Do you periodically experience severe pain in your big toe? If you’ve ever had this type of pain there’s a chance that you were suffering from a flare-up of gout.

Gout is a type of arthritis that most commonly affects the first toe. It can also affect other joints such as the ankles, knees, and hands. The affected joints may become suddenly painful with a burning sensation, stiffness, and swelling.

Patients suffering a gouty flare-up will often notice that the skin around the affected joints may have a red appearance. Although the symptoms of gout can affect your joints at any time during the day, acute attacks are more likely to occur at nighttime.

Gout is a metabolic disorder in which the body accumulates too much uric acid in the bloodstream, which then leads to an accumulation of urate crystals in the joint. This may be the result of eating excessive red meats, sugary drinks or drinking too much alcohol. Even certain medications, such as diuretics, can cause gout to develop. Men are more susceptible than women, and excessive weight gain can contribute to one’s development of this painful condition.

There are two things you should do if you feel that you may be suffering from gout.

1. Evaluate your diet and limit or omit those foods that are known to increase the risk of developing gout. Some of these foods include:

   1. Read Meats

   2. Seafood

   3. Turkey

   4. Alcohol (especially beer)

2. Schedule a chiropractic checkup as soon as you can. Just because your big toe is extraordinarily painful doesn’t mean that it’s due to a gouty flare-up. Misalignments of the bones in the feet can cause significant joint pain. Gentle foot adjustments can improve foot bone alignment, restore joint function, and reduce your pain.

Depending on your particular condition and circumstances we may recommend specific dietary changes and/or refer you elsewhere for the proper nutritional or medical support.

Our primary goal is to help each of our patients reach their fullest health potential. If you have suffered from gout or if you are not sure

but you think you may have, we encourage you to come in and allow us to evaluate your condition.