Hello Lynn,
I have osteo arthritis in most of my joints. The big toe joints are a disaster. So fused and knobby that doctor wanted to fuse the joint surgically so it is not mobile. . My pcp doctor said no that my walking would be worse, so I did the opposite. The ortho doctor wanted to keep it from moving. When they isolate a joint, basically they give up on it. My son is a PT so I went that route. I honestly pushed through some real pain to get the joint to move at all. Believe it or not, even though they say the joint is still destroyed, I can walk with minimal pain. I did the PT and did it in excess, also walked the beach to make it move. I don't know if it is the right thing to do, but it worked for me. To start with I had no mobility of that joint at all. I can move the toe now. Let me know how you do. It does hurt that arthritis, I know it does. ginnie