I've been been having this constant pain in my big right toe

"I've been been having this constant pain in my big right toe. For 2 years now, my toe is quite stiff, i have some movement upwards and downwards is normal. But after doing a bit of running or too much walking, it can be painful. 

Last week, while in Romania, I visited Dr. XXX, who seems to be an expert on this field. And he said I have Hallux rigidus and that i will need to have surgery soon. He suggested shortening of the Metarsal bone. with the consequence, that I will not be able to run anymore after. And im a very active person that likes sports. Im 40 btw. He said i have the last stage of Hallux Rigidus. 

Since then, Ive been looking for alternatives to this problem and came across you site. Are you able to suggest a better solution? Thank you for your time. 

Regards XXX" (name withheld).

________________________________
Gary:
The video below has had over 155,000 views and explains part of the solution for a painful, stiff toe:
 


Here is some feedback:

"I appreciate the Gary Moller links, the Hallux Rigidus one from a while back was helpful. Unfortunately I don't get enough of the rehab treatments as I do the damaging jui-jitsu jamming treatments. But I think I'm getting enough to limit further damage. I went to a new chiro (after a long search for the best in the area) & he tended to think I may get away with it as long as I continue with the Moller techniques. He said as long as I did jui-jitsu I probably wouldn't be able to fully heal it, but he wasn't going to tell me to stop doing something I love. He just wanted to give out info so I as the patient would be informed & able to make a decision based off more info. Which I can respect & if it gets bad enough I will (reluctantly) lay off jui-jitsu to see if it heals. So far it only sporadically hurts when it feels jammed & I have to "pop" it back into mobility. Then it hurts for a few seconds never even up to a minute.
So far so good."

And

"The hallux rigidus/limitus treatments was what first led me to his website. I had that problem for many years and I finally bit the bullet and got the operation last year. Had I known about his program I might never have needed to do that.The hallux rigidus/limitus treatments was what first led me to his website. I had that problem for many years and I finally bit the bullet and got the operation last year. Had I known about his program I might never have needed to do that."

Technically, if you still have some movement in your toe, you do not have Hallux Rigidus - It is limited movement - not rigid.  But I do refer to "rigidus" as do most, because it is the popular term.  It is also the condition that leads to the invasive one-way only treatments, principally surgery.  Personally, I think I would rather have my big toe amputated than fused.  At least I might still be able to run!

What is not addressed in this video is the nutritional, medical and lifestyle factors that may impact on the big toe.  The big toe is your canary in the coal mine: If it begins to die then you know you have a problem.  Your big toe is at the very end of your body: If there is anything amiss, such as lack of a nutrient, kidney disease or diminishing circulation, your big toe may be the first to warn you with cries of distress.

So, if you have developed an arthritic toe for no apparent reason, you need to consider all the possibilities that may be impacting on your health and vitality such as:

• Medications including, blood pressure, cholesterol, bone-sparing, mega-doses of vitamin D, asthma drugs, steroids, thyroid drugs and anti-depressants.
• Chronic infection, most often deep in the body and undetected.
• Toxins such as arsenic, mercury and lead.
• Deficiencies or excesses of nutrients such as vitamin D, iodine, calcium, all vitamins, protein and even salt.
• Excessive, chronic stress.

There are other factors such as long hours in rigid footwear, like work boots that do not allow the feet and toes to flex and extend as they were designed for (Joints thrive on "normal" movement).  As far as I know, hallux rigidus is as good as non-existent in societies where barefoot is the norm.

And, the main cause of your pain may not be arthritic: It may be tendonitis of the toe tendon, flexor hallucis longus.

If you want to take this further, I can help no matter where you are, so long as you have broadband.  Much can be achieved using Skype video technology.  Please complete this form, with payment and we will be in action!
http://www.garymoller.com/Consultation/Private-Consultation.aspx

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Is your Achilles tendon injury really that: Or is it something else?

