Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with foot

Oh my aching right foot that, along with its counterpart, is about to run a marathon...

holdenjordahl — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:03:09 -0800

i can't see a specialist for three weeks but i've got a marathon coming up and i need to know before that. these are the facts and i'm trying to figure out the cause...
1. i wear orthodics. the right one is the neutral one. it cracked. i noticed a few weeks before that that, below the third and forth toes, a dull sensation. i originally thought it was caused by the crack in the orthodic.
2. i went back to my prior set of orthodics. they were essentially the same orthodics as the pair i had been using.
3. now i'm noticing that EXACTLY after 75 minutes i get this sudden pain, as if i'm stepping on a marble (not a beebee, not a golf ball, a marble). it hurts like crazy. the pain doesn't radiate throughout the foot or up the leg.
4. and then, after EXACTLY 15 minutes, the pain suddenly vanishes.
5. i haven't done any sudden ramping up of mileage, i run mostly on sand, grass, or dirt. there's nothing that i've stepped on that could have wedged in my shoe, the interior of the shoe is smooth, et cetera.
6. i've looked on all the obvious running sites and can find nothing about what this could be. any suggestions, please???

Starting off on the wrong feet: what to do about waking to foot & leg pain?

moonbird — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:06:24 -0800

When I wake up, I have lately been vexed with a dull pain in my lower legs and especially feet that reminds me of a long day of walking... . ...except that on my job I don't spend much time of my feet. So, YANMP (Podiatrist), to get that out of the way. This is nothing like the descriptions of plantar fascitis or bunions, which seems to be a much higher and sharper grade pain than this, and my arches are intact. This simply feels like I've been on an all day walk, when much of my working day is spent seated or occasionally on my feet at the hospital but not for extended periods. I have sensible shoes and can't grok other potential factors. I have no coldness or numbness, just this annoying ache. I do question if it's related to the two meniscectomies I've had (both knees) over the past three years. I have a great MD to inquire to if needed but without health insurance I'm holding off for only dire situations. Thanks in advance.

Need a solution to keep my sisters feet warm in ski boots.

no bueno — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:15:48 -0800

Need a solution to keep my sister's feet warm in ski boots. My sister has Raynaud's syndrome so whenever we go skiing she has to take constant breaks to go in and warm up. This year she's trying these Swany mittens that have an insert for handwarmers. We tried footwarmer inserts but her feet suck all the warmth out of them within minutes. I think she's going to need something battery powered but everything I've found online seems like it might be cheap(quality not price). Suggestions. Remember this is for skiing, socks would need to fit in the boots, so I'm guessing insoles might be the best bet?

I can never think of a good title to my questinos. Sorry.

Brandon1600 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:57:11 -0800

I need help with creating a plan to diagnose a possible alignment problem with my right leg what I can do do fix it. I have always had a funny way of walking. I tend to lean forward and walk closer to the front of my feet than the back. It is not a perfect heel-to-toe movement and it makes me bounce. I am very self conscious of this and when I am in public I try to walk normally, resulting in a burning sensation on the bottoms of my feet. Think of when you were a little kid and you had to walk around the shopping mall all day and your feet hurt. My feet make an L-shape when I am standing still; my right foot clearly turns out more than the left. Another way of saying this is that my knee does not line up with my foot.

I used to run and work-out a lot. I ran the Kona Marathon about four years ago and at about mile twenty, my right knee felt like it was going to come unhinged. It was a strange kind of pain so I walked the rest of the way. I also noticed when I did squats that my right foot would turn out (heel inward) and I would have to reposition myself.

So.

I think the first thing to do is get a doctor's opinion. I don't normally deal with doctors and I can't say I really trust them. What kind of doctor should I go to? What sort of tests and procedures should I expect?

If I end up having to get surgery, what is the most effective way to pay for it? I have crappy insurance now, and I am going to be a full time student starting in January. Should I go out of country?

I am not sure what information about me would be relevant to figuring this out but:

I am 28 years old, American, employed until December with basic health coverage, well within weight standards and generally healthy, and a military veteran.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

What were other people's foot surgery experiences like?

gwenlister — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:53:37 -0800

Found out I need surgery on my foot to repair a torn ligament. Looking for tips and stories from people that have been there done that. Plus I have some extra hurtles facing me due to the surgery.... Hurtle 1: I live in an attic apartment with no elevator. I'm not able to move apartments before the surgery, nor would I want to. Any tips on how to manage a lot of stairs on a daily basis while in a cast and crutches?

Hurtle 2: I live in Canada and it will be icy and snowy for much of the time I am in a cast. Anybody had to crutch around on icy snow ground?

Basically I'm just looking for suggestions and stories of what to expect and what other people's experiences with foot surgery were like in terms of recovery, unanticipated issues you wish you had prepared for before hand, how long before you were able to get back to normal activities, etc. I know that people's surgeries and recoveries vary, but I'm still interested to know how others' went.

how to improve foot stability control

bookdragoness — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:04:58 -0800

How do I improve the stability control of my foot? From my husband:

When I stand on one foot, I get really wobbly because my foot starts rocking back and forth trying to remain stable. It's not because the other muscles are failing or I'm off balance, it's just that I can't plant it solidly without muscle twitches.

