Swollen joint on second toe, pain in others

[simon43]

What to do with my right foot/toes?

 

My left foot is all fine.  My right foot has had a large bunion for more than 30 years and although I now wear soft/stretchable shoes, the big toe pushes against the second toe.  Usually the bunion causes me no pain.  But now the middle joint on my second toe is swollen and painful.  The other toes on that foot also hurt when I start to walk in the morning, but that pain disappears after about 10 minutes.

 

I know the reason for the bunion, but what might be the cause of the swollen joint and pain in my other toes? Is it all down to the bunion?

 

[Sheryl]

I think it is capsulitis, usually caused by abnormal foot mechanics which could be secondary to the bunion.

 

See  https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/capsulitis-of-the-second-toe

[Gecko123]

I know this is off-topic and I apologize to other readers, but a while back you posted about a phlegm problem you were experiencing.

 

I don't have any answers for the root cause of the problem, but my advice would be to take a close look at your indoor air quality, especially around your work station and in the kitchen, especially if you use cooking gas. I recall your ham radio hobby and that you teach on-line. It's been my observation that electronics and other mechanical devices can degrade air quality significantly, and there has been a lot in the news lately about how cooking gas degrades air quality in the home. 

[simon43]

@Gecko123, thanks for your comment.  To be honest, since returning from cold England my phlegm problem has improved immensely.  I do take a phlegm thinner tablet and an antihystamine tablet every day and gargle with salt water. That keeps my lungs/nose clear of phlegm in this hot and humid part of the world!

 

I don't use cooking gas, but I do solder a lot.  However, I always solder outside and after 60 years of using an electric soldering iron regularly, I can't say I've noticed any lung issues due to the smell.

 

Sheryl, yes my good friend Dr Google also suggested this diagnosis!  It would seem that I need to sort out the bunion, to stop it pushing on my second toe.  I previously tried a medical 'spacer' between the big and second toe, but it really didn't push the big toe back far enough. It really needs pulling back, as opposed to pushing back.  Is there some product that can help to straighten out my big toe without relying on the second toe to 'push'?  Thanks.

[bkk6060]

Gout?

[Furioso]

I moved to Thai about a year ago within 2 months I was having gout attacks. I went to get my blood tested at Jomtien Hospital my uric acid level was too high.

 

Doc said stop eating chicken and not 1 gout attack since. 

[simon43]

Thanks - it's not gout.  I had a general blood tests just a few days ago and my uric acid level is totally normal ????

[Fanshawe]

For starters avoid wheat. Eat fresh ginger from the market two thin slices at a time. Then repeat several time a day.

 

[impulse]

9 minutes ago, Fanshawe said:

For starters avoid wheat. Eat fresh ginger from the market two thin slices at a time. Then repeat several time a day.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you because I just don't know.  But some kind of reference pointing out where that suggestion came from would be helpful.

[spidermike007]

Get a check for uric acid. You want to rule out gout first. It can be dangerous if left untreated. 

[patongphil]

Sell foot pics on OnlyFans

[Yellowtail]

You're pushing down on them too hard...????

[simon43]

1 hour ago, Fanshawe said:

For starters avoid wheat. Eat fresh ginger from the market two thin slices at a time. Then repeat several time a day.

 

Will that make my bunion go away? ????  I already eat fresh ginger - good for your digestive system

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

I know the reason for the bunion, but what might be the cause of the swollen joint and pain in my other toes? Is it all down to the bunion?

Most of your right foot is an odd colour as well, sort of blueish ...... some sort of blood circulation problem IMHO.

 

Gout, diabetes, Raynauds, Peripheral Arterial Disease ............

Edited September 17, 2023 by BritManToo

[orchis]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Get a check for uric acid. You want to rule out gout first. It can be dangerous if left untreated. 

 

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Thanks - it's not gout.  I had a general blood tests just a few days ago and my uric acid level is totally normal ????

 

[Damrongsak]

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

...Sheryl, yes my good friend Dr Google also suggested this diagnosis!  ...

So now you have a second opinion.  Where does Sheryl send the bill?  ????‍⚕️

[simon43]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Most of your right foot is an odd colour as well, sort of blueish ...... some sort of blood circulation problem IMHO.

 

Gout, diabetes, Raynauds, Peripheral Arterial Disease ............

Actually it was a trick of the light in my room.  My right foot is pink!

[steven100]

I'm sorry to inform you we have to amputate your foot ......

