7 Home Remedies for Gout Foot & Toe Pain

September 30, 2019 9:00 am
Published by Foot and Ankle Group
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For those who have experienced gout pain in your foot or big toe, you know it’s no walk in the park. Symptoms usually include swelling and sudden or intense pain in your joints— or feeling like your foot is on fire.

Some may experience warning signs right before the gout attack, such as a burning, itching, stiffness or tingling feeling in a joint an hour or two before the flare-up. This is good; it gives you time to react before the pain hits with some preventative measures.

Gout pain is caused by a buildup of uric acid. Fortunately, there are a number of home remedies that can help to relieve the pain for many sufferers.

Here are seven gout foot pain remedies for sweet relief:

1. Relaxation

Your inflamed or tingling foot is only going to feel worse when you apply pressure or stress on the aching joints. At the first sign of a gout flare-up, get off your feet. If possible, elevate your foot slightly to reduce the swelling.

2. Cold Compression

Like with most foot problems, temperature compressions can help to relieve the intensity. The coolness can bring down any inflammation, and the compression can help to soothe the aching. 

For gout specifically, cold is your friend. Grab an ice pack or stick some cubes in a plastic bag. Wrap it with a thin towel and an ace bandage to secure to your foot with mild pressure for up to 20 minutes. This can be done in spaced increments several times a day during the flare-up. 

While some may advise soaking your aching foot in hot water, we only recommend this if your inflammation is intense.

3. Hydration

Uric acid levels rise when you are dehydrated, potentially increasing your gout pain. 

There’s a reason The Arthritis Foundation calls water a “magical elixir.” The best way to reduce these acidity levels and even bring down inflammation is to drink lots of water. It’ll help to flush out toxins and to lubricate your joints.

Other sources recommend tart cherry juice based on evidence from one compelling study. It also found that cherry extract supplements can be equally helpful in reducing gout pain. Similarly, apple juice may help, as the fruit contains malic acid, which lowers uric acid.

Another study found that varying green tea types may lower serum acid too. Read more about the potential of nettle, dandelion and hibiscus teas to soothe your gout pain on Healthline.

4. Avoiding Purines

A substance called purine can raise uric acid levels in your blood, triggering gout pain. Purines can be found in seafood (especially shellfish), such as anchovies, sardines, crab, lobster, mussels, shrimp, scallops, trout, and haddock.

They can also be found in fatty meats like bacon, turkey, and organs like liver. The Arthritis Foundation even cautions against meat in general, such as beef, duck, and pork for gout pain sufferers.

Other high-purine substances include all alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Those with frequent gout flare-ups should consider changing their diet if they heavily consume any of these foods and drinks.

5. Minerals & Spices

There are a number of minerals and spices that can help to reduce inflammation and gout pain, found right in your kitchen cabinets or as supplements at your local pharmacy. 

• Ginger has been shown in multiple reputable studies to reduce serum uric acid levels and can be consumed in paste form for quick relief.
• Magnesium is a great mineral that also reduced inflammation and offers similar results as ginger.
• Lemon juice and turmeric can be easily dissolved into your drink for similar acid-neutralizing benefits. 

6. Weight Loss

As with most foot and ankle problems, maintaining a healthy weight is extremely important. The fewer pounds pushing down on your lower extremities, the less pressure.  

Shedding a few pounds can help to reduce swelling for those with gout problems, as well as to decrease the intensity of other ailments, like plantar heel and diabetic foot issues.

7. Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

When all other natural remedies fail, there are both over-the-counter and prescription strength medications for quick gout pain relief. 

WebMD lists a few anti-inflammatory drugs for relieving gout attacks. Besides common pain relievers like naproxen or ibuprofen, oftentimes celecoxib, indomethacin, meloxicam or sulindac can do the trick.

Immediate Relief, Expert Care

Gout pain in your toes and feet can be extremely uncomfortable. While these home remedies may offer temporary relief, you might need professional care.

If you begin fevering, this is often a sign of infection. Don’t wait to come in.

We’ve got a full team ready to help, right away. Visit our contact page to make a quick appointment or give us a call today at 239. 936.5400. 

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Orthopaedic Urgent Care, Sports Medicine & Wellness Clinics

Gout and Foot Pain: How to Find Relief: Urgently Ortho: Orthopaedic Urgent Care, Sports Medicine & Wellness Clinics

You have pain in a joint like you’ve never had before. It came on suddenly. Now it’s red and painful. You may have gout. 

