Why does my big toe hurt like hell sometimes?
If your big toe points toward the other four toes on that foot, the end of the metatarsal behind the big toe may rub against the shoe. The skin thickens over the end of the metatarsal, and the metatarsal itself may develop a bony spur at that point. This is a bunion, and if it becomes inflamed and sore, it can make life miserable. Fitting the shoe with orthotic devices to correct improper foot motion and relieve pressure on the affected joints is the mainstay of treatment. Pain in the big toe that started recently may be relieved by toe traction and exercises that move and extend the joint. Injection of a local anesthetic can relieve pain and decrease muscle spasm so that the joint can move more easily, and a corticosteroid may also be injected to decrease inflammation. The nerves that supply sensation to the front portion of your foot and your toes run between the long bones of the foot, the metatarsals. (There is a metatarsal just behind each toe.) Tight-fitting shoes can squeeze the
