Anyone else have a lot of pain in the joint in your big toe?

Mine hurts where the joint is. And you can see where the joint/bone looks bigger on the top on my one foot too. It hurts a lot when I walk on it, but not when I'm not on it. Years ago it was just sore here and there and gradually got worse. And now it hurts a lot. I haven't been to a doctor yet. I've been looking online and basically it sounds like I need surgery for whatever it is. I just don't have the money right now and can't have foot surgery with 3 kids, youngest being 5 months old. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Re: Anyone else have a lot of pain in the joint in your big toe?

I have pain and swelling because of arthritis in the joint. I have also lost a lot of flexibility, so I can only wear about a 2 inch heel.
There were two surgeries that my podiatrist discussed. One was scrping out the damaged cartilage, giving me about 5 more years of restored flexibility. The other one was to insert a rod into the joint. I would never be able to wear heels again after that.

I honestly don't want either surgery, but there are days that the pain and swelling are so bad.

Re: Anyone else have a lot of pain in the joint in your big toe?

I have no idea what's going on with mine? It could be arthritis? I have 2 other autoimmune problems.

Mine has less flexibility too and hurts when I try to bend it back or down like my other toe. I don't want surgery either but I guess the better one would be to restore the flexibility even if it's temporary.

I would need to go to a Podiatrist for this problem or an Orthopaedic doctor since it's a joint problem? I work at a University/Hospital and they're suppose to have great Orthopaedic surgeons and have a Foot section.

Re: Anyone else have a lot of pain in the joint in your big toe?

I went to the podiatrist for plantar fascitis and asked him about the flexibility in my toe. That's when I found out about the arthritis. I can bend it downward but only about 10% upward. That's why heels hurt - I can't bend the ball of my foot enough to wear them comfortably. When I do, my foot rolls outward to compensate for the lack of flexibility. I'm afraid I'll do other damage this way as well, my knees are bad enough as it is.

The swelling bugs me the most - a lot of shoes don't fit properly if they are not wide enough or if they are low cut they will rub against the joint. Too high cut and the shoe creates pressure that leads to excruciating pain.

The podiatrist could do the surgery on the toe joint, but I think when I get to that point I would want to consult with an orthopedist for a second opinion.
Foot specialist vs. bone specialist.

Worth a shot for you to try at the hospital, since you're already there.

Re: Anyone else have a lot of pain in the joint in your big toe?

When researching online, did you come across gout as a possibility.

It's usually pain in the big toe and can be treated with a prescription.

If you haven't already, try comparing the symptoms to yours.