What is gout? 

The No. 1 cause of inflammatory arthritis is better known as gout. Gout results from your body producing too much uric acid or not eliminating enough of it. Uric acid is a waste product your body naturally produces linked to the purines in certain foods. Purines are a common chemical substance found in food and drinks; some foods and beverages are much higher than others in the amount of purines they contain. 

When you produce too much uric acid or your body doesn’t expel enough, crystals form in the uric acid in joints and soft tissue around them. These cause attacks of painful inflammation. 

Our board-certified orthopedic surgeon and musculoskeletal specialist physicians at Urgently Ortho in Scottsdale, Arizona, help patients with painful gout. Whether it’s your first gout attack or a flare-up, we’re here to help ease your pain and treat your condition. 

Where does a gout attack occur? 

Gout often attacks the largest joint in your big toe. However, it can also attack the foot, ankle knees, hands, or wrists. Intense pain, redness, and swelling can start with no warning, although you may have warning signs of an impending attack. If you start to feel tingling, burning, or itching in a joint, your body is giving you a warning signal that a flare-up is imminent. 

Effective medical treatment for gout 

The American College of Rheumatology released gout management guidelines in 2012 and updated them in 2020. They recommend drugs classified as urate-lowering therapy for those who have experienced two or more gout attacks in a year as well as for those with joint damage from gout.  

Specifically, the organization recommends allopurinol as a first-line treatment for all gout patients, even those with chronic kidney disease. Next in line is febuxostat; both are a class of drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors. 

In addition, the guidelines recommend use of anti-inflammatory medications including NSAIDs, prednisone, or colchicine along with the other medication. 

What can I do at home to relieve gout pain? 

You can do several things at home to ease gout inflammation. Your physician at Urgently Ortho provides guidelines. Try the following remedies. 

Apply an ice pack

Use an ice pack on the join for 20 minutes several times a day to help reduce inflammation. A caveat: If you have nerve issues from diabetes or other source, avoid using ice on your hands and feet. 

Elevate and rest the painful joint

As with other inflammatory conditions, resting and elevating the joint is helpful. Place the painful toe or hand on a soft pillow and raise it above your heart.  

Hydrate with water

Make sure your uric acid levels are in the normal range; when you don’t drink enough water, they’re elevated. Drink eight glasses of water per day. 

Other steps you can take to relieve gout and help prevent attacks involve lifestyle changes: 

Limit certain foods 

You’d probably never heard of purines before you had gout. Some foods that you may consume frequently could be the culprits in your gout attacks because they’re high in purines and raise your level of uric acid. You should limit red meat and organ meats like liver, shellfish, and some legumes like peas and dried beans, as they’re associated with raising uric acid levels. Research foods that are low in purines, or follow a Mediterranean diet. 

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How to cure gout on the legs [effective SWT method]

Gout is the deposition of uric acid salts in various tissues of the body, most often in the joints and cartilage. With gout of the legs, physiotherapy, especially the SWT method, significantly improves well-being.

“Gout <…> gave birth to hell itself,” wrote I.A. Krylov. Of course, the nature of the occurrence of this disease is different, but nevertheless it delivers a lot of “hellish” troubles to its carriers.

The disease is especially common among Caucasians and occurs in 50 men and 10 women out of a thousand. In order for gout not to lead to serious complications, it needs to be diagnosed and treated in time.

1. Causes and symptoms of gout

2.
How to treat gout in the legs

2.1. Prevention of gout on the legs

Causes and symptoms of gout

Gout belongs to the group of arthritis. Arthritis refers to any disease of the joints. The term “gout” is used when talking about the deposition of uric acid salts in various tissues of the body, most often in the joints and cartilage. What is causing this process?

Uric acid is a product of the breakdown of purines, special substances that are produced in our body, and also get to us with food. We get a large amount of purines when we eat fatty meat and fish (herring, sardine, cod), organ meats (sausages, sausages), fast food. And also when we drink alcohol (especially beer and grape wine), unnatural juices, sweet carbonated drinks, coffee. In this case, a huge amount of uric acid is synthesized in the body, and the kidneys cannot cope with its excretion. Another cause of gout is when the body produces a normal amount of this acid, but the kidneys are unable to remove it due to any pathologies.

