Do you have big toe pain or near it?

Pain near the big toe, particularly as you walk or run, can have a number of different causes, the most likely are hallux limitus and rigidus which are essentially the jamming of the big toe against the foot that leads to inflammation, swelling, and pain. Other next most likely cause is a bunion - it forms a big bump on the inside of the foot as well as decreasing motion within the join. Other suspect cause is gout  - foot pain near the big toe if the joint is extremely red hot and swollen without any injury or obvious cause. If the area underneath the toe is sore especially after a great deal of running, suspect a sesamoid fracture or sesamoiditis.

Most common causes of big toe pain are:

1. Hallux limitus
   
2. Hallux rigidus
   
3. Bunion
   
4. Gout
   
5. Pseudogout
   
6. Sesamoid fractures
   
7. Sesamoiditis
   
8. Turf toe
   
9. Dislocated Toe
   
10. Broken Toe
    
11. Swollen Toe
    
12. Hallux Varus
    
13. Flexor Hallucis Tendinitis
    

See link to big toe pain to learn more about possible solutions and treatments.

I hope, that you do not have this unpleasent big toe pain, but if you do look for help.

Itchy Foot Arch Rash

Do you have itchy rash on the arch or heel of your foot?

Itchy foot rashes are very common and because the arch of your foot is very thin and delicate, it is a prime target for feeling the effects of the itching and irritation. The most common reasons of rashes are eczema, dehydration of the skin, dermatitis due to irritation by a material (sock, or shoe) and athlete’s foot (tinea pedis). These common causes are usually very easily treated since the offending agent can be removed or corrected and the fungus easily treated compared to the more difficult nail fungus.

What are symptoms of an itchy foot arch rash
- Red or violet skin color
- Inflamed skin
- Blisters if very severe (Assume acute fungal infection or athlete’s foot)
- Flaky dry skin (assume chronic fungal infection)
- Peeling skin
- Bleeding and scarring from scratching

Prevention and correctable causes of an itchy foot heel rash
The most common causes of itchy foot arch rashes usually are skin irritations, that should be removed such as the socks, shoes, or detergents that may directly irritate your feet. The second major cause is skin dehydration, which can be prevented by wearing thinner socks, moisturizing your feet after taking a bath or shower. The third common cause is hygiene - simply frequent washing, however moisturizing may take care of it. The fourth major cause of rashes if fungal infection which will need an athlete’s foot medication to get rid of the problem.
Other causes and explanations include:
- Allergies to a material
- Dehydration (low humidity and wet feet that need to be moisturized)
- Overly sweaty feet due to bacteria (pomphylox which may need medication and moisturizing)
- Overly sweaty feet due to heat (need better socks)
- Insect, tick or flea bites
- Sock material irritation
- Shoe material irritation
- Soap, laundry detergent or perfume irritation
- Pregnant women hormones
- Poor foot hygiene

- Lack of moisturizing after bathing or showering

Usually, you may treat itchy foot rashes at home with simple remedies - follow link for details!

Runners, it is easy to prevent  itchy foot rashes, so be proactive and prevent itchy rashes.

Do you have any painful foot warts (Verruca)?

A wart on you foot may case prolonged pain while under pressure. A plantar wart is no different than a wart on any other part of the body. These warts eventually go away by themselves, but they are potentially contagious and could stay around for a couple years. Treatment is usually recommended to decrease the length of pain, the duration of pain and to decrease the chance of transferring it to other parts of the body.

What causes a foot wart?
- HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is the cause of warts.
- The virus can stay alive for many weeks without a host ,especially in the shower!
- The wart enters through microscopic cracks in the skin of the foot or the fingers.
- If a cluster of warts forms, it is called a Mosaic wart which can create extremely large surface areas.
- It is completely normal to get a wart – most warts occur in 12-16 year old children, but are very rare in older age.

Symptoms of a  foot wart:
- Not usually painful although may be tender when pressed, especially from the sides.
- The verruca may feel like a small stone under the foot.
- It looks different from a callus because of little red pin like dots- a callus looks like normal but thicker skin.
- There is usually a callus that forms around the wart.

How to diagnose a foot wart?
- Verrucas vary in size from a 1mm to over 1 cm and may vary in shape too.
- The surface of the verruca is usually covered with small black dots (blood vessels).
- They are usually surrounded by hard skin.
- There is usually nothing ever really tricky about diagnosing a wart.
- If the wart is really large then it is a more resistant mosaic wart that needs more attention.

