Posted On: March 23, 2020
Painful swollen toes are a common problem. A toe can get swollen as a result of different conditions. When it becomes swollen, it looks bigger than normal. A toe becomes swollen due to the accumulation of fluids in the tissue of the toe. Knowing the root cause of a swollen toe will determine the treatment.
The common symptom of a swollen toe is the increase in its size. A swollen toe becomes bigger than the other toes.
Other symptoms of a swollen toe include:
There are several different conditions that could cause swollen toe. If a condition causes swollen toe, the condition needs to be treated before the swollen toe can return back to its normal size. Conditions that can cause swollen toes include various forms of arthritis, infections, injury, ingrown toenail, bunion, and more.
How do you treat a swollen toe?
A swollen toe is treated based on the condition that caused it. The treatment option depends on the condition that causes the swollen toe. At Graff Foot and Ankle we will normally treat the symptoms of a painful swollen toe with an initial steroid injection to immediately relieve the pain. We then determine the cause of the painful swollen toe and formulate a long term plan.
Arthritis is a condition that is characterized by inflammation of the joints. It causes swelling, discomfort, and stiffness in joints. It also results in pain and tissue damage.
There are different types of arthritis. The two most common arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Other types of arthritis include psoriatic arthritis, gout, and hallux rigidus.
Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage between your joints. It occurs as a result of the general wear and tear of your joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your body’s immune system attacks the joints and the tissues in your body.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can be treated with different treatment options ranging from medications to therapy and to surgery.
The medications for treating both arthritis include:
Psoriatic arthritis is associated with a condition known as Psoriasis. It affects some people with psoriasis.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes the development of red plaques on the skin. It is common on the scalp, back, and around the joints. Psoriasis causes swollen toes and fingers.
Gout is another type of arthritis that is characterized by sudden soreness, swelling, and stiffness around the joints. It often affects the big toe joint also known as the metatarsophalangeal joint. It causes crystals to form within and around the joints which result in inflammation and pain.
Gout is typically treated at Graff Foot and Ankle with a cortisone injection into the joint which will resolve the pain within hours. We then determine a long term plan to treat the gout. We will draw labs to check your uric acid and also make sure you don’t have other inflammatory causes.
Hallux Rigidus
Hallux rigidus is another type of arthritis. It affects the metatarsophalangeal joint at the bottom of the big toe. This condition leads to inflammation in this joint that can cause pain and stiffness in your toe.
Treatment of Hallux Rigidus
Ingrown toenail is a situation in which the toenail grows into the flesh of the toe. This condition causes pain, redness and the toe becomes inflamed.
Treatment of Ingrown Toenail
Ingrown toenail can be treated with:
Different kinds of injuries can cause the toe to get swollen. You can get injured from playing sports, accidents, hitting your legs against a hard object, dropping a heavy object on your toe, and so on.
Injuries can be treated with:
A bunion is a bump that develops on the joint at the base of the big toe due to changes to the bones within the foot. The changes within the foot cause the big toe to lean in toward the second toe. Bunion can lead to pain, soreness, burning sensation, redness, numbness and inflammation.
