Battling the big toe joint blues
The joint at the base of the big toe is called the metatarsophalangeal or MTP joint. Common conditions that affect the MTP joint include osteoarthritis, the wearing away of cartilage between the bones; bunions, a condition in which the first metatarsal bone juts outward, causing the phalanx bone to point inward toward the other toes; and gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis. Surgery is always a last resort for bunions or MTP arthritis. Gout may require over-the-counter painkillers or prescription medications.
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