My foot almost instantly tries to cramp and it's the exact same feeling and the exact same muscle that makes rollerblading difficult. I don't experience it in stiff boots, like skis and ice skates. It's also an instant reaction and not a fatigue failure over time.

It's not a question of me needing to run more or other muscles higher up my leg failing - I have very good balance, work out regularly, and am in shape. This problem has existed since I was a kid and has lasted through intense seasons of football, track, rugby, and soccer, as well as a time where I was regularly rock-climbing.

I'd like to be able to stand with one foot planted solidly and not have muscles twitching randomly.

What is it that is weak (i.e. muscle groups) and how do I strengthen it?

FYI, I'm a 25-year-old male with wide feet.

Stopping foot fungus in its tracks?

amro — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:31:54 -0800

Tonight I used the sauna, steam room, and shower at my gym. I forgot to wear flip flops in all of them, and now I'm a little grossed out and paranoid about getting athlete's foot. Anything I can do to head potentially growing foot fungus off at the pass right away?

Who in Boston can help me figure out how shoes should fit?

cadge — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:44:00 -0800

Is there anyone in the Boston area who can help a girl with shoe fitting and shopping? I'm tired of getting blisters all the time and feeling like not even my sneakers are the right fit. I want to get advice on how shoes should fit my feet and what to look for when shopping. I haven't had good times with shoes. I wind up with blisters on heels and toes from almost anything beyond sneakers, and now my sneakers are wearing out and even all the replacement sneaks I've tried on don't feel like they fit right.

I'd love to talk to someone who can tell me how shoes should fit and who could show me whether the shoes I'm trying on are appropriate (right size, right width, how to prevent blisters, etc.).

Is there anyone like this in the Boston area? I'm open to anything - shoe shops, cobblers, some random guy at Foot Locker who knows his stuff. Would a podiatrist help?

I thought I was supposed to feel better as I lose weight!

JonnyRotten — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:06:35 -0800

I've lost nearly 90 LBS, but I feel like poo constantly. I've had increasing foot problems, and just generally tired, and sick all the time. Have any of you gone through a dramatic weight loss and felt horrible, or developed problems that didn't exist before the weight loss? Over the last 6-8 months I've lost somewhere near 90lbs. I'm still not at my goal, but I am getting there.

Before I started losing weight I would have occasional foot problems (like maybe 1-2 times a year) that would be diagnosed alternately as gout or "foot pain because I'm fat". Usually the Dr. would prescribe a course of pain medicine and then after a week or two it would go away and I would be good for a long while.
So now I'm doing everything I can to lose weight, and its coming off, but I have had nothing but problems since I hit about the 50lbs lost mark. The Dr. has since put me on allopurinol, along with blood pressure medicine, and I am also taking Straterra (which I credit most of my weight loss to, as I seem to "care" less if I am hungry).

The foot pain doesn't *seem* like the gout pain I have experienced before, but its extreme. If I keep off of it for a few days, it starts to feel better, but as soon I start walking again it gets really bad. It is super tender, and if someone bumps into it, or I bump it against something I feel like screaming. I have trouble sleeping some nights with this latest round of it, because it keeps waking me up when I toss and turn during the night.

To cover a few bases:
- I have new shoes, New Balances that I actually got fitted for, and they have a thing in them to correct my slight walking on the side of my feet problem
- I've seen multiple Drs, and gone through all the standard stuff a couple times.
- I know your not my Dr, and I'm trying to find a Dr. somewhere besides locally, because I feel that the local "Medical group" tends to push people out the door as fast as possible. I personally feel there may be some deeper issues with my weight and my constant struggle with it that need to be addressed. I guess I'm just asking if any other mefites have lost a bunch of weight and had more problems then when they had the weight on.

I just found out my foot pain is being caused by bunions. Now what?

picapica — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:55:00 -0800

I just found out my foot pain is being caused by bunions. Now what? I know already that surgery should be a last-ditch option. What I need to know now are all of the things veteran bunion-survivors know: where to find tennis shoes/ dressy shoes/ sandals that look good and don't hurt, whether I can continue doing high-impact exercise like running and tennis without causing more damage, etc. What do you wish you had known if you had learned about your bunions at 23 years old?

How do I slow my bunion down?

ohio — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:11:17 -0800

Bunion filter: What can I do now to prevent my developing bunion from getting worse later? I am developing a bunion on my right foot (bony protrusion + big toe starting to slant toward the other toes). It hurts only occasionally and mostly mildly, so it isn't a huge concern yet. But I know that it can get much worse and much more painful, so I'd like to take whatever steps I can now to limit its progression. There is way too much out there on the internet for me to intelligently sort through, so:

What have you done/wished you'd done to make your bunions better or prevent them to begin with?

Things I'm already doing:
Wearing the proper size shoes (difficult since my feet are freakishly wide to begin with- I wear a size 7.5 EW (American)).
No high heels except at work, where I mostly sit, and then only 2 inch heels or less.
Stopping walking on it if it hurts a lot.
I go barefoot whenever I can get away with it.

Thanks!

My left foot looks inflated.

