Severe foot pain - anyone?

[Owmyfoot]

I’m at my wit’s end with this now.

For the last 10 or so years I’ve had a really random issue with my right foot. It started at shooting pains right down the ends of my toes. Like being stabbed in the toe with a hot needle. It came sort of in ‘attacks’, really suddenly and out of nowhere, where it would stab several times and then fade off. Often this would happen several times over the space of an hour or two, always in the same toe. However, the next time it happened would be in a different toe. Gradually it started being my whole foot, but again just a stabbing in one particular place - end of a toe, between toes, bottom of foot etc. Each time I had an attack it would be in a new place.

More recently it’s now a crushing pain over my whole foot. It’s like my foot is in a vice and being squeezed, absolutely excruciating but following the same pattern of attacks a few at a time over an hour or two. I still occasionally get the shooting pains in my toes too.

I am now desperate for answers. My GP is useless and has no idea, she mentioned perhaps sciatica but does that last 10 years?! I have no back or leg pain. Also there’s is no redness or visible swelling which rules out a few other things.

Just posting in the hope someone might have had something similar or know what this might be! It’s so bad at the moment I can’t sleep and painkillers aren’t touching it. I will go back to my gp but she seems stumped so god knows how long it’ll take before I’m referred anywhere.

My husband has alot of trouble with his feet- numbness and pain and he finds the revitive electrical impulse thing really helpful.

Refer yourself to physiotherapy. You can do it online with the NHS.
It’s likely something like plantar fasciitis or falling arches all of which can be corrected with physio and custom sole inserts.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/physiotherapy/accessing/

Thank you but I can’t self refer from where I am, and neither of those conditions match my symptoms. With me, the pain is worse at night or when I’m lying down, exercise doesn’t worsen it. Also no swelling and the pain is not in the heel.

I would invest in an osteopath appointment.

It sounds like Mortons Neuroma to me

I'd go to a podiatrist/chiropodist. It does sound like Morton's Neuroma and that can be helped/cured with insoles.

I have regular appointments with podiatry. I was told last appointment that student medics get 2 hours (2 hours!) on foot conditions....not sure if this is correct, but I was astonished. I know the body is v v complicated....
I had/have similar in my toes. I only experienced it after stopping taking vitamin B12 (after gastric surgery). Once I started taking again it improved enormously. I get mine from 'Purolabs' online. Apologies if this last bit is not allowed.

Metatarsalgia. Basically cramping in the foot.

Have you tried strapping any of your toes together? I get relief from that.

I also have mortons neuroma but what you've described isn't how mine feels.

Ok, it’s just that here physio is the gateway to be referred under NHS to for orthopaedics, podiatrist, any of that. You can’t get there without physio seeing you first. But I realise different NHS trusts have different routes to access care.