How to prevent a foot wart?
- Warts and verrucas are very common and nothing to get worked up about (especially ages 12-16 years old), although they should be treated as they are mildly contagious.
- They are only passed on via direct skin to skin contact and can be passed to other people or to other areas of your body (although this is more common when warts appear on the fingers).
- There is a higher risk of passing a verruca  if the skin is damaged or wet.
- Swimming pools are common infection area for verrucas.
- To avoid passing on a verruca, make sure it is covered when you go swimming (either buy a waterproof plaster, duct tape or special verruca sock), wear flip flops when walking barefoot and in the shower and don’t share towels.

For information how to treat foot wart at home or when you should see a podiatrist see this link.

Wart free feet are necessity for all runners, so check you feet regularly!

Do you have broken big toe (fractured hallux)?

A broken big toe (fractured hallux) mostly occur as a result of severe impact and often have associated bruising. Sometimes, you don’t have much bruising at all. If after intensive activities, you think your toe may be broken from running or repetitive stress, then it is most likely just a sore bruised toe or a stress fracture, and not a broken toe. The only way to be sure is to have an X-ray, because without an obviously toe deformation it is impossible to know for sure. The danger of misdiagnose is that if the fracture is serious and not properly healed, than you may end up with permanent arthritis in big toe.

Home guide to test for a broken vs bruised big toe (hallux):
1. Feel for a deformity – if it is uneven it is a broken toe.
2. Wiggling your toe - if no severe pain or rubbing/popping sound, may not be a break.
3. If your toe is extremely swollen (about 2x the normal size) - it may be broken.
4. Compare that toe to your other foot, if it looks shorter or bent – it may be broken.
5. Check your temperature - after a break you may have the surrounding area inflammed.

Some suggestions and information about a bruised or fractured big toe (hallux):
- Pain: Instant if fracture or gradual if a stress fracture from running.
- Swelling and stiffness occur very quickly, the toe will not look normal.
- Blood under the nail called a subungual hematoma which needs be drained if swollen, or the nail could fall off and be abnormal for the rest of your life.
- An open fracture with a tear in the skin is extremely prone to infection and will need to be treated with antibiotics at the emergency room by a doctor.
- If the fracture is not properly reduced – you will have permanent arthritis, it is better to play it safe and get it X-rayed if it looks really bad!
- Often with fractures of the smaller toes, the people are not aware that they have a fracture. 

When to call a podiatrist for a broken big toe (fractured hallux)?
- It is better to be safe than sorry and get an X-ray right off the bat, if in doubt. Probably, you will not need any surgery or the re-attachment of ligaments, but better to be sure. Most people will get arthritis and pain for the rest of their life if big toe is even slightly displaced.
- See doctor without delay if the pain is getting worse, especially after anti-inflammatory treatment and icing  to control inflammation.

When to go to the ER for a broken big toe (fractured hallux)?
- Toes turn white, blue or grey colored -- arterial injury
- Numbness or tingling -- nerve injury
- Play it safe and go get an X-ray right off the bat, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Follow this link to see information about home remedies and treatments of broken big toe.

Runners, your healthy toes are a key to successful running.

Do you have a swollen painful toe?

So what causes a swollen toe?
There may be many medical reasons for a swollen toe. It could be due to a traumatic injury, overuse injury or even an underlying medical condition. The toes consist of three bones called the phalanges, with the exception of the big toe (or hallux) which contains only 2. These bones are held together by ligaments. Tendons also pass through the toes and connect to these bones to allow movement when the muscles within the foot and lower leg contract. You will also find nerves and blood vessels in the toes.

Traumatic injuries
In case you have dropped something on your toe, or been involved in a traumatic incident such as a tackle or a car accident, then a swollen toe could indicate:
- A broken toe
- Bruising of the bone or surrounding soft tissue
- A ligament injury if the toe was bent backwards or twisted e.g. turf toe
- Overuse injuries comes on gradually, rather than after a specific incident. Pain gradually increases.
- Metatarsalgia
- Tendonitis – inflammation of one of the tendons in the toe.
- Bursitis – often secondary to a hammer toe and located on the top of the second toe.

Some medical conditions may result in swelling in the feet and toes:
- Gout - other symptoms will include redness, heat and pain.
- Arthritis
- Infection
- Venous thrombosis (blood clot)
- Allergic reaction (to anything from medications, to food, to insect bites).

Treatment of a swollen painful toe
Specific treatment will depend on the cause of the swelling. Visit your doctor or a sports injury specialist for an assessment, particularly if you suspect it may be any of the medical conditions listed above. If the swelling is as a result of a traumatic injury, swelling can be reduced by resting, applying cold therapy and elevating the foot.

This link will help you to find treatments and solutions for swollen painful toe.

So, runners keep you feet healthy.

Do you have foot callus and pain?