When people come to see me with their injuries and health problems, it is usually because they have exhausted every other option.  Achilles tendon injuries are near the top of the list of reasons for paying me a visit.  These injuries tend to be very poor healers.  The reason given most times is that this tendon has no direct blood supply to expedite healing.  There may be another reason why Achilles tendons fail to heal: The injury may not actually be to the Achilles tendon; but to one or more muscles immediately adjacent to it.  Of course, recovery will be poor if the wrong part is being treated.

If the first diagnosis is of, say “Achilles Tendonitis”, the tendency for all who may subsequently become involved in your treatment is to blindly continue down the Achilles pathway, even when the results are disappointing.  One reason why this may happen is the medical hierarchy and ACC claims setup makes it difficult for a therapist to

I am training for the 2010m Oxfam Trailwalker and feel like I have strained my Achilles Tendon

Hi Gary
I am training for the Oxfam Trailwalker and have experienced some discomfort and tightness in my left Achilles’ heel which is worrying me. This is my second year for the Trailwalker, and am relatively fit and active all year round (running and walking) – but never felt this time of thing before. Its more discomfort than pain, but came about quite suddenly on a short/hilly run on Tuesday night. I have good shoes and orthotics and stretch before and after every training session plus take a yoga class once a week. I am up to about 60kms training over about 4 days (Thursday – Sun) and have been going strong. But I actually had to stop my run on Tues because of the pain/discomfort. Wednesday it was still sore, and I couldn’t

Medial ankle pain following a lateral ankle inversion injury

I am from Korea and I used to be college basketball player but recently moved to U.S.  I had superior athlete body shape before I injured my ankle last November.  It was eversion sprain(deltoid ligament), I usually have multiple inversion sprain during practice or game but this one was pretty severe so I decided to use crutches. I lost noticible muscle on lower leg.

High Heel Shoes - Foot pain that won't go away

Gary
A week ago my partner was at work wearing high heels and she felt a twinge of pain in her foot, but just assumed that it was minor and that it would be right once she got off her feet. That night she took her shoe off and couldnt place any pressure on her foot at all, and the joint area under the big toe was badly swolen.

She has seen a doctor since (the next day) and was advised to and bandage it and elevate it. She was also advised to go back in a week if it hadnt shown signs of improving.

It is now a week later and it hasnt really improved. Is this time line accurate (as some online accounts show if mistreated then the long term effects are more severe). Should she be seeing a specialist, and is it likely that continued elevation/compression etc is enough.
Dan
___________________________________
Gary responds:
Dan,
Icing and resting an injury for more than about two days is usually long enough (I personally think that ice is mostly an overhyped therapy btw). If there has not been substantial progress by a week, one must suspect there is something more amiss than a simple sprain.

The next step is to get a few xrays of the foot. There is a possibility that she has done damage to the small sesamoid bones at the base of the big toe region of the foot. She may have even pinged the tendon of the big toe. Most of these injuries can be figured out without the need for expensive imaging, if only the examiner would take their time, first in obtaining an accurate history, understanding the intricacies of foot mechanics and then palpating the foot effectively to locate the exact source of the pain.

So, please go back to the doctor and see about getting a foot xray. Be guided, first and foremost, by what the doctor recommends because, he/she is there on the spot and I am not. Please send me the results of any further examinations and I may have some specific advice.

With regards to shoes: High heels are ridiculous items of fashion really! I personally much prefer the look of a woman in a tasteful pair of flats. Men look better in high heels. High heel shoes do all kinds of lasting damage to not just the feet but to the ankles, knees and even the low back.

If your partner insists of wearing such items of fashion in the future, she should have a pair of flat shoes that she wears to and from work. While at work, there is no reason why she can not slip the high heels off when at her desk and around the "back of the office", reserving her high heels for those special moments in her day. Incidentally, I put high heels and bras in the same category - damaging to women's health (Bras cut off the lymphatic flow for the breast).

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.