[DaveyDave]

Hey up,

This past week or two I've had a bit of an ache in the knuckle joint of my right big toe, that hurts quite a bit when I stand on it in tight rock shoes. I'm 19 and been climbing 3 years, if that's any help - surely it can't be any arthritis stuff?

Thanks!

[andy popp]

Gout!?

[SA Chris]

Was going to be my first guess, but a bit young? How's your diet.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

If it's any help I had something similar for while around your age. Really painful but it went away. Unless you've really been hammering it as a student it's unlikely to be gout. Arthritis is pretty rare in young people. Can't remember if I checked it out with my GP, don't think I did, it just went away after a while. But it was painful enough for me to remember it 20 years later! A GP would probably just put it down to 'growing pains'. Might be worth getting some comfy rock boots to wear for while, having a pair is always handy for big routes/hot days.

[DaveyDave]

Cheers for the quick replies! Doubt it's gout, not swollen or anything. It's only when my feet are squashed into the knuckle shape that climbing shoes make that it hurts. I can walk fine at the moment, and bends normally without pain. Maybe best to go and see a climbing physio?

[andy popp]

My suggestion was pretty tongue in cheek (though not impossible, there are some myths about gout - as I found out to my cost) but the fact it only hurts when crammed in shoes strongly suggests it isn't gout.

[Boredboy]

If you get pain under the big toe / ball of foot area it could be sesamoiditis?

[lagerstarfish]

sounds like a case of Boreal-Toe

a syndrome common in the 1990's

go to your GP - he will tell you to stop cramming it into a rock shoe and look at you like you are stupid

[dr_botnik]

I know the sort of pain you get, I've had it too. Have you taken a big lead fall recently or stubbed your toe on a boulder when walking around? I reckon thats what caused mine, big lead fall, banged toe, hurt to fuck in rock shoes for a while, gradually went away, all better now. Time, ice, rest and (appropriate) compression will help with this. Usual caveats of internet advice apply (as in I could be talking out my arse)

[Johnny Brown]

Could be a bunion starting? Is your right foot slightly bigger than your left?

[mikester]

Check your shoes - what style and how tight? I had this problem with the old style Scarpa shoes (Mago and Stix) - very powerful toe performance, but seemed to lead to pain and discomfort. The pain was initially only when wearing them, but gradually lasted longer, even when not climbing. Changed shoes and problem solved almost overnight. Absolutely no problem with new Scarpas.

[DaveyDave]

Thanks again for the replies. It's a good point about stubbing it, the pain wasn't so bad two weeks ago and then I stubbed it this week (for the second time maybe?) when I was out bouldering and it hurt like mad. I've never had any issues with any shoes before, and even bigger ones seem to hurt now. Will rest and ice it and see a physio on monday.

[DaveyDave]

Went to the physio and he said that id irritated the joint. Incase anyone else has the same thing, he Reccommended a week or two no rockshoes, and a month or two of no super tight ones and to treat it like you would a pulley injury. He thinks it was brought on by upping the volume of sport climbing this month.

[DaveyDave]

Ugh this has come back but worse now, started probably 2 months ago only in rock shoes, but now I can feel it when doing normal things too, and got trips lined up in about 4 weeks.

Seen a few people about it, one said massage, one said heat and ibuprofen and one said ice.

Anyone got a golden nugged of speed toe healing advice?

The thing that seems to aggravate it the most is anything poking the end of my toe, like its being stubbed.

[slackline]

No magic solution, but perhaps time to revisit the earlier suggestion of gout and get that ruled out?

[DaveyDave]

It's not red or swollen or anything, and only hurts when I do really specific movements. Also not in the ball-joint, its somewhere between tip and the furthest knuckle of the big toe (the crimped one in rock shoes).

Has it actually been proven that magic doesn't exist?

[slackline]

I'm no doctor, and I don't know if you are, but swelling is one of the many symptoms of gout.  No idea if its obligatory.

Can't do any harm going and seeing your GP to get it ruled out can it?

Or you can keep on looking for diagnoses by internet-proxy.