Salts of uric acid (urates) are deposited in joints, especially small ones, gradually destroying them. Salt deposition is most susceptible to injured joints. The joint of the big toe (popularly called the “big bone on the leg”) becomes the object of the lesion due to the fact that we wear uncomfortable, narrow shoes. Gout can also lead to the formation of kidney stones, which in turn can lead to kidney failure, which in some cases can be fatal.

Symptoms of gout may include:

• acute joint pain (especially after heavy meals or large amounts of alcohol). Sometimes the sensations are so unbearable that it hurts even from the fact that a sheet lies on the arm or leg. The pain begins to torment at night, passes during the day, and then returns again. This may take several days or even months;
• redness and swelling of the joint;
• increased temperature in the joint area up to 39–40°C;
• fever;
• general weakness.

If the attacks are repeated again and again, then, for example, gout of the toe can go to other joints, making them painful and inactive.

Gout is considered a disease of the elderly, but due to the fact that a modern person consumes a lot of fats and alcohol, in particular beer, this leads to a “rejuvenation” of the pathology. The disease is chronic, that is, it cannot be completely cured. But in order to avoid serious consequences, one should resort to therapy that will stop or slow down the process of destruction of the joints.

How to treat gout in the legs

Since the Middle Ages, gout has been called the “disease of kings”, since it was the holiest persons who had the opportunity to indulge themselves in plentiful meals and were prone to gluttony. Therefore, first of all, to control gout, you need to reconsider the diet. You should reduce the consumption of meat and meat offal, refuse fatty foods, beans and fish caviar, beer, wine and, if possible, other alcoholic beverages. Patients with gout are usually prescribed dietary table number 6. It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day. Mineral waters such as Borjomi, Narzan, Essentuki will be useful.

In acute attacks of gout, it is recommended to apply ice to the inflamed area, make compresses with dimexide. The use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs that do not contain steroids is shown.

Please note!

American scientists have established the relationship between calcium and ascorbic acid deficiency in the body and the development of gout. Therefore, as a treatment and prevention of the disease, it is necessary, in agreement with the doctor, to take these substances.

Physiotherapy significantly improves the well-being of the leg with gout. One of the most advanced and high-tech treatments for gout is shock wave therapy. When exposed to the affected tissue by a shock wave of a certain frequency, the following occurs: microcrystals of salts and connective tissue seals are loosened, blood flow increases tenfold, which in turn leads to the absorption of salts and tissue restoration.

In particularly severe cases, surgical methods are used to remove deposits of uric acid in the joints. But, in order to avoid this, it is necessary to carry out the prevention of arthritic diseases, such as gout of the foot.

Prevention of gout on the legs

In order for the joints of your legs to retain mobility and performance until old age, you should pay attention to the following preventive measures:

• lead an active lifestyle, walk more, do exercises in the morning;
• give up bad habits;
• eat more grains, vegetables, fruits, boiled or steamed meats and fish;
• drink more plain water;
• for preventive purposes, take a blood test to determine the content of the most important vitamins and minerals. If necessary, supplement the diet with a mineral-vitamin complex.

If you still experience gout, do not rush to despair. The main thing – do not postpone the solution of the problem “for later”, contact the specialists. A reliable assistant in the fight against the disease will be the method of shock wave therapy (SWT) we have already noted. You will find some of the most affordable prices for procedures at the Health Plus Medical Center. Even the elderly can receive effective and affordable treatment here. Procedures at the Health Plus Medical Center are performed without anesthesia in a course of several sessions of 10-15 minutes each, the number of which depends on the severity and duration of the disease. Qualified specialists will help you maintain a healthy state of the body.

What is gout on the legs?

One of the common diseases of the musculoskeletal system is gouty arthritis of the joints (or gout on the legs). This diagnosis is made by a rheumatologist after a preliminary diagnosis. Most often, specialists diagnose gout of the joints of the lower extremities – the metatarsal joint, the phalanx of the fingers, the bones on the leg.

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General information

The key reason for the development of gout in the legs is the deposition of uric acid crystals on the surface of the articular structures. In medicine, they are called sodium urates. This substance appears as a result of the breakdown of nitrogenous substances – purines, these substances are part of the molecules of protein structures. Uric acid is by nature a powerful natural antioxidant; under its influence, oxidative processes are inhibited, which adversely affect cells. Also, uric acid is a powerful stimulant of brain activity.