I'm further sorry to inform you that after the operation ....  we accidentally amputated the wrong foot 

[Adumbration]

@simon43 you have flat feet and a Morton's toe.  Both conditions increase the likelihood that you will develop Morton's neuroma.  I know this because I suffer a great deal from this condition in both my feet (more so in the left), almost to the point of losing my mobility.  I have tried all shoe and prosthetic solutions but nothing has worked.

 

There are sugical treatments but they have a very low success rate and the neuroma often comes back.

[connda]

Gouty arthritis although a doctor would need to make of formal diagnosis.  Welcome to advancing old age.  

[connda]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Get a check for uric acid. You want to rule out gout first. It can be dangerous if left untreated. 

My one toe with gout tells me exactly where my uric acid level are.  As far as treatment, what can you really do.  My sister had her toe fused a bunch of years back but now requires orthopedic shoes. I always thought that was a rather drastic approach, but I'm not her.  Other than taking Colchicine and painkillers and watching your diet, what can you do?  Thank goodness flare ups only happen rarely.

[Celsius]

This does not look good at all.

 

Time for another trip to mother NHS

[connda]

4 hours ago, patongphil said:

Sell foot pics on OnlyFans

Best advice I've heard yet.  Use the proceeds to see a doctor.

[Mark Nothing]

A few years ago, I opened my mind to new possibilities and found out how the ailments of my grandparents and great grandparents were fixed.  Books described how to do it and I used myself as a guinea pig and speak from actual experience.

 

It was amazingly simple.  Pray to God for what you want.  Implement urotherapy. Move on with life, stress free and ailment free.

 

If I had the ailments you describe I would say a prayer such as "Please return my feet to perfection free of any pain.".  Then I would soak my feet in urine daily until the desired results were acheived. 

 

Being ailment free is such a pleasure.  You can do it too.  But first you must realize the difference between a false idol's products and services (man made) and omnipotence (man cannot make).  And life will never be the same again.

 

I hope you find relief.

[simon43]

59 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

@simon43 you have flat feet and a Morton's toe.  Both conditions increase the likelihood that you will develop Morton's neuroma.  I know this because I suffer a great deal from this condition in both my feet (more so in the left), almost to the point of losing my mobility.  I have tried all shoe and prosthetic solutions but nothing has worked.

 

There are sugical treatments but they have a very low success rate and the neuroma often comes back.

I absolutely do not have flat feet!  As for a Morton's toe, it only looks like that because my big toe is bent!!

 

@Connda, I do not have gout (my uric acid level tested just 2 days ago is normal).

 

And finally @Mark Nothing, I have zero intention to either pray to your god or pee all over my foot.......

 

Jeez...... 

[Andrew Dwyer]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

Sheryl, yes my good friend Dr Google also suggested this diagnosis!  It would seem that I need to sort out the bunion, to stop it pushing on my second toe.  I previously tried a medical 'spacer' between the big and second toe, but it really didn't push the big toe back far enough. It really needs pulling back, as opposed to pushing back.  Is there some product that can help to straighten out my big toe without relying on the second toe to 'push'?  Thanks.

Simon, I tried toe separators also with zero success.

Looks like you need something like this:

 

 

I have seen a wide range of contraptions like this intended to pull the big toe rather than separating, presumably you would wear this while sleeping and increase the pressure occasionally.

 

After my failure with the toe separators I considered one, or two in my case, of these but never pursued it as mine, although are obvious , have never caused me any issues other than aesthetic, have had mine most of my life.

 

Probably available from pharmacies, the photo I got from Lazada.

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

  It would seem that I need to sort out the bunion, to stop it pushing on my second toe.  I previously tried a medical 'spacer' between the big and second toe, but it really didn't push the big toe back far enough. It really needs pulling back, as opposed to pushing back.  Is there some product that can help to straighten out my big toe without relying on the second toe to 'push'?  Thanks.

 

Nothing will really correct the bunion but surgery.

[Toby1947]

7 hours ago, Celsius said:

This does not look good at all.

 

Time for another trip to mother NHS

Oh no don't encourage the cheap Charlie freeloaders 

[simon43]

@Andrew Dwyer, yes I also found pictures of these contraptions.  The intention is not to reduce the bunion (which as Sheryl rightly says), would need surgery.  Rather, I hope this kind of device would slowly move my big toe away from pressing on my second toe.

 

I usually live in Laos (where Lazada does not deliver), but Aliexpress has similar devices on their website.

[TheFishman1]

Make an appointment to go see podiatrist you’ll need surgery after they remove your bunion the podiatrist will probably put on send steel rod through your toe to straighten it out