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Swelling toes

I've had RA for 40 years and my toes have never given me a problem until the past couple months. It start in the afternoon or evening with my toes swelling and it's painful to even walk. I do put my feet up but that doesn't take the swelling down. Do you have any ideas on how to treat my toes?

  1. Hi . Sorry you are having these issues with your toes. Problems with the feet are certainly not uncommon with RA and very important to try to deal with as they can have quite an impact. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), was diagnosed at two and has had RA for over 40 years. Her feet have quite a bit of damage and she cannot stand/balance without shoes. I don't relay this to scare you, but just to illustrate the importance of trying to nip issues in the bud. There are a number of potential causes from RA to other autoimmune conditions that can cause this type of swelling. Kelly's podiatrist has been very helpful and, of course, it is important to discuss this with your rheumatologist, who should be able to do diagnostics for inflammation beyond RA. Hoping you get some answers and relief soon. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

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