Sodium urate deposits can appear in any joints of the joints, but most often gouty changes are diagnosed in the joints of the lower extremities. Since a person is constantly moving, his lower limbs constantly suffer from high loads. Also in this area there is a slowdown in systemic blood flow. Normally, a small amount of uric acid should be detected in the blood fluid, because if there is an excess of it, the kidneys actively remove this substance.

Sometimes the concentration of this element in the body rapidly increases, resulting in its crystallization on the surface of the articular joints. The main provoking factors for the development of gout also include:

• failures in metabolic processes;
• various diseases of the organs of the urinary system of chronic genesis, as a result of which their functional activity decreases;
• excess of the amount of purines that enter the human body along with food. Most often, these are products that contain a large amount of animal proteins and nitrogen: fatty varieties of meat and fish products, seafood, mushrooms, legumes.

Often, specialists diagnose the presence of all these provoking factors at the same time, and this is a powerful impetus for gout on the legs to develop much faster. Most often, men undergo such pathological changes, since changes in their hormonal background are noted much more often. In women, this disease is diagnosed much less frequently, its symptoms are less pronounced, the most common manifestation of gouty arthritis is the “bone” on the leg.

Experts have proven that dietary errors are the most common provoking factors in the development of gout. That is why a specially selected diet is mandatory in complex treatment.

Rheumatologists also identify a number of causes that can provoke gouty changes in the joints:

• genetic predisposition, which is most often associated with metabolic disorders;
• diseases of the urinary system of chronic genesis, in which the normal function of the kidneys is disturbed, the composition of urine changes;
• prolonged and uncontrolled use of diuretics, without medical supervision, without health monitoring. The result of long-term use of diuretics is dehydration of the body, blood viscosity increases, as a result, the concentration of uric acid rises sharply;
• chronic infections and inflammatory processes caused by streptococci. These are tonsillitis, tonsillitis;
• systematic mechanical loads and injuries of articular joints – dislocations, bruises, fractures;
• hypothermia of the lower extremities;
• prolonged wearing of uncomfortable shoes, wrong shoe size.

Gout on the legs is difficult to treat, but if you start taking therapeutic measures in time, you can cure the disease much faster, as well as prevent the development of health-threatening consequences.

Clinical picture

The key clinical manifestation of gouty arthritis is acute pain in the joint. Most often it occurs at night or in the early morning. An attack of pain appears unexpectedly, it is so intense that a person does not find a place for himself from pain, tries to alleviate it by changing the position of the body. In the daytime, pain in the joint may decrease slightly, but with the onset of night it becomes pronounced again. Such symptoms usually last about three days, then the attack of pain goes away on its own.

Regardless of the location of the painful sensations, the symptoms of gout are the same. When the disease worsens, redness and swelling of the affected joint is noted, its deformation gradually occurs, it becomes larger in size. In parallel, there is a local increase in body temperature, limited joint mobility. If a person stands on a sore leg, the pain becomes more intense.

Another clinical manifestation of gouty arthritis is tophi. These are painless subcutaneous nodules that form as the disease progresses near the affected joint. These nodules contain deposits of uric acid salts. Small tophi appear on the surfaces of the joints of the toes, near large joints they can grow the size of a chicken egg. As the disease progresses, painful sores appear on the surface of these nodules, white mushy contents flow out. When the exacerbation of the disease passes, the sores heal.

If gout develops in the ankle joint, the foot is bent, the heel is everted. If the hip joint is affected, the leg is also bent.

Stages

Experts classify several stages of development of gout on the legs, each of them is characterized by its own clinical picture:

1. At the first stage, there are no pronounced changes in the joints. Any pathological changes are visible in the biochemical blood test, since an increased concentration of uric acid is determined.

2. During the transition of the disease to the second stage, an acute form of gouty arthritis of the joints develops. This is accompanied by swelling and inflammation. First, the joint of the big toe is affected, then neighboring joints begin to suffer.

3. In the third stage, attacks of pain occur, they do not last long, but they are intense. The remission period can last several months. As the disease progresses, it decreases, relapses occur more often.

4. At the fourth stage of gout development, pathological changes in the joints are visible to the naked eye – the joint is deformed, tophi are visible.

