Turf toeand gout are painful conditions.
They can cause pain and swelling of the big toe and make walking difficult.
While the two conditions cause similar symptoms, they have different causes and treatments.
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This article covers turf toe and gout’s differences, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
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What Is Gout?
Goutis a painful form ofinflammatory arthritis.
It typically affects one joint at a timeusually the big toe.
Gout can affect other joints, including the fingers, elbows, ankles, and knees.
This causes an extremely painful gout attack.
There are times when gout symptoms get worse.
These periods are called flares orgout attacks.
Other times, people with gout experience remissionperiods of no symptoms or pain.
The main symptom of gout in the toe is sudden, severe pain in the affected toe.
Other symptoms include:
Gout attacks often occur at night and can wake you up from sleep.
A cardinal sign of gout is that you could’t sleep with bedsheets covering the affected toe.
Even so, it is difficult to predict how often attacks will occur and when they might happen.
There is no cure for gout, but the condition is manageable and treatable.
It is treated with medication and self-management approaches.
What Is Turf Toe?
A turf toe injury often leads to soft tissue and ligament stretching or tearing.
Turf toe is a common injury among athletes who compete on artificial turf (grass) surfaces.
Symptoms of turf toe can range from mild to severe.
You may hear a pop if a sudden injury causes the turf toe.
In this case, the pain will be felt right away.
If your turf toe injury is related to repetitive movements, the pain may gradually worsen with time.
Turf toe injuries that don’t heal correctly will need surgery to treat.
According to a 2018 report, only 2% of turf toe injuries require surgical intervention.
What Is the Difference?
Turf toe and gout share some symptoms.
Gout can be acute but can become chronic if not properly treated.
Both conditions can lead to joint damage without medical intervention.
The cause of gout is auric acid buildupin the body, leading to urate crystals forming in the joints.
Pain and swelling from turf toe and gout can be relieved withNSAIDs, ice, and rest.
Your healthcare provider may also prescribe treatments to reduce gout attacks and uric acid levels.
Can Turf Toe Trigger Gout?
If you have gout, it is vital to protect your feet, especially when exercising or working outside.
Continuous, long-term management of gout is also crucial for preventing gout flares and joint damage.
They will ask about your symptoms and test your range of motion.
They might request imaging if the injury looks severe or if afractureor more serious injury is suspected.
Imaging can rule out other causes of symptoms or look for uric crystals in the joints and surrounding tissues.
Your healthcare provider might recommendphysical therapyexercises and stretching to help accelerate healing.
They might also recommend taping your big toe to your nearby toes to restrict motion while the toe heals.
Turf toe rarely requires surgery to repair tears, fractures, or joint damage.
Gout treatment focuses on reducing pain and symptoms during a gout attack and preventing future attacks.
Gout is also managed with diet, weight loss, and physical therapy.
Summary
Turf toe and gout both affect the big toe.
They can cause similar symptoms, including joint pain and stiffness.
Turf toe usually is due to an injury that overextends the toe.
Gout occurs because there is too much uric acid in the body.
Gout attacks can occur without any warning.
Both turf toe and gout need a proper diagnosis so treatment can start.
Without treatment, these conditions can worsen and affect your joint health.
A Word From Verywell
Any number of conditions can lead to toe pain.
You may feel pain immediately, especially if the toe is bent suddenly and quickly.
A mild toe injury can cause a gout attack if uric acid crystals are in the nearby joint lining.
It might take up to a month to heal from turf toe.
Afterard, you might need physical therapy to help regain the affected joint’s strength and range of motion.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.
UPMC Sports Medicine.Turf toe injury.
Najefi AA, Jeyaseelan L, Welck M.Turf toe: A clinical update.EFORT Open Rev.
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