Podiatrist/bad feet/COVID

[SassenachWitch]

For 10 months I’ve had problems with my feet, started with balls of feet hurting, then 2nd toe on both feet was so painful and swollen, swelling went down slightly and less painful, but my feet were still hurting, and also my ankles.

Now the tops of my feet, running parallel to my toes are swollen, not massively, but as I usually have skinny and boney feet it’s noticeable to me.

Managed to speak to my GP in July and she referred for X-ray, podiatrist and physio.

X-ray in August found nothing in feet or ankles.

Finally had my virtual podiatry appointment today and pretty much been told that without looking at my feet, they can’t help me, and they can’t see me in person until next year.

I’ve lived in 5” stilettos for 25 years, literally every single day, work, school run, shopping etc I’ve worn heels, didn’t own a pair of flats in all that time, went into lockdown in March and spent 3 weeks at home walking around in bare feet, so Dr and podiatrist and suggesting it’s because I’ve been damaging my feet gradually for years and now I’m paying the price.

Surely a change in footwear for 3 weeks wouldn’t cause this?

And what do I do about getting someone to actually look at my feet? Are private podiatrist seeing people? My GP isn’t interested, she won’t even prescribe me a decent anti-inflammatory.

I could cry, 10 months of painful feet

Yes private podiatrists are open. You should be seen quite quickly and it needn’t be extortionately expensive.

Unfortunately you are probably now reaping what you’ve sown. 5” will have put an enormous strain on your feet but it is human nature to think we'll get away with these things.

You would need to ring a private podiatrist and let them triage you over the phone, no low risk groups are supposed to be seen right now.

Are any shoes comfortable at all now? The soft tissue will adapt to flat shoes eventually but for 25 years they’ve worked abnormally and that’s such a long time.

I’ve found that if I wear flats, the soles of my feet are less painful, but my ankles hurt, if I wear heels my soles hurt but ankles are fine

I do now have a decent wide, and supportive lower pair of heels, been wearing them for a week now and the pain is easing off.

I’m definitely paying for my past shoe sins

There’s a lot of tiny ligaments in the feet which can adapt but they do so very slowly so keep going as you are.

How are you barefoot?

When you say your "ankles", do you mean the outside of your foot where the bony bit sticking out is?

@Fluffycloudland77 barefoot is about the same as flat shoes, soles of my feet hurt but it’s not agonising, but my ankles are sore.

Would ligament damage show on an X-ray?

@Gingernaut I mean the front and both sides of my ankles, it’s not the boney bit that sticks out as such. Funnily enough the backs of my ankles don’t hurt.

Honestly i can't believe you have treated your feet like that and thought you could get away with it.
And yes three weeks of a change of footwear can cause havoc with your feet.
Us NHS podiatrists have been seeing people throughout lockdown so I don't know why some trusts are still not seeing patients in pain.
Your doctor doesn't need to give you anti-inflammatories - you can just go to the chemist and buy ibuprofen over the counter.
For 25 years you have been standing on the balls of your feet in these shoes with your entire body weight thrown forwards on them gradually wearing down the natural fatty padding that protects the and causing the joints to degenerate before their time, the porr old extensor tendons those long tendons down the front of your foot in the picture have been forced into a position where they have become lax, over shortened and useless, same as your achilles tendons and plantar fascia.
Then one day out of the blue you decide to start going barefoot and all of the above mentioned tendons are suddenly stretched out to the absolute max going "TWANG" loudly, then they start to puff up and swell causing excruciating pain because you have caused tiny micro tears along practically every tendon in your poor feet which feel the same as if you are ripping your skin in half.
You need to start wearing shoes with a bit of a heel and doing some manual massage on the affected area and rest with your feet up to give the micro tears a chance to heal and bathe your feet in warm water footbaths or a foot spa. Reduce the heel height on your shoes very gradually. Take anti-inflammatories over the counter if you don't have any stomach problems.
It will take many months to heel the awful damage you have done.
Your best bet is to get some rocker bottom shoes to wear - the shoes will do the walking action for you that these tendons normally do allowing the micro tears to heal and in a few months you may be able to start doing some gentle achilles tendon, plantar fascia and extensor tendon stretches to correct the damaged tendons but it's going to take a long long time.

www.amazon.co.uk/Rocker-Shoes/s?k=Rocker+Shoes&tag=mumsnetforu03-21
You need to start g

Meanwhile DO NOT go barefoot - wear rocker bottom shoes indoors and out until the swelling and pain subsides.
When the pain has almost stopped then look up extensor tendon, plantar fascia and achilles tendon stretches on the internet and do them twice a day GENTLY. If there is any pain STOP, rest for a day or two then continue.

@madcatladyforever thank you so much! Honestly you’ve been much more help than the video call yesterday!

I have definitely mistreated my feet, but it’s not something I ever thought about, as I’ve always found heels to be comfortable. But now at age 37, and feeling like a 90 year old, has really given me a kick up the arse!

As for the anti-inflammatories, I’ve been taking over the counter ibuprofen for months and it isn’t working anymore, I was hoping Naproxen might be better, but I do have a sensitive stomach and have to have a break from the ibuprofen at times.

Thank you so much for your advice, you’ve also reassured me some what, as I was convincing myself it was something much more serious. But what you’ve said about the tendons makes sense, as the swelling is in the areas you’ve mentioned.

That's ok, I've seen this before and even three weeks without shoes can cause a lot of damage. Unfortunately as we start to get to 40 the fatty padding at the bottom of the feet starts to wear out and any tendons that have been held in an abnormal shape for a long time start to wither like perished elastic bands.
It's going to be painful for a while longer unfortunately. Tendon tears take ages to heal basically because we can't walk on our hands, we are always on our feet and can't avoid it so the little tears heal up while we are asleep and open up again as soon as we stand up. So they heal bit by bit but painfully.
Keep soaking and gentle massaging, you can stretch them by hand by bending your toes backwards and forwards and they will heal eventually.

Also depends on your foot shape, if you have a high arched foot then all those tendons are very easily damaged because they are already over stretched, if you have a normal/low arch then not so much.

I do have a high instep.

Had a phone call from physio this morning, they’re willing to see me face to face next Tuesday, she pretty much said the same as you, it sounds like tendon damage, so she’s going to go through exercises with me to help.

I’m just relieved someone is actually going to take a look at them and I feel so much better having an idea of what’s going on. I have health anxiety, but also a phobia of all things medical, so it’s been hard for me to seek advice or help.

You can buy naproxen gel otc, worth a try instead of ibuprofen tablets?