Diagnosis of gout on the legs

Diagnostic measures begin with an external examination by a specialist. The doctor collects anamnestic data, conducts a survey about complaints. It is important to find out how pronounced the pain syndrome is, to determine the intensity of swelling of the joint, to find out if there are tophi. Further, the doctor directs the patient to the following types of diagnostics:

• complete blood count;
• urinalysis;
• synovial fluid samples;
• radiography;
• scintigraphy;
• computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging;
• biochemical blood test.

On the indicators of the general blood test, if there is gout, there is an increase in the concentration of leukocytes, the leukocyte formula changes, an increase in the level of uric acid is visible. Any changes in the urine are diagnosed only if the inflammatory process has affected the organs of the urinary system.

When synovial fluid is punctured, specialists detect urate crystals in it. Also, these deposits are visible in the pictures with x-rays.

Gout on the legs: treatment

With the development of gouty arthritis, hospitalization of the patient is required in extremely rare cases, if pathological changes have affected the kidneys. With the development of the articular form of pathology, outpatient treatment of gout on the legs is recommended.

Prescribed conservative treatment of gout on the legs with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – Butadione, Reopirin, Indomentacin. They are produced in the form of tablets, ointments, injections for intramuscular injection. These drugs effectively relieve the inflammatory process, reduce the severity of the pain syndrome.

Among the specific drugs for the treatment of gout on the legs, due to which it is possible to stop attacks of gout on the legs and positively affect the metabolic processes, one can single out: Allopurinol, Allomeron, Colchicine, Urodan. The introduction of Colchicine is carried out intravenously. This drug is very effective in an attack of illness.

During the complex treatment of gout on the legs, in addition to medications, physiotherapeutic procedures are indicated. Thanks to such procedures, it is possible to improve blood circulation, metabolic processes in pathologically modified joints. The following physiotherapy procedures are prescribed by doctors:

• ultraviolet irradiation;
• ultra-high frequency currents;
• shock wave therapy;
• balneology;
• application of paraffin packs;
• ozokerite applications;
• electrophoresis.

When the inflammatory process is stopped and the pain is eliminated, the patient is shown massage and physiotherapy exercises. Such procedures contribute to the normal restoration of the mobility of the articular joints. Massage of the foot, knees, hip joint helps to improve the microcirculation of the blood fluid, helps to reduce the size of tophi, accelerates the excretion of uric acid salts from the body, eliminates muscle spasms, and prevents the development of muscle contracture.

It is recommended to learn foot massage from a physiotherapist so that you can do it yourself at home. Therapeutic exercise is also performed at home after prior consultation with a physiotherapist.

Radical methods

If the conservative treatment of gout on the legs prescribed by the doctor does not work, the disease is diagnosed in an advanced form, there are complications, the doctors consider the expediency of radical treatment of gout on the legs. Minimally invasive and invasive techniques can be used. A minimally invasive technique allows you to remove tophi, open the articular cavities in order to remove purulent contents from them if an acute inflammatory process develops. This operation is performed using local anesthesia.

In advanced situations, the patient is indicated for endoprosthetics, which consists in removing the diseased joint. Instead, a prosthesis is placed. But in the predominant number of cases, gout on the legs can be treated with conservative methods, it is possible to extend the period of remission for a long time.

Non-traditional methods

Any non-traditional medicine can only be used in combination with conservative therapy prescribed by a doctor. The following means are used:

• ointment based on poplar buds;
• decoction of St. John’s wort;
• livestock ointment;
• decoction of cinquefoil;
• propolis ointment;
• lubricate damaged joints with a mixture of iodine and crushed aspirin tablets;
• red pepper ointment.

Proper nutrition is mandatory, the diet should contain a low amount of purines. Those patients diagnosed with gout on their legs are not allowed to eat mushrooms, legumes, fatty fish and meat, offal, fried, salty and spicy dishes. It is recommended to consume a large amount of dairy products, cereals, vegetables and fruits.

These foods are low in purines. It is not recommended to consume any oil – butter, sunflower, so as not to burden the kidneys and organs of the digestive system.

With the complex treatment of gout on the legs, with the help of medication, alternative treatment, physiotherapy and proper nutrition, you can achieve a quick recovery, reduce the number of attacks, reduce the severity of their symptoms, and achieve stable and long-term remission.