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The Painful Big Toe
Prolotherapy:
A Great Alternative Treatment of Hallux Rigidus
It may seem odd that a treatment that stabilizes joints would help loosen up a
rigid joint. Hallux rigidus is a condition characterized by
bone spurs in
the first metatarsophalangeal joint. In other words the big toe does not flex or
extend very well. It is rigid. The usual traditional treatment offered to the
patient is often a joint replacement. Another treatment option is
Prolotherapy.
Arthritis commonly forms in a joint where a ligament injury has occurred. So
whenever I see arthritis in a joint, especially with a bone spur, I am thinking
this bone spur occurred because the body was trying to stabilize the joint.
Why would the body want to stabilize the big toe joint?
Most likely the person at some point jammed the big toe joint and injured the
ligaments and joint capsule. The person should have sought Prolotherapy
initially as their treatment choice because Prolotherapy at that point could
have most likely stopped the arthritic process.
Hallux Rigidus is painful. Prolotherapy helps decrease the pain. It can
eliminate the pain, but on top of that, the athlete especially needs the big toe
to be able to move more. If the toe does not move more, pushing off on the toe
will again start to hurt. I know how this feels because I had/have this
condition in both of my big toes. At one point, I could not move either one of
my big toes at all. I even went to a podiatrist to get an evaluation. Yes, the
podiatrist told me that I had a big bone spur on my big toe.
Well, of course, I started aggressive Prolotherapy to this toe, as well as
aggressive exercises of the big toe joint. I basically did the opposite of what
the Podiatrist and others suggested. I started strengthening my foot. My right
big toe regained about 85% of its motion and my left toe gained about 60%. I
still do the toe exercises. I can run without pain now. I have basically no pain
in the big toe joints unless I don’t do the exercises for a long time. My left
big toe still occasionally needs Prolotherapy once in awhile since I am so
aggressive with my sports activities.
In my experience treating hallux rigidus with Prolotherapy, most patients
require 5-8 visits of Prolotherapy. The combination of Prolotherapy to reduce
the pain and exercises to improve motion typically works great for hallux
rigidus cases. For the person who does not want to get a surgical procedure for
the condition, Prolotherapy is a great alternative!
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