I noticed that I’ve been having lingering joint stiffness even after my gout flare up has subsided. It almost feels like the medicine doesn’t fully remove all the uric acid from the joints. This is a change for me because before when I’d take the medicine it would get rid of the gout attack as well as the joint stiffness in my toes.
Now when I get flare ups, my joints remain a bit stiff even after it has gone. Also I’ve noticed that my toes aren’t as flexible as before. As I massage and stretch them, I could tell there is limited mobility in my toe joints and when I try to stretch them beyond a certain point, it starts hurting.
Affects on Exercise
Unfortunately, joint stiffness has prevented me from working out regularly because I typically do exercises that require me to bend my toes, such as push ups, jogging and calf presses.
Although there are other exercises that I can do without hurting myself, I have fear in the back of my mind that I may accidentally hyperextend my toes joints and cause additional damage. I remember one time I ended up getting a gout flare up simply from stretching my toe joints while they were stiff. I no longer stretch them when they are stiff because I believe it can trigger an attack. Another reason why I don’t stretch my toes during a gout attack is that you could possibly cause damage in your joints because you’re essentially grinding the uric acid crystals between your joints.
Sign
From my experience, joint stiffness is a good indicator of uric acid buildup. When you feel your joints getting stiff after a meal or drinks, it could mean that a gout flare up is on the horizon. It doesn’t guarantee a flare up, but I would proceed with caution at that point. Personally, I would take a supplement and drink lots of water to help flush out the uric acid. I believe it’s worked for me.
After you’ve gotten rid of the gout pain and swelling, that stiffness can linger in your joints. It may last for quite a while. For me, it seems to last longer with each subsequent flare up.
Work on Your Health
Your joint stiffness isn’t permanent, but it does happen to linger longer the more frequent you get gout flare ups. This is a sign that you should work on your overall health.
Gout isn’t just about too much uric acid. There’s a reason why your organs aren’t able to flush it out like it used to when you were young. Your organs are not functioning as effectively as before.
For this reason, you need to work on your overall health. Improve your diet. Cut out or cut down on alcohol. Exercise more. All of these things add up.