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Some patients may benefit from joint replacement surgery, which is called an arthroplasty. They can do this using a plate and screws, or wires. In more severe cases, healthcare providers can surgically remove damaged cartilage and fix the joint in a permanent position, which is called a fusion or arthrodesis. If OTC medications aren’t effective, they may prescribe other medications. Your healthcare provider may also recommend OTC medications, such as topical anti-inflammatory gels or lotions. However, they can be given 3 or 4 times per year. A single corticosteroid injection can be effective.
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Your healthcare provider can inject corticosteroids directly into your joint to help reduce swelling and relieve pain. A walking cane can help you feel more stable.Ĭompression socks are also available and may help to manage your condition. In some cases, a splint or brace may be helpful.
#First mtp joint how to#
Your physical therapist or another healthcare provider can show you how to perform stretches and exercises for your feet. However, if that option doesn’t work, your healthcare provider may also recommend custom-made insoles or shoes that have stiff soles and rocker bottoms. Often, finding a good walking or athletic shoe may help.
![first mtp joint first mtp joint](https://exercisesforinjuries.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/First-Metatarsophalangeal-MTP-Joint.png)
However, X-rays are not always needed to correctly diagnose OA. Your healthcare provider may take an X-ray of your foot to look for bone spurs and to assess the loss of function of the joint. Over time, bunions can lead to corns (central core of hard tissue with callus around it), calluses, and hammertoes, which are toes that are bent downward and may cross over each other. The subsequent rubbing of the outside joint against your shoes can also make walking painful. As you walk, bunions push against your shoes, causing your big toe to push against your other toes. If you don’t already have bunions, the imbalance in the way you walk can make them more likely to develop. Walking can be a problem if you can’t bend your big toe. Since this joint capsule enlargement isn’t bone, it won’t show up on X-rays. You may be unaware of bone spurs until you develop a visible bump or callus on your toe.Īs the big toe changes, it can start to push against the other toes, causing the joint at the base of the big toe to become enlarged. This creates bony protrusions called bone spurs. Your body will attempt to repair this condition by growing more bone. There’s a spectrum of symptoms and radiographic findings that can occur. You can have joint space narrowing, or destruction, but minimal pain. Damaged cartilage can lead to bones rubbing against each other. Changing appearanceĪrthritis causes inflammation, so you may notice some swelling around the joint of your toe. The result is a stiff toe, which is also called hallux rigidus. The excess bone growth can lead to fusion of the joint and a fixed, or non-bending joint. More specifically, in people with OA, the joint degenerates and a reactive bone process is triggered, such as spurs or ankylosing. Overgrowth of the big toe bone can make it difficult or even impossible to bend your toe. Stiffness and pain is typically a sign of OA after long periods of inactivity or immobility. Over time, you may even develop a burning sensation, which is a hallmark sign of nerve pain, or neuropathy.Īn arthritic toe may ache after long periods of sitting or when you first wake up in the morning. You may also feel achiness or pain in other toes or the arch of your foot as you walk. Even in the early stages, arthritis in the toe can cause tenderness, achiness, and joint pain.