Itchy foot calluses are formations of thick skin on the foot. Many joggers, runners, or diabetics may experience even form a callus blister, this is when a blister forms underneath the callus and a blood pocket or an ulcer can form leading to more serious problems. Callus symptoms can be more painful when blister forms underneath it than expected for callus alone.

foot corn (aka heloma) vs callus
Calluses are a painful thickening of the skin underneath the pressure areas of the foot. Skin callus can be large and spread out, whereas a corn is more pinpoint, small and hard.

callus vs. wart
Skin lines go through a callus, whereas if you have a wart, the skin lines go around the wart. The plantar wart also displays little red “dots” that are blood vessel growth into the wart. The callus should not have any red “dots”.

What may cause formation of calluses?
- Walking barefoot or without socks, poorly stitched or tight shoes.
- Wearing loose shoes or sandals .
- High heels that can cause pressure or friction. Accessories can prevent this.
- High arched feet form calluses under the fifth toe and under the heel.
- Flat foot is the primary cause of increased pressure in areas of the foot, especially everywhere in the forefoot and inside of the foot and heel.

What is the home treatment of skin calluses and when you should ask for help podiatrist you may find in this link!

Callus free feet are important for all active people like runners. So, take a good care of your feet.

Do you have painful and sore blisters on foot or toes?

For all active runners, painful blisters on the foot or toe are a common problem caused by friction from new shoes or clothing, which rubs repeatedly on the same area of skin. In normal situation, small blisters usually do resolve and heal by themselves if you stop putting stress on them. However, if a blister is larger, and has some obvious fluid buildup, then it might just be best to drain it so that more pressure doesn’t spread the blister. In extreme situation, large area blister may require for proper healing professional treatment to prevent any infections.

The following link contains a complete guide for treatment of painful, itchy foot blisters, on prevention and on foot accessory advice.

For all runners, blister free, happy feet are very important to fully enjoy and relax while being active.

Do you have painful foot corn or callus?

Each person over time may get painful foot corns. These are painful formations of thick skin on the foot and toes that look like a hard pebble. Some people may even form a corn within a callus, this is a hard pebble surrounded by a softer callus over top of it. There are many explanations for why corns with calluses occur, but for all types of foot corn the treatments are all the same!
As you walk, jog, or run, pain occurs from the corns and calluses because as you walk on them, they tear away from the skin underneath them and it is possible to form a callus blister and even an ulceration underneath them. The treatment's goal is to reduce both corns and calluses as well as keep them soft and eventually remove the deformity or biomechanical problem that is causing them. Surgery is rarely needed, but surgical removal of foot corn is usually extremely effective and prevents the corns from ever coming back.

Foot Corn (aka Heloma) vs Callus
- Corns are a form within the skin underneath the pressure areas of the foot, especially the toes. Skin callus formation can be large and spread out, whereas a corn is more pinpoint, small and hard.
- Corns usually occur under the first toe, the fifth toe and on top of the toes if you have hammertoes, whereas a callus is usually underneath the forefoot.
- Both can occur together - it is necessary to take the callus down then pop out the corn

Corn vs. Wart
- Skin lines go through a callus, whereas if you have a wart, the skin lines go around the wart. The plantar wart also displays little red “dots” that are blood vessel growth into the wart. The callus should not have any red “dots”.
- A corn will be lodged beneath the outer layers of the callus.

Here is link to find more information about foot corn and callus -- see it.

All runners will enjoy outdoor more on healthy feet. Keep your feet free of corns and callus.

Do you see black spot under the toenail or fingernail?

One day ou tof the blue you find on your nail a spot. A black spot under the toenail can have a few major causes. The most common cause is due to bleeding, that can come from dropping something onto your toe, getting stomped on, or even closing the door on your finger. In athletes, it can also be caused by repetitive rubbing against the inside of a shoe, for example in the case of long distance runners, it is frequently referred to as ‘Jogger’s Toe’. If you have definitely not had any friction against the tips of your toenails, but you have instead been exposed to moisture - then it is likely a Pseudomonas infection. If you have not experienced any of these situations then you may be at risk for melanoma. Read the guide in this link for more information.

Runner’s toe - Runner’s toe occurs if the toenail is rubbing against the front of the shoe; even if it is not really painful, over time blood could accumulate in the form of leakage or blistering under the nail. This page is dedicated to treating runner’s toe.

Pseudomonas bacterial infection - If your nails have green or black little spots on them. This can occur if you are around moisture. --> Smell your toes to see if they give off a sweet grape-like odor- seriously! <-- The bacteria infection require professional treatment for this you should see your podiatrist for medication.

Toenail fungus - If your nails gradually become thick, discolored and crumbly under the border then read our comprehensive guide to toenail fungus.

Melanoma - If you have an unusual streak of black pigment that is pain free and just appeared without any incident - it is essential that you read our guide to black streaks in your nail.

