure, changes in joints can be slowed down by means of anti-inflammatory drugs or, in extreme cases, by surgery (synovectomy).

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Gout

Gout, which is also referred to as the "meat-eating malady", appears due to the fact that the crystals of the substance are deposited in the joints, which is formed during the exchange of purines (substances whose capacity is particularly high in meat and products made from it). If there is a violation of this exchange, gout occurs. She is most often exposed to men of mature age. The pain is acute, sometimes intolerable, appears spontaneously. Often, the joint that lies at the base of the big toe suffers. The joint swells, the skin acquires a purple-red hue. Cure this ailment, first of all, can be a diet, in which the consumption of meat is limited. And also there are medicines that equalize the exchange of purines.

With gout, the joints of the fingers, wrists, elbow joints are usually affected, and pain arises in the joints of the toes (especially in the big toe), the joints of the feet (ankles), ankles, knee joints.

Sufferers of gout note the strongest burning, pressing, pulsating or tearing pain in the joints of the toes. The maximum intensity achieves pain at night, and wanes closer to the morning. The attack can provoke the reception of alcoholic beverages, the abundant consumption of meat and too fatty foods, a visit to the bath. Attacks can be repeated on average 2-6 times a year and last about 3-4 days.

We take measures. In order to relieve an attack of gout, it is necessary to take analgesics (they should be advised by a doctor). After this, you should strictly adhere to a diet that presupposes a restriction in the diet of products such as meat, fish, fatty and alcoholic drinks, and on the recommendation of the treating doctor, you should periodically take a course of treatment with medications that reduce the level of uric acid in the blood.

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Osteoarthritis of the joints of the toes

In this disease, the pain in the joints of the toes, in particular in the first metatarsophalangeal joint, usually bothers.

The pain is blunt, localized in the joints of the toes, manifested, as a rule, in the daytime and becomes stronger during movements, physical activity, after a long stay in an upright position. The pain syndrome is significantly reduced in the morning and after rest. Sometimes in the joints can be observed crunching and clicking.

Among the main symptoms are limited mobility and tenderness in the big toe, difficulty walking, deflection of the finger outward, curvature of the joint (due to osteophytes). The curved joint is often injured (in most cases due to uncomfortable shoes), often also an inflammatory process occurs periarticular bag (bursitis).

Painful sensations can bother for a long time (for weeks and whole months), and a short period - up to 1 day.

We take measures. The need for medication is rare. In most cases, there is enough massage, physiotherapy, swimming, mud therapy.

Arthritis of the joints of the toes

This disease worries the constant pain in the joints of the toes during movement, as well as the limited mobility of the joints, a feeling of restlessness after sleep, swelling and redness of the skin area over the affected joint, possibly an increase in body temperature. Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints of the toes. It can take place in an acute form, then there is severe pain in the joints of the toes, swelling. Also, arthritis can pass into a chronic form - in this case, the ailment occurs in a slowed pace, periodically manifesting painful sensations. The second form is more dangerous because of not pronounced symptoms, because a prolonged inflammatory process can lead to deformation of the joint and as a result - its destruction. Often arthritis occurs as a result of an infection that falls directly into the joint of the fingers or from some other organ along with the blood flow.

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