While flip-flop and sandal season are still in full swing, you may notice that not all people want their piggies on full display. Some people may want to bare their tootsies on the market and others want theirs covered, concealed and maybe even congealed, depending on what’s happening between their toes. The reality is, while some people can have their toes on display and painted beautifully without a thought, others don’t have this same luxury as they face some sole-ful struggles. If you spend too much time crying, “oh my aching arches,” or toe-tally neglect your feet, you aren’t alone! There are many common complaints that have people wishing for happier feet!
Ever notice a toe that looks like it’s trying to curl up and hide? Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, (www.mayoclinic.org), it’s not due to your toe’s amazing performance, it’s more likely that it’s a hammer toe! And while some are mostly concerned about how this looks, all cosmetic woes aside, these can be painful, also causing stiffness and can impact walking and lead to corns or calluses (even more unattractive!). How does your toe get here? The Mayo Clinic suggests it’s when there’s an imbalance in your toe’s muscles, tendons or ligaments that would typically hold your toe nice and straight, which now has your toe likely bending at the middle joint (like a hammer.) As this condition worsens it can even affect the rest of your little piggie’s pack and before you know it, they are facing to the side instead of straight ahead. Talk about a pain in the foot! However, there’s hope for this hardware named toe, which can start before it even starts! Firstly, wear shoes that fit and give your toes room to move! In the worst cases, surgeons can straighten these toes out pretty quickly.
Sometimes, there can be another reason for your thrown off toes, while it’s not always a “toe,” issue, it can certainly cause your toes to curve. This painful bump known as a bunion can form at the joint of your big toe and cause you big pain. The reality is here, if your shoes are too tight, your big toe is going to want to break loose! The added pressure from tight and narrow shoes is often the culprit for this round and red pain in the foot. If you catch this one early, The Mayo Clinic, and common sense is to wear wider shoes, pad the area around the bunion for relief too. If you can get ahead of it, relief may be insight, for those who choose high fashion over high health, a bunionectomy may be in their future. (OUCH!)
If you haven’t noticed, the big toe tends to be the one that gets all the big issues, and there’s one that if you’ve ever had or heard of, you know is awful. Suddenly, your big toe starts swelling, it’s on fire and incredibly sensitive to touch. What does this pain in the big toe, which is actually a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by a “buildup of uric acid crystals in the joint,” according to the experts at the Mayo Clinic go by: GOUT! Gout is something that people can describe as a crushing or burning sensation that is often felt in their big toe. The good news, it will often extinguish in about a week or two. The bad news, without lifestyle changes and specifically, dietary changes and maintaining a healthy weight, this can become a more common circumstance. Medications are available but clinicians recommend self-management above all else as your first line of defense. Mayo Clinic Rheumatologist, Dr. Tim Bongartz, states, “One of the most helpful ways to prevent gout attacks is to maintain a healthy body weight. Research has shown that excess weight is a major risk factor for developing gout. If you are overweight, losing weight can lower uric acid levels in your body and significantly reduce your risk of gout attacks.” This was reiterated by another renowned Rheumatologist, Dr. Ronald Butendieck Jr., at The Mayo Clinic, who shares, “if you’re overweight, your body produces more uric acid, and your kidneys struggle to eliminate it…regular exercise is another key component of gout prevention.” Sounds like if you don’t want to suffer from the gout toe, you should do more get up and go!
Moving a little deeper comes a classic pain in the nailbeds! The ingrown toenail. This tiny, little spot on the body can cause huge pain when the corner or side of a toenail grows into the flesh around it. Leading to pain, redness, swelling and sometimes infection, improper nail trimming and ill-fitting shoes are often the culprit. The best advice seen in medical publications to magazines at the grocery store, is to cut your toenails straight across and not too short and of course, wear shoes that fit! Mild cases may relieve themselves if caught early with some foot soaking and proper trimming, others may need the help of a podiatrist and even a small surgery to keep this nail offender from breaking into your skin again.
If your toes aren’t feeling like themselves lately, maybe itchy, red, peeling or cracked, you could have yourself a case of athlete’s foot. Now, before you pride yourself on any lack of sportsmanship activities, you don’t actually have to be an athlete to feel this on your feet. This fungal infection can find its way onto your feet or toes just from being in a warm or sweaty environment like your socks! Anytime your body is doing something “different” it’s always best to check with your care team. There are over-the-counter antifungal creams and powders that may do the trick on this one, and sometimes not. If your feet are still itching and you are keeping them clean, dry and in breathable shoes and clean socks, call your healthcare provider!
When it comes to toe troubles the list is longer than the toes we have on our feet, but the overall gist seems to be clear: wear shoes that fit! Take care of your feet and speak up if they are giving you issues! Our feet are an essential part of taking us where we need to go. If your toes are in pain, don’t suffer, reach out and get relief so you can be back on your feet in no time. Consider other ways to keep feet and toes happy like massaging them, yoga, and in general, wearing shoes and protecting them from harm around the house, yard and shard spaces. Happy feet help for a happier life and certainly a part of toe-tally healthy feet!