My fucking feet are driving me nuts!!

[Gingernaut]

I'm 48 and I'm in the middle of yet another health, fitness and weight loss drive.

I have lost over three stones but need to increase my levels of fitness, tone up, build up stamina yadda, yadda yadda....

I need to lose about another 3 stones as I am less than five feet tall, petite with very small bones - a sparrow skeleton hidden by a penguin body.

Over the years, I have tried different gyms, but have always had to bow out.

Apathy mainly, but in recent years, I have acquired swim ears (requiring the perfect ear plugs which don't seem to have been invented yet), post viral labyrinthitis (leaving me too giddy to be safe on equipment) and I even managed to sprain my arse (coccydynia anyone?).

Now however, I am thoroughly fed up.

I have had trouble with my feet over the years.

Being so fat for so long, my gait has adapted so I waddle like a penguin. This has resulted in problems with my feet as I stand and walk with my feet pointing out almost in a ballet position.

Bilateral plantar fasciitis (the injection!! ), a variety of orthotics to accommodate that, followed by a left Morton's neuroma with another set of orthotics and a left bunion all of which have left me with limited shoe options.

No heels, no flats, very few sandal options, nothing with toe posts, my DMs require special care to breal them in, or else they'll break me.

I have finally joined another gym.

I have taken advantage of the three free personal sessions and have now taken on a personal trainer.

And i have acquired another, right sided, Morton's neuroma.

I am in fucking agony with a pebble or blister sensation under my right foot as I walk. The toes alternate between stinging, pins and needling and numb and I can wear only two pairs of trainers.

I have seen the doctor who has referred me to the podiatrist for yet another pair of orthotics but this will take 6-8 weeks.

Meanwhile, all the good work the personal trainer has done is slowly coming unravelled.

I can't do the treadmill, I can't do the cross trainer, I can't do the rowing machine, I can't do the leg press, i can't do lunges, press ups and so on and so forth.

Yesterday was awful. I went limping around the local park and had to stop a couple of times as my feet (bunion's playing up as well) were so painful.

I don't want to stop now.

Would I Be Unreasonable to consider going private for possible surgery?

I can afford it, as I was left a large inheritance.

The alternative is a 6-8 week wait just to see someone who's only going to give me another pair of orthotics (I already have a pair for neuromas) and then I have to report back in 4 weeks time to see if they're working.

I'm fed up, in pain and don't want to have to do that all over again.

Would I Be Unreasonable?

Has anyone else had something similar?

Would they recommend a particular course of treatment?

This place is starting to turn my head.

www.cryosurgery.co.uk/cryosurgery/

Yeah.

That might happen after the 6-8 week wait to see the podiatrist, the orthotics trial, an adjustment or two, a trip back to the GP to be referred for further treatment and a further wait.

Sod that.

First chance I get tonight, I'm Googling the fuck out of the internet to find someone in the West Midlands who can help.

Yep, good plan! Luckily, I was able to get podiatrist to refer me direct for u/sound, the Dr there made the diagnosis and I was booked in the next week for the cortisone. Hope you get it sorted.

Why don't you see a private podiatrist first?

Feet are the devil's work. I popped my plantar in July. I heard it snap... everyone in a 5 mile radius heard it snap. I went to a private podiatrist who reeled off a list of horrors wrong with my right foot and custom-made me orthotics. I thought great, I have got in early... except the orthotics have ruined me. Despite wearing them in as advised, I now find myself with two feet riddled with agony.
Bloody podiatrist has made things a million times worse. I went back to complain and the level of irresponsibility was mind-boggling. Apparently, I have caused it by undoubtedly wriggling round a pole or sprinting a marathon. What? In my Ecco shoes plus orthotics? The pain makes me want to vomit and I cannot stand the fizzing I have in both feet. I only injured one.

Go private. Why even think twice if you can afford it? Your health is number one.

Yep. DameDoom I hear you.

The orthotics shift the position of the foot inside the shoe, meaning that the treatment for one thing (in my case, neuromas) interferes with or exacerbates the problems elsewhere (again, in my case today, the bunions).

It is beyond frustrating.

I do go to a chiropodist (Shuropody) but that tends to treat the corns and callouses caused by the odd walk generated by my penguin waddle.

Can you find a sports podiatrist (get some recommendations from runners/athletes-try local Facebook parkrun page) . They deal less with corns and ingrown toenails and more with gait analysis/treatment. I've had numerous feet issues- tendonitis, bursitis, neuromas and have seen physios, sports Drs and pods. A good sports podiatrist has been by far the most useful.

