BIG TOE JOINT PAIN

A natural approach – no orthotics, no surgery, no medication

What is Big Toe Joint Pain?

Big Toe joint pain occurs at the base of the big toe or at the 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint. It can be a sharp, shooting pain or a dull ache made worse with increased activity. It can also be irritating when lying still in bed. Often people call it Bunion pain.

What causes Big Toe Joint pain?

The cause of big toe joint pain is predominantly caused by poor foot posture and poor biomechanics of the foot. There is often excessive pronation present which will place excessive loading on the big toe joint , causing the joint to jam up into itself. If this continues for extended periods of time, the cartilage in the joint will wear down exposing the bone, eventually leading to osteoarthritis with prolonged trauma. An exostosis (bone growth) can develop around the joint, resulting in restricted range of movement. Any activity that requires more movement than what is available in the joint will result in pain. Unfortunately, both the exostosis and restricted range of movement can complicate the healing process.

Bunion pain can be resolved using natural treatment that involves foot mobilisation and exercises. When flat feet and rolled in ankles are corrected this helps relieve bunion or big toe joint pain

Before: Note the rolled in ankles and experiencing bunion pain. After 7 Months: Note how straight the ankles are aligned. No more bunion pain and no longer needs to wear orthotics.

How to fix Big Toe Joint pain naturally

This will require the podiatrist to determine what is the cause of the problem. As mentioned earlier the cause is often poor biomechanics of the foot as well as restricted movement within the joints. Foot Posture Centre podiatrists will address this issue and fix the cause, using foot mobilisation and corrective exercises to restore healthy alignment to your foot. This will aid in reducing any ‘jamming’ in the big toe joint. A weight bearing foot x-ray may be necessary to determine the extent of wear and tear on the big toe joint as well as determining the extent of any other joint misalignments in the foot. A simple exercise you can do at home is to apply gentle traction to the big toe for about 1 second as if you were pulling the toe away from the foot. This will help loosen any adhesions or restrictions that may be present in the joint. This can be repeated 4 times, twice a day; however it may be tender while doing this, so be very gentle.

Most cases of toe joint pain can be resolved without orthotics, medication or surgery. See an example of Bunion Treatment & Correction through a natural approach. Our recommendation would be to have your feet professionally assessed by podiatrists at the Foot Posture Centre to determine if your particular toe joint problem can be resolved naturally, drug-free, orthotic free and surgery free. Call our centres at Forest Hill 9877 0056 or Ivanhoe 9499 2006 for your appointment.

FOOT FACTS

WARNING: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional podiatric advice. Treatment will vary between individuals depending on the diagnosis and presenting complaint. An accurate diagnosis can only be made following personal consultation with a Podiatrist.