Hammertoe

Hammertoe

A hammertoe is the abnormal bending of one of the joints of any toe except the big toe. The symptoms of hammertoe include pain in the afflicted toe when wearing shoes, possible corns developing on the toe or calluses under the toe or ball of foot.

The pain from hammertoes alone can be very acute by themselves but adding corns and calluses can increase the pain even further. Treating the corns and/or calluses is considered a crucial part of the entire hammertoe treatment. Preventive measures should be taken because even if hammertoe is mild the condition will worsen over time.

Hammertoes usually start out with some degree of flexibility but not seeking treatment can allow the toes to stiffen. Even if the condition is not bothersome when discovered, the absence of treatment will set the stage for corns to eventually develop. And, contrary to common belief, corns never really heal. They can be trimmed and scaled down but they will continue to grow. The point here is simply to note that hammertoes will never reverse themselves. Some method of treatment will eventually be required.

Hammertoes are usually caused by muscle/tendon imbalance. Improper muscle to tendon ration will bend the toe. So the hammertoe is a structural issue and not the result of disease. Because hammertoe is a actual structural problem it is important to understand that improper fitting shoes and hosiery can aggravate the pain and difficulty associated with the condition. Wearing shoes with a tight toe box is never advised. In fact a custom foot orthotic or arch support can offer pain relief and additional support.

Other tips include trimming nails and treating calluses and/or corns. There are a lot of over the counter treatments for corns, calluses, etc. but self diagnosis and treatment is not a good idea if you suspect you are suffering from any serious foot condition. Let a podiatrist due your trimming, cleaning and snipping no matter how minor you may believe it may be.  Even padding corns should be instructed by a health care professional. Your physician will also be able to map out the preventative treatment needed to live comfortably with the condition.

Hammertoe can become serious enough that surgery becomes the best treatment option.  There are several surgical options and methods your foot and ankle surgeon can discuss with you but as with any foot surgery, recovery can be slow and painful. Surgical treatment of hammertoe is common but other remedies will most likely be ruled out before surgery is explored. The most important thing to do if you believe you have a hammertoe is to seek the treatment or advice of a physician. Our feet are far too important to ignore when pain and/or discomfort becomes a part of daily life.

Gout

Gout

Gout is a result of uric acid getting deposited in body tissue and manifests itself in attacks causing joint inflammation. When gout becomes chronic, hard lumps of uric acid around the joints and can effect kidney function. Nearly 1 million people in the U.S suffer from gout or gouty arthritis. The condition is much more common in men than in women.

Gout arthritis is most often found at the base of the big toe. Other common joints affected by gout include ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. Symptoms will include acute pain, swelling, redness and tenderness. An attack of gout can be severely painful and last anywhere from hours to days.  The condition will usually relieve itself without medication, but will often recur chronically throughout one’s life.

Determining Gout from other arthritic conditions is best left to a physician. Depending on how and where you describe the pain a physician can tell if you are suffering from gout or another more serious condition such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Gout usually appears in one joint at a time as opposed to these multiple joint attackers. Gout can also be diagnosed by analyzing joint fluid and testing the amount of uric acid crystals present. X-Rays are also helpful when diagnosing gout because they are able to spot bone damage and uric acid deposits.

Preventative measures can taken to reduce the acuteness and prevalency of gout attacks. Most are simple such as weight reduction, proper fluid intake, altering diet, reducing intake of alcoholic beverages and starting to take certain prescription medications.

The uses of medications to treat gout are threefold. The goals behind the regiment are to reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and keep the gout symptoms from progressing by reducing the levels of uric acid in the blood. Physicians have several options when prescribing medications to treat gout so sufferers should take advantage of a doctor’s expertise even if they are only noticing minor symptoms of gout.