My feet have been sore for years in the mornings but over the past few months have got terrible. It took several weeks to get a docs app and then another several weeks to get the referral letter for physio which I haven't been able to book yet as they were shut last week when it arrived. So I don't even have a diagnosis yet although think poss PF. My feet are so painful today I can't walk. I've managed to get myself to bathroom on tip toe having stretched out calfs and done some other rotating stretches so I can now lie in bath hoping the heat will help. I iced last night and it didn't help. I don't know what to do as have animals to sort and not exaggerating that I can't put any weight on my heel to walk. Does anyone know if acupuncture works to relieve as other than going to A&E (who presumably would only give strong painkillers) my only other option is seeing if a friend who is an acupuncturist could see me later as a favour. Sorry OP for your problems; I can very fully sympathise. Horrific.

I would go private to see a foot specialist surgeon or podiatrist. You should get an X Ray or a CT scan then to get a well rounded view of what's going on. I have suffered terribly with my feet and what I self diagnosed as PF. In April I started a running course and after completing the initial assessment could barely walk for a week

Posted too soon....I went to see a good physio who diagnosed osteo arthritis in my big toes. I'm now awaiting surgery to fuse the joints in January (as this was the most convenient time to be off my feet for a long time to recover). In the meantime I take extra strength pain killers when I'm going to be on my feet all day and am looking forward to winter so I can wear trainers and boots again which help to keep my feet rigid. My feet kill me every day and it's very depressing to be in such a state at age 45 so I know how you feel. Go private but follow a logical path so you don't waste money.

Just be warned that surgery for Morton's Neuroma has a notoriously poor outcome. Either the neuroma recurs, the nerve is damaged in surgery, or removal of the neuroma does not alleviate the pain in the first place.

Every woman in my family has them, and it is not weight related. My aunt had surgery and says it was the biggest mistake of her life.

Adidas running shoes, not Nike cross training shoes.

Some relief there. Tougher, more protective soles and a much wider toe box allowing my toes to spread.

I've messaged a couple of clinics, no one has got back to me.

Thanks for all your comments.

Not good news.

I went to see the podiatrist yesterday and received the news that it wasn't neuromas.

I have, at 48 years of age, acquired metatarsal fat pad atrophy. normally afflicting the elderly.

I'm 48 ffs, not 88.

I have been given two pairs of orthotics with thick, memory foam padding on them and, so far, they make little difference.

In fact, the extra 'stuffing' inside even the roomiest trainers is causing the bunions to complain.

I am utterly fed up.

I noticed that boots were selling ear drops for swimmers, supposed to have the same effect as ear plugs. Maybe look at those? When I saw them they we on the ear plugs isle at boots

Gingeraut, go back to the pool. BUT do NOT put your head under the water, in fact, don't swim.

Float using a noodle under your arms and get a physiotherapist to devise 60minute programme for aqua ballet moves for your legs and torso. Pull your legs up and twist, cris cross your legs, "run" with legs straight like a scissors and toes pointed, and also bent with toes flexed. Hold your stomach muscles in as hard as you can to stabilise yourself.

You can sit on a noodle and exercise your arms in the shallow end. Arms describing arcs under the water, forward and behind you, then arms extended out, up and down in the water column. Hold your stomach in when you're working your arms and hold yourself in the water using your stomach.

You don't need to swim in the pool, but I think with your foot problems your fitness needn't suffer if you do your exercises in the pool with a noodle!

In the midst of a push to be fit, I severely sprained my ankle.
My PT devised pool exercises that did not involve my head being in the water, they were not easy. You can still get an excellent work out.
Will the foot condition improve at all?

Will the foot condition improve at all?

No.

Surgery has a so so outcome but the orthotics may be too little too late.

Sorry, posted too soon.

I can't walk in bare feet and I can't walk long distances.

I'll have to see about low impact exercises including swimming.

Fuck.

What RattataPidgeyRattataPidgey said diet is 80% of weight loss and low carb diets are effective x

But no yanbu if you can afford surgery lifes too short not to

I've arranged a GP appointment for next week and a private consultation for the following week.

The padded memory foam is next to useless and the pain is keeping me awake.

I need to do something

I thought a bunion was causing me pain, but an x-ray showed arthritic changes in the big toe joint. A general orthopedic surgeon said I needed joint replacement surgery. I saw a podiatric surgeon privately for a second opinion and she gave me a steroid injection and told me to wear wider fitting shoes - that was nearly two years ago. It was definitely worth the cost of the private consultation.

Yup. The consultant may not recommend surgery, but may come up with alternatives which might do the trick.

A week on and the 'tough' memory foam has torn already.

The consultation can't come too soon.

Go referral to radiologist in a private hospital for an u/s see what the outcome is for a treatment plan. If you are self pay you will gr ally seen with 2 days