Treating Hallux Rigidus with Rigid Carbon Plates
Soreness in the big toe joint that hurts when walking is generally frequently as a result of osteoarthritis and is frequently given the term more commonly called hallux rigidus when the joint is really rigid or hallux limitus if it is not too inflexible. Hallux rigidus is painful whenever walking, so if its really painful while resting, then it may well more often than not be gout symptoms than a hallux rigidus. Considering the hallux rigidus, while we are walking and the back heel commences to lift up off the floor, the big toe joint must move for this motion to happen. In the event that movement is limited or there’s a painful osteoarthritis in the big toe joint, then this is not going to be as easy to walk. It is logical when that hallux joint is painful when walking, then a plausible solution to help the pain on motion should be to restrict just how much the joint flexes.
There are many methods to try this. One simple method in which Podiatrists use is with felt padding that could be put on the foot beneath the big toe and ball of the foot or strapping can be utilized to strap the big toe joint. These two are usually really good short term measures, but just impracticable for the long run. Should you prefer a foot support for some other reasons, there’s an expansion that a Podiatrist could add on the front edge of the foot orthotic which is known as a Morton’s extension which they can use to restrict up the big toe joint by reducing bending or flexion of the feet. One other way is by using a carbon fibre insert plate that typically are less than 2mm thick so they can fit easily into the footwear and therefore are very inflexible. These kinds of carbon fibre plates are often used to treat hallux rigidus and other issues for example turf toe which need to limit the movement in the joint. The research evidence is these rigid insoles are rather good at reducing the pain in the hallux joint in these kinds of problems. An alternate way to manage the discomfort from the osteoarthritis and hallux rigidus could be to simply use shoes which are more inflexible across the ball of the foot. The more flexible the sole of the footwear is, the more that the big toe or hallux joint will flex and the much more likely it is to be painful when walking. There are a few types of footwear, especially the Hoka running footwear, that have a rocker and additional cushioning included in them which are especially helpful at this. The effect of the rocker in these shoes is that the great toe or hallux doesn’t have to flex just as much as the foot moves forward on the rocker. A pedorthist or footwear tech may add a rocker to many different types of shoes to obtain the same thing.
When you have hallux rigidus or arthritis in the big toe joint, then there are alternatives for the short term to take care of the discomfort and possibilities in the longer term to manage the movement of the big toe joint that it is not as painful.
Ankylosing Spondylitis and the Foot
Ankylosing spondylitis is a problem that mostly affects the spine with a form of arthritis. It can also affect other points and some other organs. The problem in the spine affects mobility and creates a progressive deformity that will need a lot of physical therapy to manage.
It affects the foot in three ways:
1. The arthritis like symptoms can affect the joints in the foot
2. Pain in the heel similar to plantar fasciitis is common
3. Due to the affect on the spine, the ability to reach the feet and do self-care is difficult.