Sharp pain in Big Toe
Sharp pain in the big toe is a very common symptom that people experience. There are many different nerves and soft tissues in and around the big toe that can be easily aggravated by a number of different things. In some cases, the sharp pain in your big toe is only going to be temporary, and not a sign of something more serious. In other cases, this pain can signify that you have a serious problem going on with your big toe. Let’s take a look at some of the causes of sharp pain in the big toe and what to look out for if you experience this pain.
Top 3 Causes of Sharp Pain in the Big Toe
- Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that will cause inflammation in your joints. It usually starts in one joint, oftentimes the big toe. Other symptoms of Gout that can alert you to the fact you might be suffering from it include bright redness of the skin over the joint, warmth in the joint, whitish hard bumps under the skin near the joint, and very very very tight skin covering a swollen big toe. Gout can be exquisitely painful. The slightest touch of a shoe is enough to make a sufferer jump.
If you suspect you have gout you should seek a doctors assistance. A blood test will confirm if your blood uric acid levels are elevated. Medication may be necessary short-term or on-going basis.can easily tell if you have gout or not by drawing fluid from your joint and testing it for uric acid crystals.
In some cases the whitish hard bumps push their way through the skin. If this occurs, skin and wound management from a professional is essential.
- Athletic Injury
You don’t necessarily have to be an athlete to get an athletic injury to your big toe. Any amount of strenuous effort exerted by the big toe over a length of time can cause you to develop a repetitive motion injury. Usually, these develop because you have a skeletal or muscular imbalance that is causing you to put too much weight on one side of your body when you run or walk.
Turf toe is another athletic injury that can occur suddenly to your big toe. It’s caused when a sharp turn or pivot creates a sprain in the ligaments around your big toe. To prevent athletic injuries you should make sure you are stretching to even out your muscular imbalances, and wearing the proper footwear during athletic endeavors like playing sports, running, or hiking. Want to know about other Sports Injuries..click here
- Bunions
This is another common cause of pain in the big toe, and one that’s a little more serious. Typically afflicting elderly people, bunions are actual enlargements of the joint near the base of your big toe. The joint is usually misaligned and in some cases, extra bone actually forms on the joint. This causes your big to rotate towards your smaller toes while pointing outward, causing inflammation and severe pain. It can also inflame the bursa sac next to your swollen big toe causing even more pain. Less usually bunions also occur in younger people even as early as 8-9 years old. 
Bunions generally, are a degenerative condition that worsen over time. Sometimes there will be periods of great pain and worsening deformity and at other times they can be “ïnactive” and painfree. Management often depends on the needs of the person. Some people are happy to wear lowish heeled, supportive, soft uppered footwear and change their sports and lifestyle. For others to be deprived of fashionable shoes and having unrelenting pain is an unbearable option. In this case discussing Foot Surgery with a Podiatric Surgeon is a good way forward.
When to get help for Pain in Big Toe
The big toe can be a source of sharp pain for many different reasons. Most people develop soreness and sharp pain after experiencing an athletic injury of some kind, but other conditions such as gout and bunions can also cause severe joint pain in the big toe. Tolerating the pain is not a solution. Doing nothing may cause irreversible damage.
Bunions develop on their own and you may decide to proceed to surgery, but other conditions like turf toe and gout can be mitigated greatly by using proper footwear and taking medications that reduce inflammation. Dealing with a swollen big toe and sharp pain in your big toe is very unpleasant, but if you know what to look for you should be able to effectively treat or even cure your pain. If lifestyle or footwear changes don’t help, it is time to see a Podiatrist
