I found your blog and need some advice if you have a minute.
I have pretty bad lumbar back problems. MRI has shown lots of problems from L3 down to S1. I was referred to a pain doc for 3 rounds of steroid shots. She took new pictures and said it was time for me to see a surgeon.
At the same time I have numbness in my feet. Bad in the right. Swelling/pain in ankle, etc. Went to foot doc and was diagnosed with tarsal tunnel and neuroma. Have this in both feet, bad in right, left is manageable. He said my shoes were to narrow causing the neuroma and my high arches were falling causing the tarsal tunnel.
Basically, I'm a mess and in pain all the time. Lower back and ankles/feet. Hard to stand for very long.
I was googling and found "Double Crush" which links the lower back problems and the tarsal tunnel problems.
I need advice because I don't know how to proceed. I've tried everything, shoes, expensive orthotics, compression socks, stretching, exercises, chiropractic, massage, and others. I was prescribed shoes, orthotics, compression socks by foot doc. I was prescribed drugs (They want me to take Lyrica) by the neuro sergeon.
I'm frustrated and frightened because I'm just turning 50 and I concerned this is only getting worse. I don't know if I should see another foot doc or another back doc or what to do. I need my foot doc to talk to my back doc and discuss this problem together because my reading indicates they are related.
I'm also confused on the orthotics because some of my research shows, yes do them, other reading indicates they may be causing some of the problem and I need to go natural. I believe there is a connection and my alignment from my feet up to my back is out of wack and I don't know were to turn.
Any advice?
Frustrated and in Pain from San Antonio, TX
Dr Blake's response:
You want to try to avoid foot surgery, if suggested for neuroma or tarsal tunnel, until the low back component has been worked on considerably. But, you still need to treat the foot locally.
Golden Rule of Foot: Treat the Low Back Nerve Component First to see what the Role in the Foot Pain.
You are so right to want a team approach. Typically, this is a physiatrist, who can work with the medicine/epidural side, but knows what the podiatrist is doing, and what the neurosurgeon has to offer.
You are in a nervous system overload right now. You should maximize support to the foot and low back (orthotics, foot strengthening/taping, core strengthening, back braces), and ways to minimize nervous irritability (oral meds, topical meds, warm soaks, neural flossing,etc.). I never recommend avoiding medications in this scenario, since you have to get the nervous system calmed down, and it can take a long while, getting the medications right.
Definitely, the role of orthotic devices to stabilize your lower extremity, and lifts if you have a short leg, are a no-brainer to me. Find out who makes the best orthotics in your area. Have your doc prescribe a Standing AP Pelvic Xray to document the leg length difference standing (I have some posts in my blog on this). Treatment of a short leg is Back Pain 101 to me. Most definitely recommend surgery for the back if the nerve injury is causing weakness in your legs, but waiting a month or two to get orthotics that make your feet function symmetrically and lifts for any short leg make help considerably.
I sure hope this helps somewhat. Rich
I would like to suggest to this question asker: please get your thyroid checked by a doc or naturopath who is willing to test not just TSH, which is almost useless by itself, but T3, T4 and TPO. I had ayears of issues with tingling, foot and joint pain (and plantar fasciitis), orthotics, etc. and went for over 7 years undiagonosed, until last fall. On thyroid meds now and feel 95% better except for some lingering posterior tibial tendon issues, but that's probably because I need to lose about 20 lbs. :-) The problems started in my early to mid 40s due to permimenopausal hormone shifts, which have been known to kick of thyroid issues. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYour best bet would be consulting a podiatrist. They work with mostly feet and some of the lower extremities of your body. I first visited a podiatrist when I was 10 or 11 due to having shin splints from flat feet.
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