Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics - Medical Information Gout treatment Gout tends to be hereditary and affects males more than females, so if you're male and there's a history of gout in your family, you can expect to experience this painful condition at some time in your life. It is a painful inflammation of joints, particularly the big toe, heel, or knee, caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the body.
Uric acid is produced by the liver and is normally expelled in the urine.
Your foot specialist may give you a steroid shot to relieve the immediate pain, but this won't do anything to treat the underlying cause. For this, the doctor may prescribe medication that will reduce uric acid production or aid the body in eliminating it. Contact a foot specialist in your area for further information on gout.