QuestionHi,
About 6-7 months ago I developed sudden numbness in the top 3rd of the right big toe. I went to the doctor and he did a lot of tests - US of leg and x-rays to make sure that I didn't have a fracture or blood clot. The only thing that came up was a heel spur in that right foot. Well I decided to just ignore it for awhile but now it's gotten worse. The numbness has never gone away not even for a minute and now I have swelling where my big toe bends. I am now walking funny as well because when I put pressure on the swollen area in a certain way I feel a "zing" in my big toe. The zing is really bad when I walk down the stairs in bare feet. As the swollen area hits the end of a stair when I walk down them - I feel like I'm getting little shocks of electricity in my toe. The swelling is on the underside where my toe bends - not on the side like I see when I find information about bunions. My Doctor can't see me for another whole week and I am a nurse and on my feet for nearly 12 hours a night. Any information you might have would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mary
AnswerHi Mary,
There are several possibilities. You may have compressed the nerve and that is what is causing the shock-type toe pain. This pain typically is hard to resolve with the shoe hitting the toe area and the long hours on your feet.
Other possibilities include an inflamed extra bone on the bottom of the toe, also known as an accessory ossicle or sesamoid. There may be arthritis in the joint or a chipped flake of bone in the joint that can be painful.
The last consideration is Gout. You should have your uric acid checked.
Also, with this prolonged pain I will usually get an MRI of the area to try and identify the problem.
In the meantime you can ice the area and take OTC anti-inflammatories if you are not allergic and don't get stomach upset. Wear wide supportive shoes. No tight shoes or barefoot.
Hope that helps.
Sincerely,
Marc Katz, DPM
Tampa, FL
Advanced Podiatry
www.thetampapodiatrist.com
www.tampacryosurgery.com
www.fix-my-foot.com
