Tonic Doctor: “Is My Sore Foot Arthritis?”
“I walk a lot and always have, but lately I’ve noticed that one of my big toes gets sore after long walks. Does this mean I’m getting arthritis? I’m in my early 50s.”
Firstly, congratulations – if your foot problems are starting at 50, you’re doing well. The average age of patients at our foot clinic is 36.
You may indeed have arthritis, but you could be suffering from a number of other problems. In and around the big toe there are skin, nail, joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, and things can go wrong with all of them. To help determine what is causing the problem, a podiatrist will ask you about what exactly is happening when you get the pain and what the pain is like. They will inspect the area as well your footwear and may refer you for imaging.
Your problem might be corns or calluses which are caused by some sort of pressure – often from shoes – which causes the skin to thicken. Or you might have bunions, a deformity of the big toe joint which causes its base to stick out. Bunions can limit your footwear options, lead to deformity of the other toes on your foot and later in life, can increase your risk of falls.
Alternatively, there might be issues with your muscles, tendons or even your bones – you might have stress fractures in the bones under your toe joints.
All of these conditions can be treated. Depending on the severity of the condition, a podiatrist might recommend anything from exercise, foot mobilisation therapy, dry needling or shockwave therapy to release tension in the feet. They may also utilise strapping and orthotics to support your foot function when walking. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing footwear and receiving general nail or skin care.
Answer provided by Lawrence Taufahema of The Feet People.
We’d love to hear from you. Send your health questions to hello@tonicmag.com.au
This information is general only. Always seek advice from a medical practitioner about your personal health conditions. We do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage caused by use of the information provided on our website.
Photos_ sourced from motherdenim