by John Kenyon, CNA » Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:15 am
Hi there -
While your concern about Raymaud's is certainly warranted (it can run in families), it's not something selective (wouldn't occur in just one toe, plus there is always blanching of the affected digits -- just in case you ever have this happen). Besides, since it is a specific toe and is triggered when you put pressure on the toe or your foot, it is almost certainly due to a nerve being compressed. Since it's only one specific toe, the compression point is fairly far down, either in your leg, ankle, foot, or maybe even the affected toe. If it becomes really annoying or if the toe becomes numb or seems to want to bend under on its own (spasm) you'll need to have it checked by a neurologist. There is a lot of weight borne, even in very petite people, the farther down the leg you follow the nerves, so this sort of thing is fairly common. The trick is figuring out where the compression of the nerve is taking place. If you do find it doesn't resolve on its own, the best way to determine where the impingement is located is to have a nerve conduction test done. Hopefully it will resolve on its own before that happens, and one way to possibly help correct it is to try gentle stretching exercises that involve the whole leg (sitting on the floor with the legs extended, and reaching for your foot slowly, bending at the waist, putting traction on the whole leg). Sometimes this is sufficient to correct the problem.
I hope this is helpful. Best of luck to you. Please follow up with us as needed.
John Kenyon, EMT, CCT
Non-invasive cardiology tech, Emergency and Critical Care technician, Critical Incident Stress Mgmt. specialist
