Osteoarthritis of the Big Toe
Arthritis in big toe UK can be an incredibly uncomfortable and painful condition to experience. Chances are you haven’t found this page by chance. If you are searching for more information, possible causes or remedies you’ve come to the right place.
This condition can affect the very young (teenage years). However, it is more commonly seen between the age groups of 30-60 years. Females are usually affected more than males (thank you high heels!!). Do I have arthritis in the big toe or gout? Although arthritis is an incurable disease, there are many medications and natural remedies which can help slow down the symptoms of Hallux Rigidus.
What is Arthritis and can it affect the toes?
Hallux Rigidus – Arthritis of the toes is usually caused by inflammation of the joints. Each foot has 26 bones and 30 joints. Your big toe has 2 joints. Arthritis isn’t susceptible solely to the big toe (see what I did there?) Although most common to the bigger toes it can affect any joint in the foot.
Causes may include:
- Old injuries
- Gout
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Genetics
- Old Age
- Wearing tight shoes and high heels
- Being Overweight
How do you know if you have arthritis in the big toe UK?
Are there any tell tales signs you should look for before arranging a visit with your GP or Podiatrist?
There are several early symptoms of arthritis that shouldn’t be ignored. Listed below are 5 key signs to look out for.
- Pain. Your foot and toe will be in pain. This can range from slight tenderness to a burning, stabbing or throbbing feeling. This is usually the first indication that there may be a problem with your feet.
- The toe and the area around it may experience swelling or have an unusual appearance.
- A hot foot or toe can indicate the beginning of arthritis.
- Stiffness in the toe or joint is also usually a pretty good indicator of arthritis.
- You may find it increasingly difficult to walk.
If in doubt, get to a doctor to check it out. Some arthritis symptoms can be mistaken for a common bunion, as they can look similar in appearance. Arthritis in big toe pictures below should give you a better idea of what to look out for.
What can I do for arthritis in my big toe?
Many of us are wondering how to treat arthritis in the big toe. There are some surgical and non-surgical solutions. Here at The Green Doctor, we try our best to give advice on natural herbs and remedies, but sometimes some conditions are so serious they require surgery or stronger pain relief.
Your particular Hallux Rigidus (Arthritis of the Big Toe) May not be as serious as needing surgery. Below we’ll explore some of your options.
Natural Remedies
What can I do for arthritis in my big toe? There are a few natural and medicinal remedies worth consideration when dealing with Hallux Rigidus.
Arthritis big toe joint natural treatment:
- Ginger: is powerful natural medicine. When consumed ginger has many health benefits. The most powerful effect of ginger on the body is its ability to reduce inflammation naturally, without the need for NSAIDs. Which, can be very harsh on the stomach and cause very unpleasant ulcers. From ginger teas and Currys to The Green Doctors’ personal favourite Ginger Rainbow Juice. It’s very easy to incorporate into your diet and is very inexpensive.
- Tumeric: another curry staple which is so powerful and safe for reducing inflammation. Its active ingredient curcumin is responsible for its anti-inflammatory power.
- Frankincense: Early studies have shown that frankincense supplements may improve pain, stiffness and inflammation making this type of supplement a great choice for those with any type of arthritis.
- CBD OIL and CBD Balms: That’s right! we are shouting out CBD! One of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatory plants. CBD Oil shows real promise for the treatment of arthritis pains and inflammation. We know many of our own customers find huge relief from pains and inflammation related to arthritis. CBD Balm is also wonderful when massaged into the feet. Gentle massaging of the affected area can encourage blood flow and has been shown to help reduce inflammation. It can also help to loosen stiff muscles around the foot and toe.
Medical Remedies
As we talked about before your arthritis may be so severe that you require stronger pain medication like opioids or you may need surgery if your daily life is severely impacted by the pain in your toe. Let’s look at some of the medical options:
- NSAIDs or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs are used by the medical community to bring down high temperatures and reduce pain and inflammation. But they can cause serious damage to your stomach. They do this by interfering with the stomach and its ability to protect its sensitive layers from gastric acids. They can cause stomach ulcers, bleeding and rupturing of the capillary blood vessels.
- DMARDS or Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs work by stopping your body’s normal immune inflammatory responses. Inhibiting both the T and B cells within your body. Some not-so-pleasant side effects of this medication are Loss of hair, nausea, abnormal liver function, weight loss, neuropathy, and weight loss – to name a few.
- Surgery may be your only option when arthritis reaches advanced stages, this is usually referred to as end-stage arthritis big toe. This is fusion surgery. The damaged cartilage is removed from the joint and the big toe and foot are fused together with plates and screws. Most patients from this type of surgery make a full recovery and much relief is experienced. This may be your only option for Hallux Rigidus treatment of a stiff big toe. .
Arthritis in Big Toe Exercises
- Range of Motion Ankle – Sitting comfortably on a chair flexing your foot. Pulling the toe toward the ceiling and then pointing it down towards the ground. Move your foot in a circular motion clockwise, then anti-clockwise. Try not to move your legs too much during this exercise. All the movement should be coming from your foot.
- Tissue Pickup – Sitting comfortably on a chair place a tissue, towel or pillow cover on the floor under your foot. Gently pick it up by curling your toes around it. Hold the tissue for 20 seconds and repeat 10 times each foot.
- Tip Toes – stand at a countertop or place a chair in front of you and place both hands on it firmly. Gently raise yourself up on your tip toes hold and come down slowly. This is not only great for stretching the toes and feet but is very good for your calf muscles.
- Big Toe Stretch – Stretch your big toe toward your body as far as it can go. This will get a wonderfully deep stretch into the toe muscles and improves stiffness when carried out regularly. You can do this exercise almost anywhere.
- Toe Splay – spread all your toes out to the sides as far as you can, hold and repeat.
