What causes pain in the big toe joint?
Disease description:
Recently, my big toe joint has been hurting a lot. The pain becomes particularly noticeable when walking, especially with exertion. Sometimes in the morning, the joint feels a bit stiff, and moving around for a while helps alleviate it. What causes pain in the big toe joint?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Chen Jian
Possible causes of pain in the big toe joint:
1. Trauma: Sprains, crush injuries, or other injuries sustained while walking may cause damage to local soft tissues, bones, or tendons, leading to joint pain in the big toe. This type of pain is often accompanied by swelling, subcutaneous bruising, and movement impairment.
2. Gout: This condition is caused by excessively high levels of uric acid in the body, resulting in deposition of urate crystals in the joints, which triggers inflammation and severe pain. Gout often initially affects the big toe.
3. Osteoarthritis: This is a degenerative disease. As a weight-bearing area, the big toe joint can experience wear and tear due to prolonged weight-bearing or wearing improperly fitting shoes, leading to degenerative osteoarthritis and causing symptoms such as pain, effusion, and swelling.
4. Plantar fasciitis: Although primarily affecting the sole of the foot, its symptoms can radiate to the big toe joint, especially upon waking up in the morning or after prolonged standing.
5. Local tendon or soft tissue injury: Long-term strain, developmental abnormalities, and other factors may also cause pain in the big toe joint.
6. Infection: When the local area sustains trauma or there is existing infection nearby, bacteria may spread via the bloodstream to the local area, damaging joint tissue and causing pain.
