News

Arthritic Toe Joints, Hallux Valgus and Hallux Rigidus

Arthritic toe joints, in particular the big toes are a common condition that we see in regular podiatric practice.

Essentially, an arthritic joint is a change in the surface of the toe joint where one bone moves with the other (articulates). These changes can be with and without pain. The toe joint can change position or stiffen or even thicken. Most of the time we help people by either addressing comfort, preventing further damage and protecting soft tissues.

Your podiatrist or chiropodist should be able to provide a range of solutions so that you can walk without pain or reduce discomfort.

What are the main type of conditions we see in daily routine podiatric practice?

When it comes the joints of the toes and the feet, some of the most common conditions we are likely to see are:

Hallux valgus/Hallux Abducto Valgus. This is when the the big toe joint (1st -Metatarsalphalangeal joint -MTPJ) moves off angle towards the lesser toes. This is what people generally define as a bunion deformity, although bunion actually describes a few meanings to the foot (a general term for a bunion of a toe joint is either an enlargement with or without dislocation of the joint can be with or without pain).

Hallux Rigidus. This is when the big toe joint becomes stiffened and looses its range of motion up and down (dorsiflexion and plantarflexion). This condition is often painless and the toe joint just becomes stiffer over time (we could consider this natural fusion of the joint) however, during active arthritis, it can be very painful especially if footwear is not addressed. It can often be couple with a hot and swollen joint. If this does occur, you should seek immediate medical attention for further advice.

Hammer toes, retracting digits, claw toes. These terms all describe a very similar process of the lesser toes retracting backwards toward the foot (flexible or rigid) and in some cases producing a rigid deformity or stuck toe type position. Often the joint surface becomes re-modeled and the toes are either permenantly fixated or cannot move properly out of the hammer toe type position.

Taylors Bunion. This is an enlargement of the 5th MTPJ and can occur with or without pain. It can also present with pain upon walking from the pressures from the ground and can rub on the side of your footwear.

How can you treat or manage arthritic toe joints

  1. Depending upon the status of you joints, whether they are inflammed or just suffering from ill fitting shoes, the most important thing to do first is seek medical advice and address your footwear. If you have spacious, supporting footwear that also does not rub your toe joints, then you have made the first good step.
  2. Consider orthotic devices. That can range from simple arch supports that you can get from your Podiatry clinic or from retail stores through to custom made prescription orthotic insoles to offload pressures and align joints of the foot. These two are designed by your Podiatrist and often fabricated by a specialist laboratory . For hammer toe type deformities you can also have simple custom toe protectors from silicone or other materials to offload or protect digits.
  3. Medications, this can help painful inflammed joints, such as anti-inflammatories or other. In conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis or Gout, you should consult your GP and they may prescribe special medications to assist in your condition.
  4. Surgery. In extreme cases, surgery can be required to correct joint shape, alignment or even fuse a joint together. If such treatment is required, you will need to discuss this with your orthopaedic surgeon if all other conservative treatment methods have failed or are not longer an option. Surgical correction is often very succesful but you must discuss all outcome possibilities first with your surgeon.

Further advice. For any other advice regards arthritic toe joints, there is a plethora of information online, and there are some good sources including medical papers and supportive charities, however often the best place to start is either seeing your GP or if its feet related issues, we shall do our best to help you at Coastal Podiatry.

We have appointments available, just get in touch at the clinic location and we will be happy to help. For those who are house bound or very limited mobility, we can also provide help and care with our home visits, where we bring the clinic to you.

Coastal Podiatry at Sandbanks Clinic 01202 748899.

Home Visit Service: 07748 142 169 and info@coastalpodiatry.co.uk

Further Reading

News