Does anyone have OA in their feet?

sharmaine

Hi everyone
I'm off to see my GP this week. Dreading it because he'll be giving me another cortisone injection in my foot for the so called 'plantar fascilitis'.
I've been complaining about my foot since I had my TKR nearly 2 years ago. I wonder if I have OA in my feet as my toes get stiff and painful and both feet have hurt for years. I used to put it down to working too hard but I can't blame work anymore because I had to leave my job because of arthritis.

If you suffer perhaps you could tell me what it's like for you. I wear insoles in my shoes to help. Walking on flat surfaces is tough. All my shoes have deep insoles. I just wish the doctors would listen and xray my feet. Standing in one place or queuing is virtually impossible or me to do without totalling stiffening up.

I'm like the tin man in the "Wizard of Oz"!

Sharmaine

Regards
Sharmaine

dachshund

Hello Sharmaine.
yes i have arther in my feet i had a tripple fusion in june
it has all healed well but i'm havig a problem with my ankle
i have pain in it and it give's away.
i see the consultant in dec, i have where my legs ache i have a tkr and a thr when i stand the ache is worse and walking
too far make's my body feel worn out.
take care. joan xx

cloud9

Yes I do but I think I'm slightly different. The arthur in my feet/ankles is due to a birth defect of bi-lateral talipes equinovarus. I had numerous surgeries as a child, (up to age 11) and subsequent arthritis of all the joints. I too had a TA which has sorted most of the pain in 1 foot. Just the other foot to sort out now!

Airwave!

After two big toe jobs all the weight goes onto the smaller toe joints and they are painful now and all the way up as well.

Having raised arches supported takes the weight off of your toes but makes you walk awkwardly and transfers the problem further up your limbs and back. Wearing the silicon supports is sweaty and since you only get one pair isn't overly helpful. I've tried most types of supports, been NHS and private. I wear large trainer type walking shoes with well supported and padded soles which work after a fashion, the best answer I have is to use the car!

Its a grin, honest!

P.S. Plastic/foam Clogs are nice and comfy but offer no support and are slippery with sweaty feet, be warned.

joanlawson

Hi Sharmaine

I suffered with Plantar Fasciitis for over a year and it was like walking with pebbles in my shoes all the time. I tried insoles prescribed for me, but I couldn't get on with them and they seemed to make it worse. Cortisone injections in my heels seemed to have little effect either. Eventually, I found that wearing shoes with plenty of room for my toes, and lace-ups rather than slip-on shoes seemed to help. They aren't always the most fashionable, but I look for lace-up shoes which are supportive and cushioned. Luckily, the Plantar Fasciitis has decreased recently, but I do still get pain in my right foot and ankle which I'm sure is arthritis.

Airwave!

I agree with Joan, I usually buy 1-2 sizes too big and have long laceups that can be adjusted at different points.

jez

Hi,
I have OA in both ankles and most of my right foot i have trouble with swelling in my right foot which is making life very difficult my orthotist has trouble understanding my feet/walking problems due also to Oa in knees + hips and fairly severe tendonitis in legs in general.
I'm not drunk i always walk like it...................
jez

barbara12

Hi Sharmaine
Mine has just started in two of my toes , I say just its been off and on for a long time, but I never though of Arthur till I got it in the hips, I get like a click in my toes then a very sharp pain , it does come and go, thank goodness...I do hope
Wishing you well with the injection, and I have everything crossed that you get lots of relief from it.

dreamdaisy

Yup, lots of it - arthritis of some sort anyway. (I have both PA and OA.) It began a while ago, they hurt all the time, sometimes my toes swell too. I currently feel as though I am standing on a spike that is thrust into the bottom of my right heel, my ankles hurt, the days of walking any distance without a rest are long gone and as for queueing - forget it. I just grit my teeth and plod on. DD

sharmaine

Hi Barbara, Jez, Airway, Dreamdaisy, joanl; cloud9,

Thanks for your replies. It helps to talk things over with people who understand the discomfort!

I think I may persevere and not have the cortisone injection. It hurt like hell the last time I had it - even with the local anaesthetic. Most unpleasant experience and it didn't last that long either. I generally wear lace ups and found some great insoles which don't make my feet sweat.
They're by "Dorsi" and they sent me 3 insoles with a pair of trainers I purchased from them last year. I've put them in my bedroom slippers too.
I wore a splint for 2 months (all through the summer) and it didn't help much.

It's a nuisance when your feet hurt and it's interesting how it throws your back out too. My back seems to ache so much more these days.

I found wearing 2 pairs of socks help - not so bad to do this time of the year. I was remembering how I couldn't even put my socks on, I couldn't change the bedding, clean the bath or walk without wanting to scream and that was 2 years ago! The TKR has helped in more ways than one. The plantar fascilitis is just another thing to put up with!

Someone suggested wearing athletic socks and I'm tempted to invest in a pair of those too. I'll try anything.

Thanks again and take care.

Sharmaine

dreamdaisy

I wonder if your back is hurting more as you are (possibly) standing unevenly on your feet? The human skeleton is a remarkable thing, very finely balanced and if one tiny thing throws stuff out of true then other, seemingly unrelated stuff, will hurt. It's a nuisance, isn't it? (Would that count as one of the understatements of the year? ) DD

sharmaine

Hi Dreamdaisy

Yes, I did wonder that exact thing. I even suggested that I see a Podiatrist when I saw my GP last but he didn't say a thing! I'm not sure what to do now. When I see the GP I'll mention my back and feet again because the discomfort and stiffness is worse. It might explain why I can't walk on flat, hard surfaces and find it difficult standing for any length of time.

Kind regards
Sharmaine

scozzie

Hi Sharmaine

I too have arthritis in my feet, at first it was just my toes/ball of my feet, which was when I first saw the rheumy and he automatically referred me to a podiatrist. The podiatrist put generic insoles in my shoes, which helped a lot. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as I have now been referred to a biomechanic for bespoke insoles. Since the first set of insoles my ankles/heels have flared up - far worse than my toes have ever been (they have eased off now) - just in time for a follow up appointment with the rheumy who booked me in for cortisone injections in each. And as luck would have it the biomechanic appointment came through for the morning when I'm having the injection ... so in consultation with the biomechanic we've postponed their appointment until after the New Year to let the cortisone work it's magic, and also to take some pressure off me at work, as I would've needed almost the whole day off just two days after taking a personal day - I wouldn't be popular ... lol! Now after weeks of limping around my knees are giving some jip, and I'm finding staircases a bit more problematic, if not awkward.

Good luck
Scozzie