You may not realize just how important your big toe is for doing everyday things like standing and walking until you experience a painful big toe problem like bunion complications. There are many other possible causes of pain in the big toe that have similar symptoms and the conditions can be hard to tell apart without assistance from your podiatrist. Pain and discomfort in the big toe can be caused by disease, injury or a structural abnormality.

3 common conditions that cause pain in the big toe include the following:

• Gout—This producer of big toe pain is actually caused by a poor diet that creates an increase of uric acid circulating in the bloodstream. When the acid reaches a high enough level, it can crystallize in the joints, with the large joint of the big toe frequently being a target. The condition of gout in the big toe can be so bad that even just brushing a bedsheet over your toe can cause unbearable pain.
• Turf toe—This is a sprain injury that often happens to the big toe from jamming and pushing off with your feet and toes. It happens more often on artificial turf fields (hence the name) but a big toe sprain can occur on any surface.
• Hallux rigidus—Hallux means big toe, and rigidus refers to the near-total rigidity of the big toe joint that occurs in this degenerative arthritic condition. A variety of factors, including bunions and other types of arthritis, can contribute to the formation of hallux rigidus.

If you are experiencing pain and discomfort in your big toe, see your foot doctor for the correct diagnosis and best treatments. Call Syracuse Podiatry located in East Syracuse, New York. Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico, Dr. Kathleen Pyatak-Hugar, and Dr. Donal M. Erickson and their staff will help you diagnose and treat your foot or ankle condition. Call 315-446-3668 or make an appointment online today.