Sesamoiditis Treatment Sydney

Leading podiatry-driven, effective sesamoiditis treatment & relief in Sydney.

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Sesamoiditis Treatment Sydney

Sesamoiditis refers to inflammation and pain around the sesamoid bones that lie directly under the ball of the foot, in line with the big toe. Sesamoiditis is not a specific diagnosis but rather a description of pain in or around the sesamoid bones. Some causes of sesamoid related pain, often labelled sesamoiditis include:

  • Sesamoid-metatarsal pain (chondromalacia)
  • Fat pad inflammation and presesamoid bursitis
  • Flexor Hallucis Brevis Tendinopathy
  • Symptomatic bi-partite sesamoid (synchondrosis inflammation)
  • Sesamoid oedema
  • Sesamoid osteochondritis/sesamoid avascular necrosis
  • Sesamoid stress fracture
Sesamoiditis Treatment Sydney

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How do I know if I have sesamoiditis?

If you have pain on the underside of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint (big toe joint), you likely have some form of sesamoiditis. Those with sesamoiditis rarely have pain in other areas of the big toe joint, pain is exclusively on the plantar aspect of the foot. If you have generalised joint swelling and pain on the top side of the big toe joint, you may have other conditions like 1st metatarsophalangeal osteoarthritis, synovitis, or gout.

What sesamoiditis treatment can I try at home?

  • Avoiding barefoot, especially on tiles or timber floors.
  • Avoiding high heels
  • Protecting the forefoot with footwear that has significant cushioning (e.g. well cushioned running shoes with a high stack height and forefoot rocker design).
  • Self-massage in the arch of the foot using a tennis ball or similar (not directly on the painful part).
  • Seated toe flexor and intrinsic foot exercises
  • Avoiding exacerbating activities or exercises. Often walking can be more irritating for sesamoiditis than running, so taking note of steps per day with a wearable device is very helpful. Monitor steps and symptoms, and reduce steps as much as practical to get symptoms stable or improving.

What sesamoiditis treatment can I try at home?

The Pinnacle Sports Podiatry team have the training to evaluate your unique foot structure and deliver the best sesamoiditis treatment Sydney has to offer. We provide tried and tested treatment solutions that will provide short term relief, and long-term management. For more information on how Pinnacle Sports Podiatry can manage and treat sesamoiditis, get in touch with our friendly team today.

Have a listen to our principal podiatrist Tom discussing sesamoiditis on a “tricky conditions” episode of the Physical Performance Podcast with Brad Breer.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SESAMOIDITIS

What if my own sesamoiditis treatment is not working?

When simple strategies like rest and protecting the sesamoids with better footwear choices does not resolve pain, it’s best to get it looked at by a Podiatrist to get a more accurate diagnosis and advice around treatment options.

What does sesamoiditis treatment look like at Pinnacle Sports Podiatry?

  • It starts with having a good chat! We want to find out how long you’ve had sesamoid related pain, the nature of pain and how it affects your life or sport.
  • We don’t provide generic sesamoiditis treatment plans. We aim to get a more accurate diagnosis than sesamoiditis, then tailor treatment accordingly. For example, if your history and physical exam are consistent with a sesamoid stress fracture, then we would refer for imaging to confirm. Sesamoiditis bone pain treatment often needs to be more aggressive than standard sesamoiditis treatment.
  • After your Podiatrist has come up with a more accurate diagnosis than sesamoiditis, they will endeavour to identify all factors that may have led to the sesamoid related pain so they can be addressed as part of management.
  • Sesamoiditis treatment options that may be offered include:
    • Guidance around activity modification and when its ok to exercise through some pain or when to rest.
    • Anti-inflammatory strategies when inflammation is identified as part of the condition (e.g. fat pad inflammation and subcutaneous bursitis).
    • Padding and strapping techniques
    • Footwear advice or modification
    • Medical grade prefabricated orthotics or custom orthotics
    • Exercise prescription
    • Sesamoid bone pain treatment: walking boots to offload the sesamoids in the case of sesamoid stress fracture
    • Prolotherapy injections

If you are wishing to get an accurate diagnosis and sesamoiditis treatment tailored to you, you can search appointment availability with our Sydney CBD Podiatrist clinic and book online here.