

There are two small bones, called sesamoid bones on the bottom of the great toe. Surgical options are also available in more severe cases of arthritis. Our foot doctors in Nashville, TN will sometimes do steroid injections to reduce inflammation. If you visit a foot doctor near you, they may offer conservative treatment in the form of oral anti-inflammatories, recommending stiffer shoes, or possibly the use of a carbon fiber plate. Arthritis in the big toe can develop spurs on the top of the toe that when rubbed on shoes, can increase big toe pain. This condition may worsen with activities that push the extremes of joint motion, e.g. In fact, it is fairly common.Īrthritis (hallux rigidus) causes big toe pain that is usually found at the top of the toe. Your big toe may not be the first body part that comes to mind when you hear the term “arthritis”, but it does exist. If conservative treatment does not help, surgery may be an option. Your foot doctor may recommend starting with conservative treatment, including limiting yourself to wearing wider shoes. Bunions may also cause the development of hammertoes and pain in the “ball” of the foot.

This may cause pain over the “bump” on the inner aspect of the great toe or pain rubbing of the great toe against the 2nd toe. Potential Causes for Your Big Toe Pain BunionsĪ bunion (hallux valgus) causes the big toe to lean towards the 2nd toe. We asked one of our favorite foot and ankle experts here at Elite, Hannah Cloutier, PA-C, what could be the cause of your big toe pain. We are referring to big toe pain caused by an underlying condition or injury.Ĭauses for worsening big toe pain are plentiful and probably a good place for us to begin. Editor’s note: We acknowledge that stubbing your big toe is no fun. No, we are not necessarily talking about stubbing your toe on the bedpost. Orthopedic surgeons specializing in foot and ankle pain are used to treating big toe pain.
