Big Toe Joint Pain

[treillw]

A short while after COVID working from home started, I started to get pain in my big toe joint. I went to a foot doctor and his proposed fix was to grind my bone so they fit together better. The bone in my foot which connects to the toe is too long and pushed up, or something - I forget exactly. It's been a year or more since I went to see him and I didn't subscribe to the grinding.

I only experienced this after starting to work from home. Despite having a desk job, walking around the office chasing people down must have been a lot better for my body than walking into the next room in my underwear to work everyday.

Long winter, new baby, still work from home - not a ton of activity over the winter.

It usually feels better a day or two after I go for a run, but life gets busy and I don't walk or run too much for a few days. Icing it helps also. I need to make it a priority.

Starting to put on the miles again, now that the weather is a better for long days outside with the little one.

The fact that being active helps it makes me think that the belt grinder isn't the answer. We put on about 20 miles over memorial day weekend (used to do that or more in a day) and is feeling pretty tender - I'm sure that's too much too fast. I'm no doctor, but I think the muscles are losing strength and flexibility and things are going south and getting deformed.

Just wondering if anybody has experienced anything similar and what has helped.

Thanks!

 

[7mm-08]

Crazy question, but do you walk on hard floors in your bare feet or with just socks? I had a similar experience and I went to a podiatrist who recommended I wear some sort of house shoe/sneaker with sport inserts made by Birkenstock that serves to put pressure at the forward part of the metatarsal bones causing my toes to spread in my shoes. A month later and Bingo! Worked perfectly. Just a thought.

 

[Valumpessa]

I just got over a 3-week gout flare up in my big toe. It was pretty painful. First time that's ever happened to me but from what I've read it's pretty common, and most often in the big toe. Sounds like you have something different if its recurring frequently, but thought I'd mention it.

 

[Darryle]

Gout sucks, been there done that.

My podiatrist made me a couple sets of custom inserts for my work boots and recommended Redi-Thotics(sp?) on Amazon for everything else. The inserts fixed the problem, the Redi-Thotics are too wide for everything even though I wear EE shoes/boots, local outfit, Good Feet made me several sets for $60ish each that fit everything perfectly.

No more joint pain and no more walking on Legos out of bed anymore.

I have since switched to Carolina, HH and Salewa boots/shoes for work/play and no longer need the inserts in anything.

Amazing what quality footwear will do for your foot comfort. I average anywhere from 15k to 30k steps daily around the shop at work. Cheap Ariat/Wolverine type boots would last a yr before breaking down, I am on 4yrs with a pair of American made Carolina AMP 6", the laces have finally worn thru the eyelets and will be replaced by another set coming this week.

 

[Rich M]

I get gout ttoo.

OP - does your toe get a hot red spot and feel like it's on fire? If so, it is gout.

 

[strousek]

In my adult life I can count on one hand the amount of times I have been to a doctor. Seems like they are guessing and treating symptoms more than fixing root problems most the time. With that said I did actually go to the doctor a few years back for a toe issue. Mine was similar in it would flare up bad from time to time but always seemed to be worse around the house. There would be nights I would get up to pee and not be able to walk to the bathroom on it. The doctor looked at my raggedy old cowboy boots and asked if I had better shoes. I explained it was either cowboy boots, hunting boots or barefoot around the house. All he suggested was change to a pair of supportive sneakers for the day and wear a house shoe instead of going barefoot.

Given my view of doctors I thought this was the stupidest thing I had heard for a solution. I was scheduled to hike a good portion of the Colorado Trial with friends in a month so he gave me a cortisone shot in the toe and I went out and got a good pair of trail shoes to wear daily. Unfortunately/fortunately I was dead wrong in saying this doc was a dumb a$$ for this fix. 4 years later wearing better supportive sneakers and house shoes and my toe does great. If I spend a week in cowboy boots I can feel it flair up again. He also mentioned the more you limp and walk funny because of the bad toe just makes everything else around it worse. Taking that cortisone shot and walking without pain for a couple weeks might have also helped strengthen all the issues around that toe and get things back to normal.

I would definitely suggest a good pair of shoes daily and something simple around house before going down the surgery rabbit hole.

 

[KNOPHISH]

have had some gout flare ups. I try to determine what the trigger is, red meat, shellfish, alcohol or maybe like said what shoes you’re wearing. Always seem to hit right before hunting season and I’ve hobbled around when I could just sit and wait for game cuz I’m stubborn. Indomethacin works for me within a day and also helps arthritis in my hands.

 

[OldInNV]

have had some gout flare ups. I try to determine what the trigger is, red meat, shellfish, alcohol or maybe like said what shoes you’re wearing. Always seem to hit right before hunting season and I’ve hobbled around when I could just sit and wait for game cuz I’m stubborn. Indomethacin works for me within a day and also helps arthritis in my hands.

Get on a regimen of Allopurinol. I had a horrible first attack, and went on steroids to quell it, then was put on daily Allopurinol. Pork and Processed meats are the culprits. Canned fish like sardines and salmon...and my favorite pizza topping, anchovies will bite your big toe also.

I have been on allopurinol 300mg/day for three years and there is no downside.

Anyone with gout has my sympathy.

 

[JBrew]

Gout was my first guess. I've been blessed with it for the last 20 years, so i'm pretty versed with it. If it was/is gout, I've never seen an instance where it would feel better after going for a run/hike.....only worse.

 

[Michigander]

My gout flare ups are purely driven by my diet. If i start eating more processed junk I can feel my hips and big toe starting to get gouty. A full on gout attack is horrible and left me bedridden for 3 days the first time it happened.

