Pain in the first metatarsophalangeal joint

The first metatarsophalangeal joint is at the end of the limb. When blood circulation is not smooth, symptoms of pain in the first metatarsophalangeal joint will occur. This is related to the deposition of uric acid in this area of ​​the human body. Pain in any part of the body should be taken seriously and can be improved with medication. Patients should also increase physical exercise. In addition, while taking medication, you can adjust your diet, focusing on light food, which is beneficial to improving joint health.

Why does gout prefer the first metatarsophalangeal joint?

Nothing happens without a reason. There is a reason why the first metatarsophalangeal joint is the first joint affected by gout.

First of all, the first metatarsophalangeal joint is located at the end of the limb. The cartilage, synovium and tissues around the joint have few blood vessels, slow blood circulation, and the matrix is ​​rich in mucopolysaccharide acid and connective tissue, so uric acid is more likely to deposit here.

Secondly, the solubility of urate is related to temperature. At 37 degrees Celsius, the solubility of urate is 408, while at 25 degrees Celsius, the solubility of urate drops by about half. 25 degrees Celsius is the approximate temperature of the big toe in the early morning, so uric acid is more likely to deposit here to form uric acid crystals.

Finally, because the first metatarsophalangeal joint is a small joint, it is under great pressure on a daily basis and is prone to injury. The consequence of joint injury is the shedding of tiny urate crystals, which in turn triggers an acute attack of gout.

Do a good job of daily care to prevent gout attacks

Gout's preference for the first metatarsophalangeal joint not only brings severe pain, but also causes inconvenience in movement, affecting the patient's daily life and work. So, how can we prevent or reduce it?

1. Joint protection is important

Injury to the first metatarsophalangeal joint is not necessarily caused by strenuous activity. Sometimes a long-distance walk can cause joint damage. Therefore, when there are risk factors for gout, such as drinking and a high-purine diet, you should pay special attention to joint protection and try to reduce long periods of walking. At the same time, wearing a pair of comfortable shoes that fit your feet on a daily basis is also necessary to protect the first metatarsophalangeal joint.

2. Keeping your feet warm is important

The body temperature of different parts of the human body is not the same, among which the temperature of the extremities is the lowest. The reason why gout often occurs at night is also related to the lower temperature of the distal joints of the limbs at night. Therefore, you should pay attention to keeping your feet warm. You can choose to wear socks to sleep, or you can choose to soak your feet or massage your feet before going to bed to speed up blood circulation in your feet. These can reduce the deposition of uric acid and reduce the incidence of gout.

3. Maintaining a normal weight is important

Because the capillaries at the ends of the limbs of obese people are thinner than those of normal people, they are relatively more likely to have poor blood circulation, which leads to more deposition of uric acid. In addition, with the same number of steps, obese people suffer more serious damage to the first metatarsophalangeal joint than people of normal weight, which also increases the incidence of acute gout. Therefore, obese people must actively lose weight.

For most gout patients, only a single joint is affected during the first attack and the pain may go away after a few days. However, as the disease progresses, more joints such as the knees, elbows, and wrists will be affected. If not treated actively, greater harm will occur. Director Chen Jianchun reminds patients that regardless of whether they are in the acute attack or intermittent period of gout, they should go to a professional hospital for treatment as soon as possible. The longer the delay, the greater the harm to themselves.