Everyone knows somebody who has dislocated a knee or shoulder, but dislocations can also affect your lower extremities as well. At Advanced Foot Care of NJ, we see plenty of dislocations resulting from injury, and unfortunately, they can be intensely painful. Although most joints can be relocated back to their initial position without requiring surgery, some issues with the foot and ankle can be a little more complicated.

For this blog, we want to keep patients in the know regarding pre-dislocation syndrome, a unique affliction pertaining to the second toe that actually leads to dislocation with no precipitating injury.

What Is Pre-Dislocation Syndrome?

Typically, this syndrome affects the region where your second toe connects with the rest of your foot. Many patients experience:

Pain in the balls of their feet, typically near the second toe.
Curling, raising, or extensive deformity of the second toe, with a possibility that it could even overlap the big toe.
Significant pain with no deformity and toes presenting as normal.

Common Symptoms and Mysterious Correlations

There are a few symptoms of this condition that we use to mark its presence more than others, including:

It is a sensation that one is stepping on something underneath the ball of the foot, comparable to a bunched-up sock or a marble. This is the most common symptom.
Pronounced pain and increase of the aforementioned sensation when walking barefoot.

To add to the complexity, there are also some mysterious correlations involving pre-dislocation syndrome:

Women over 40 are most prone to suffering from this condition.
There are specific women’s shoes that can exacerbate the pain, but they don’t cause the condition in and of themselves.
The reasons for this correlation have not yet been determined. It’s a mystery!

Ultimately, it’s best to act early, as we’ve often said before. Early diagnosis and treatment make a huge difference, preventing full dislocation and thus precluding any potential need for surgery.

At Advanced Foot Care of NJ, LLC, Dr. Anant Joshi and his staff treat a range of conditions and are committed to providing positive results. We welcome new and existing patients from our neighbors in Little Falls, Cedar Grove, Verona, Stoney Road, Sandy Hill, Albion Place, and Great Notch. To schedule an appointment, contact his Woodland Park, NJ office at 973-256-0002.