Has your diet changed since you started working from home?

 

[rideold]

I'd agree that if it feels better with activity it aint gout. Nothing about gout that will get better by pushing through the pain. That said, I have similar foot problems and like Strousek said, good footwear makes a huge difference. I haven't been able to walk barefoot since we moved from our condo with carpet to our house with hardwood floors. I wear crocks in the house. Birkenstocks are great too but they don't clean up as easily when you are clumsy and spill stuff on them when cooking or butchering!

 

[CJ19]

A short while after COVID working from home started, I started to get pain in my big toe joint. I went to a foot doctor and his proposed fix was to grind my bone so they fit together better. The bone in my foot which connects to the toe is too long and pushed up, or something - I forget exactly. It's been a year or more since I went to see him and I didn't subscribe to the grinding.

I only experienced this after starting to work from home. Despite having a desk job, walking around the office chasing people down must have been a lot better for my body than walking into the next room in my underwear to work everyday.

Long winter, new baby, still work from home - not a ton of activity over the winter.

It usually feels better a day or two after I go for a run, but life gets busy and I don't walk or run too much for a few days. Icing it helps also. I need to make it a priority.

Starting to put on the miles again, now that the weather is a better for long days outside with the little one.

The fact that being active helps it makes me think that the belt grinder isn't the answer. We put on about 20 miles over memorial day weekend (used to do that or more in a day) and is feeling pretty tender - I'm sure that's too much too fast. I'm no doctor, but I think the muscles are losing strength and flexibility and things are going south and getting deformed.

Just wondering if anybody has experienced anything similar and what has helped.

Thanks!

I get gout sometimes. Cut out booze and red meat. A buddy that has gout swears cutting caffeine is important too.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Had something similar...it was bone spurs in the joint...went the grind, cut, and screw back on straight in December. The spur got so big u could see it thru my shoes...woke up from the operation pain free, other than the stitches...I had been getting cortisone shots in my big toe every 3 months for the last 2 years...I would probably start with shots to see how it goes...eventually they won't provide relief and you will have to get cut on.
It was a 15 week recovery before I could run and lift again. I dont wish foot pain on my worse enemy good luck!

 

[joerotter]

Sounds like Sesamoiditis to me, look it up if you haven't yet. I was an ultra runner for years and as I tapered off dealt with this pretty bad. It took about 2 years for it to completely go away. I tried a new diet, Superfeet, etc. Nothing seemed to work, but the best treatment seemed to be wearing the stiffest shoes I could. I wore my hunting boots quite a bit and a pair of LaSportiva trail hiking shoes as my "dress casual" and it's completely gone now.

 

[treillw]

Crazy question, but do you walk on hard floors in your bare feet or with just socks? I had a similar experience and I went to a podiatrist who recommended I wear some sort of house shoe/sneaker with sport inserts made by Birkenstock that serves to put pressure at the forward part of the metatarsal bones causing my toes to spread in my shoes. A month later and Bingo! Worked perfectly. Just a thought.

I think the no footwear is part of the equation, initially at least. I'm to the point now where 8 have house shoes. They are nothing special. What insoles do you have? Can't hurt to try.

 

[treillw]

Gout sucks, been there done that.

My podiatrist made me a couple sets of custom inserts for my work boots and recommended Redi-Thotics(sp?) on Amazon for everything else. The inserts fixed the problem, the Redi-Thotics are too wide for everything even though I wear EE shoes/boots, local outfit, Good Feet made me several sets for $60ish each that fit everything perfectly.

No more joint pain and no more walking on Legos out of bed anymore.

I have since switched to Carolina, HH and Salewa boots/shoes for work/play and no longer need the inserts in anything.

Amazing what quality footwear will do for your foot comfort. I average anywhere from 15k to 30k steps daily around the shop at work. Cheap Ariat/Wolverine type boots would last a yr before breaking down, I am on 4yrs with a pair of American made Carolina AMP 6", the laces have finally worn thru the eyelets and will be replaced by another set coming this week.

Are the Salewa shoes stiff? Stiffer shoes help me.

 

[treillw]

I get gout ttoo.

OP - does your toe get a hot red spot and feel like it's on fire? If so, it is gout.

The doctor was convinced that it's not gout before. Not having the burning sensation, except when i pee. (Kidding)

 

[treillw]

Get on a regimen of Allopurinol. I had a horrible first attack, and went on steroids to quell it, then was put on daily Allopurinol. Pork and Processed meats are the culprits. Canned fish like sardines and salmon...and my favorite pizza topping, anchovies will bite your big toe also.

I have been on allopurinol 300mg/day for three years and there is no downside.

Anyone with gout has my sympathy.

Luckily i don't have to deal with this!

 

[treillw]

Sounds like Sesamoiditis to me, look it up if you haven't yet. I was an ultra runner for years and as I tapered off dealt with this pretty bad. It took about 2 years for it to completely go away. I tried a new diet, Superfeet, etc. Nothing seemed to work, but the best treatment seemed to be wearing the stiffest shoes I could. I wore my hunting boots quite a bit and a pair of LaSportiva trail hiking shoes as my "dress casual" and it's completely gone now.

Sounds similar. Although i wasn't running ultras around the office haha.

Super stiff shoes definitely help. What lasportivas do you like?

 

[tony]

Gout - guy I worked with had it bad. Kept a few cans of cherry pie filling in his locker at out station. He'd have a flair up and crack open a can. Few hours later the pain eased. Said the acid in the cherries broke down the uric acid found in gout.