Gout is an acute arthritis in a joint commonly in the foot. Arthritis is a disease of the joints which causes them to become inflamed and stiffened. Other types of arthritis include Rheumatoid ,Osteo and Psoriatic. Gout is caused by an imbalance of Uric acid in the body and tends to affect more men than women.
Symptoms
These include an acute throbbing pain often in the big toe but can also occur in the ankle. Pain can last for three or four hours and then subside and not usually return for a few months.
Treatment
In the acute phase this consists of the application of ice or cooling lotions. Chronic conditions can be controlled with medication from your G.P. Uncontrolled chronic gout can lead to enlarged arthritic joints with the development of tophi in the joint (below)
At Sale Podiatry we can advise you on the correct footwear and help with adaptations to your existing footwear. We can provide protective shields for your toes,or paddings to relieve pressure and reduce friction on these joints. Treatment can be carried out for other problems such as corns or ulcers associated with gouty joints. Sale Podiatry will refer you on to a specialist for further treatment if we feel that is necessary.