foot pain follow up

[bryan]

i wanted to follow up about an earlier posting in case what i have learned can help someone else.
about 3 months ago i posted about serious pain i was having in the balls of my feet behind my big toes. after a couple podiatrist visits it got narrowed down to sesamoiditis as someone on this list had suggested and i was starting to assume. the problem came in how the doctor wanted to treat it. he gave me prescription ibuprofen which was great and helped with swelling, but i now also have $400 dollars worth of orthotics and insoles he sold me that did nothing to help the problem. the doctor did correctly tell me that i have high arched and bony feet (which i already knew) and that more cushioning might be needed around the painful area to help disperse pressure. this of course could be built at additional cost into the orthotics he had already sold me, but he made not other recommendations. at that point i got frustrated, gave up on the orthotics and started to consult sports medicine books and websites which recommended simple padding and taping around the painful area. $12 later i have hiked 3 days in baxter state park as well as put in a 30+ mile two day trip with a full pack. i found that a simple foam insole cut into the shape of an L and taped around the ball of my foot behind the big toe dispersed much of the pressure off of the sesamoid bones making hiking much more comfortable. i can't say the problem is solved because it is still painful at times and the bones do have some swelling around them, but i am for the moment back on the trails and relishing every second of it.
i now plan to consult a new podiatrist and possibly an orthopedic doctor and to look into acupuncture and other holistic type solutions i've heard can help this condition.
what this has also done is made me more conscious of where and how i place my feet while hiking. a little concentration on foot posture i believe has also helped keep the pain down as well as trying to move smoothly instead of pounding up and down the trails. i know that should be common sense, but it's easy at times to get moving and forget how much force your feet are having to absorb over the course of a day.
if anyone has any questions about sesamoid pain i have a fair amount of information kicking around so just let me know.
thanks.

bryan

 

[shadowcat]

foot pain woes

i feel for ya. as much as i like the podiatrist i saw, when he started talking orthodics for $400 i already knew i wasn't going there. i have pain in my feet, regardless of the type of shoe i am wearing and the orthodics, well there's no way they would have worked in my heels and dress shoes, there just isn't enough room in them for that type of insert. so, i too have been trying alternative things. i bought some good insoles from footsmart for ball of foot pain and a pair that you heat and stand on to form to your foot, brand name: "sole". between the 2 i spent $60 vs $400. i also bought lambs wool which i wrap in bet my toes while hiking and add a pair of smaller metatarsal pads in addition to the better insoles. unfortunately, this works great in hiking and sport shoes but still not so great at work. they make fun of me as i waltz in with nice dress clothes on and a pr on sneakers on my feet these days! oh well, whatever works!
i may try the surgery as this isn't getting better, even after trying the steroid injections. if you look into this consider a few things i found out: 1) some will do the surgery from the bottom of your foot - but you want it done from the top. if you think about it - that just makes sense 2) there are some drs out there who are performing cryo-surgery to stop the nerve pain. this is less invasive then cutting it (they freeze the nerve).
that's about it. good luck

 

[Neil]

The only problem I have with podiatrists is that they think the human body is a life support system for the foot.