Discomfort inside the great toe or hallux joint in the foot is often because of arthritis. This usually is known as hallux rigidus. There are many different problems from the great toe or hallux joint which could hurt, with gout symptoms being another well known condition. At times the big toe joint is entirely rigid as well as other times it's not necessarily rigid, it simply has a reduced range of flexibility that's less than what is considered normal. The most prevalent reason behind a hallux rigidus is osteoarthritis in the joint. This osteoarthritis will happen after years of deterioration of in the joint due to a structural problem with how the big toe joint isn't going to function how it should. Another reason for the arthritis may be a one-time (or maybe a few) injury to the great toe joint that does certain injury to the big toe joint and bring about the osteoarthritis to occur. Commonly, the pain sensation from this begins as a modest discomfort, from time to time having an periodic sharp pain from the joint. With time, it steadily gets worse and can turn out to be fairly painful. It is going to change the way in which you walk.
The therapies of hallux rigidus usually are relatively limited as there is no cure for osteoarthritis. The initial method is control over the pain sensation which can call for injections into the joint and also the using of pain medicines. This is going to almost certainly effectively work in the short term but is not going to overcome the issue. Footwear that are more rigid or have a rocker under them are very helpful at reducing the action in that big toe or hallux joint, however provide for near to regular walking. You can also get a graphite plate that may be put in the shoes to make them stiff to ensure that when walking the great toe joint will not move much. Foot orthotics may also be sometimes employed and may frequently have a rocker or another design feature that ends under the big toe joint to also help restrict movement with the joint. There's also some other sort of pads that can be used and also taping of the great toe joint which may also be employed to limit action of the joint.
Surgical treatment is another option that should be considered for hallux rigidus. There are many different techniques that the surgeon could take. One is to simply stiffen the hallux joint. This will certainly stop the pain and definitely will affect the way you walk about somewhat. It is still a good option. Another operative method will be to get rid of some bone from round the joint to permit the joint to move somewhat more freely. The next operative approach is to upgrade the big toe joint with an artificial joint or place a spacer inside the big toe joint so the osteo-arthritis about the joints areas is removed and the two joints surfaces go forward on that spacer. The choice of which of the options is something that the surgeon will have to determine depending upon how much injury may be done to the joint and just how viable the bone around the hallux joint is and just how deep the osteoarthritis goes.