So runners, check your toenails for any unusual spots - be healthy.

Do you have problem with toenail coming off the nail bed?

Often the most common causes of the big toenail coming off is due to a traumatic injury, persistent light rubbing of the toenail within your shoe that you ignored or never even noticed, a very severe fungal infection or in some cases the reasons may be unknown why it fell off. Almost always, the nail will grow back and you shouldn’t get too worried as it is usually something that can be treated or corrected. The nail usually appears discolored because it is filling up with blood underneath the nail as it is separating from the skin underneath it. Once the separation has began it is a normal process and at this point there are a few things that you can do to limit more pain or injury.

Jogger’s Toe - If you spend a lot of time on your feet and you think it may have been possible that your toenail has been pressuring up against the front of your shoe then this is highly possible. This results in blistering under the toenail leading to the detachment of the nail- with or without pain!

Fungal infection causing separation - The nails would have been thick, hard and discolored yellow or orange for a period of time before the nail separated. This is a very common and treatable cause of nail separation.

Trauma is the number one cause of nail loss
First confirm that you have actually experienced trauma, this is usually pretty evident because you stubbed your toe really hard or dropped something really heavy onto your toe. You will experience the following symptoms:
- Pain
- Bleeding under the nail bed leading to red streaks or discoloration under the nail.
- Eventual loosening of the nail from the nail bed as the blood fills under the nail and you are able to evaluate the damage.

See this link to follow the treatment guide for coming off toenail.

So runners, take a good care of your feet and toes - healthy feet will let you run with greater pleasure.

Fingernails and toenails with black streaks

 Check your toenails and fingernails for signs of dark streaks. Streaks in the fingernails or the toenails can be very dangerous! It important that you take it seriously. It is entirely possible that a thick long dark streak could be melanoma - a type of skin cancer. The odds of the streak in your fingernail are actually pretty low because a lot of people, especially African Americans normally have light thin streaks of dark pigment that forms a vertical line down their nail which is completely normal. It is very easy to predict whether the streak is of the dangerous variety or if you are more on the safe side. If in doubt, it is essential that you see your podiatrist as soon as possible for a quick and easy biopsy.

See this link for more information about fingernails and toenails with black streaks.

So runners, be careful and check your toenails and fingernails for black streaks. It is important!

Pain of ingrown toenails
Sometimes you may experience an Ingrown Toenail with Pus which may be an extremely dangerous situation if not handled correctly.  If the ingrown nail isn’t that bad and you feel fine- there are really effective ways to decrease the curvature and the pain pretty quickly at home. These focus on decreasing the pain, softening the nail and the skin, separating the ingrowth from the skin and then doing something about it. If you are experiencing any nausea, fever, chills and you probably need to see a podiatrist immediately (especially if you are a diabetic or have poor blood flow).

The following link is the complete guide on how to handle your ingrown toenail pain.

Ingrown toenails are not common but may happen to any runner. A little toenail care should prevent it in first place, but overlooked may require treatment and professional care of podiatrist.

How to treat very long toenails (Onychogryphosis)?
If you have very long toe nails and it is not fungal nails (onychomycosis) then it is almost always a condition called onychogryphosis or mechanically induced nail trauma. The stem cells that grow the nail are permanently damaged and you have a very thick and difficult to trim nail- but it is usually a normal color. This is especially common on the first and the fifth toenails.

This link provides information how to care and prevent problems associated with long toenail. 

I hope that particularly older runners will get ideas how to prevent and treat long toenails.

Toenail Onychomycosis

Yellow nails and nail thickening may be due to various causes, but fungal invasion is found in more than 75% of all of these cases. If your nails are both discolored and thick, it should be assumed that you have nail fungus until proven otherwise. Other causes of nail thickness include mechanical trauma about 25% of the time (the first and the fifth toenails are very frequently distorted by chronic shoe pressure) and random systemic causes 5% of the time(like psoriasis).

You may try to find solution to toenail fungus problem at this link --->  Toenail Fungus Treatment 

For all runners, fungus free toenails are not only more aesthetic but also require less maintenance additionally to regular bath.

Do you have painful foot arch?

Do you have pain across the inside of your foot and heel? Is it worse in the morning and after long periods of rest? 
A painful foot arch is almost always due to putting too much strain across your feet over the last few days, weeks or even months. Your foot eventually develops little tears that form microscopic scar tissue; this is always a sign that the tissue across the bottom of your foot is being overworked. This morning pain is also known as plantar fasciitis and it is the most common cause of a painful foot arch and heel, especially in the morning before you get moving. But have no fear; there is a well formulated treatment plan that you can start applying immediately!

There is a 4 stage treatment protocol to ease the pain! <--- see this link

I hope that described in my link treatment may help you to get running again with no pain.