Thank your lucky stars. You don't realize how critical your feet are to pretty much everything you do in life until they're phucked!
Arthritis in the Feet (Hallux Rigidus) - Anyone Else?
- Thread starter alaskanseminole
- Start date
Thank your lucky stars. You don't realize how critical your feet are to pretty much everything you do in life until they're phucked!
What I've decided is that I a) have a high pain tolerance and b) have just gotten used to being in pain. My feet hurt all the time, I just kind of ignore it.
I have had a few gout flare ups over the past decade, which are a type of arthritis. It happened in my feet and a couple were debilitating (had to shuffle or use a cane/crutch going about 10% the pace of my normal walking) until taking a course of steroids cleared it up. Now I am taking a drug for that, and trying to eat better, and so far so good on no more flare ups. Csb
No kidding. My wife has had peripheral neuropathy in both feet for 13 years. We're actually going in to have her spinal cord stimulator removed next Friday...they never could get the thing right so it's pretty much useless. With us both having feet issues, it makes us wonder how well we'll be able to enjoy retirement. It'll be here before we know it.
What's the success rate on bunion surgery?
It's a mixed bag is what I've heard from a number of folks I've talked to that have had the surgery (50/50.....obviously worked for TenaciousE). They were unanimous in saying it was a very painful recovery.
I've got bunions on both big toes. It's not really painful. I've used spacers between the toes now for a couple of years which has really stopped the progression......at least for the time being. I walk, jog and play tennis quite a bit, so finding proper shoes has been helpful. The only time it causes me discomfort is on my serve, but it's not too bad.
If the only discomfort you have is while serving in tennis I would pass on surgery, unless tennis is a major part of your life.
I play a lot of tennis. It's discomfort.....not really pain. Maybe I'll tweak the serve a bit. It's the pushing off at an angle that does it. At least that's what I think.
@l.todd to the layman, this reads like I'm fine and dandy.
Here are my imaging results:
BILATERAL FOOT RADIOGRAPHS--weightbearing
HISTORY: Hallux rigidus.
COMPARISONS: None.
FINDINGS: Multiple views of both feet were obtained. Bone mineralization appears normal. Alignment across the joint spaces are maintained. Bilateral mild to moderate first MTP hypertrophic DJD. Bilateral elevated calcaneal pitch angle at 34 degrees on the right and 35 degrees on the left. No acute osseous abnormality. The soft tissues appear normal. Bilateral sclerotic changes in the mildly hypertrophied sesamoid bones of the first digit.
Impression:
1. Degenerative changes
2. Query bilateral sesamoiditis versus sequelae of traumatic injury to the sesamoids. Bone scan can be helpful for further evaluation to determine if these findings are clinically relevant.
3. Bilateral pes cavus deformity.
Here are my imaging results:
BILATERAL FOOT RADIOGRAPHS--weightbearing
HISTORY: Hallux rigidus.
COMPARISONS: None.
FINDINGS: Multiple views of both feet were obtained. Bone mineralization appears normal. Alignment across the joint spaces are maintained. Bilateral mild to moderate first MTP hypertrophic DJD. Bilateral elevated calcaneal pitch angle at 34 degrees on the right and 35 degrees on the left. No acute osseous abnormality. The soft tissues appear normal. Bilateral sclerotic changes in the mildly hypertrophied sesamoid bones of the first digit.
Impression:
1. Degenerative changes
2. Query bilateral sesamoiditis versus sequelae of traumatic injury to the sesamoids. Bone scan can be helpful for further evaluation to determine if these findings are clinically relevant.
3. Bilateral pes cavus deformity.
I think that’s the medical way of saying “You’re just getting older…suck it up, buttercup.”
What do you mean by fine and dandy? How are you clinically? Much pain or discomfort? It does show some degenerative changes. Would be interesting to know if the first metatarsal was elevated, which is a common cause of hallux limits/rigidus. There is a saying: We treat patients, not X-rays.
That would sure beat surgery...I think the "Bilateral mild to moderate first MTP hypertrophic DJD" is the issue. I had to use the ole googles...this is the arthritis portion. :/
"Fine and dandy" as in you know something's wrong with your car, but when you take it to the mechanic they can't find anything wrong.
"Much pain or discomfort?" Yup, every day in both feet. It just depends on how active I am on a particular day and if I decide to throw caution to the wind and wear flip flops instead of my shoes w/ inserts.
Prob not the issue, but when I stopped wearing flip flops 90% of the time, everything in my joints felt better. Feet to lower back. I think those things are killers.
What kind of inserts do you have? Store bought or custom?
I think you are probably doing the best you can right now. Anyone who says their feet feel "fine and dandy" shouldn't go near an OR. One that that may help you as well is Achilles stretches. A cavus foot structure tends to have a tight Achilles tendon complex. Loosening that up a bit could help reduce the stress through that 1st MTP joint.
I think you're really missing my attempt(s) at humor or I'm just really poor at it. The "fine and dandy" comment is my interpretation of what my x-rays tell me not how I actually feel. As for my inserts, they are off the shelf until my custom ones from the VA come in.
