From what I understand, your father has had toe joint pain for 3 months. There are quite a few questions I would like to further ask, to help come up with a possible diagnosis.
I assume there was no traumatic episode? and that the pain gradually developed over this time? Which toe is involved? is it the whole toe or one or more of the joints? Any associated foot or ankle pain as well? When does the pain happen? All the time? or with activity only? What kind of activities will cause the pain? Any pain at rest?
There are quite a few possibilities. Your father would need a thorough examination by an orthopedic surgeon, and the minimum radiological investigation would be an X-rays. X-rays are the most affordable modality of the radiological investigation, and the radiation is really not much. As we only do two standard views of the foot. We usually do both feet to compare, as there may be subtle differences that may be overlooked.
Toe joint pain can be caused by many problems, with the more common ones at this age group being arthritis, or sometimes even gout. If his pain is severe and affecting his lifestyle, he should really be encouraged to seek a professional opinion.
Management depends on what is the problem. Medication and sometimes physiotherapy/ podiatry would be the first line, and if the symptoms are not better, there may be a role for surgery. Nonetheless, a proper diagnosis should be made first.
Hope this helps
Dr Sean Ng