Kololo — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:13:32 -0800

For four years, I've been dealing with a really puffy foot. My doctor mentioned that it's likely edema. She didn't, however, tell me anything useful about eliminating the swelling. Way back in 2005, i asked a question about this swelling, but at the time I assumed that it was related to an injury, and that it would likely be temporary. I was wrong. It's four years later, and the swelling is as bad as ever.

The swelling is worst in my left leg/foot, but also is slight on my right. It gets puffier throughout the day, and the degree of swelling is pretty variable from day to day, and between the morning and the end of the day. The picture of my foot shows a day when the swelling is pretty bad, which it is about 60% of the time. Days when my feet aren't swollen at all are about 5% of the time.

Compression socks help reduce the swelling for one day after wearing them, but in the heat of the summer this is really unappealing. It's also unreliable - sometimes they puff right back the next day, sometimes they don't. Exercise also deflates my feet, but the effect only lasts a few hours at most. I don't eat a lot of salt.

I want to be able to fit my foot into sandals. I want to wear skirts or shorts or capris without looking like i have a leg of a woman 150 pounds heavier than me. I want my ankle to be narrower than my knee. I will try almost anything might bring down the swelling reliably and regularly - so that i can maintain normal-sized appendages.

Any advice re: medication, alternative therapies, exercises, or other treatments would be very appreciated. (If there's any Toronto-specific advice for doctors or therapists or whatnot, that would be great too.)

Please share your experiences with foot tattoos?

DingoMutt — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:50:42 -0800

Do you have a tattoo on your foot? Do you have any regrets, lessons learned, or advice for someone considering it? I've been thinking for a few years now about getting my dog's pawprint as a tattoo, and since she's constantly stepping on my feet it seems kind of "right" to me to have it placed on the top of my foot. This would be my first tattoo so I've been trying to learn as much as possible before committing, and one thing I keep coming across is the idea that foot tattoos apparently don't wear very well over time. I've read different posts on the subject (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4) but I don't have a sense of just how bad the fading or blurring is likely to be so now I'm hoping to hear from tattoo artists and from people who actually have foot tattoos, especially ones they've had for a few years or more.

If it helps, I'm thinking I'd want the tattoo to be all-black, and placed somewhere on the top of my foot (would it be more/less prone to fading if I placed it closer to my toes or farther back?). My dog's paw is roughly 2"X2.5" and I would like it to be life-sized (for once I'm kind of happy with my US Size 9 feet!). As a student who's off for the summer, if I got it done now I could easily wear flip-flops for a few weeks while it healed, although to be honest I really hate flip-flops and so would hope to eventually get back into my Doc Marten sandals or my trainers. Hmm ... I am aware that the foot is supposedly a painful place to tattoo and am not really put off by that ... I hope that gives enough background info to be helpful.

Finally, I do realize the most important person for me to talk to will be the actual tattoo artist(s) I approach (actually, if anyone has any recommendations for a Tampa or Orlando artist I'd be most grateful!), but for now I'm just trying to do as much groundwork as possible so I know if this placement is even one I should pursue. Thanks very much for any experiences or advice you can share!

Should I go to podiatrist?

Sloop John B — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:43:44 -0800

My feet are in pain. What kind of doctor should I go to? I've heard that podiatry is sort of a dubious branch of medicine. So my feet are in bad shape. I've been walking in big, sturdy boots (Timberlands) for nearly a year without proper arch support. The arches of my feet have been hurting for a while, especially my left. The left foot has been getting worse lately, and is starting to feel a bit numb behind the knuckle of the big toe (not the joint on the toe, but where the toe meets the foot). Also, my left knee has problems and has been acting up lately.

I bought a nice arch support yesterday, so hopefully that'll help. But I really feel like I should go to a doctor and get this checked out. I know that "numb toes" is an indication of diabetes, but for various reasons I think this is probably more of a skeletal/muscular issue.

I've heard that podiatry is like chiropractry, where some people will swear by it but others feel it's kind of dubious. What kind of doctor should I go to?

How to stop chronic foot/ankle pain?

El Curioso — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:40:55 -0800

Flat feet + bow legs + active lifestyle = near-constant foot pain. What can I do to make my feet ache less? My feet are flat as boards, and my ankles pronate badly. Also, with my ankles together I can fit a full fist and a half between my knees. And I'm very active - gym, biking, rock climbing, etc.

So the net result is, my feet and ankles ache badly pretty much all the time. they often hurt outright, right from first thing in the morning.

My knees used to give me all the problems - I've had both operated on (ACL and meniscectomy) - but now it's my feet and ankles that hurt much more, and it's getting worse every year. (me: 36 y.o. male) I'm worried because I have my father's feet and he can barely walk now, even after numerous foot/toe operations.

I basically slam my heels down when I walk, and they hit at a slight outside-in angle. I've worn orthotics for years. Most of the pain is in my arches and the bones around the front and sides of my ankles. There's a line of incredible tightness from my big toe all the way down the back of each foot. When I kneel on my heels like a monk - the rare times that's not too painful to stand - my arches cramp up instantly. Jogging? Forget about it.

My orthopedist says there's nothing I can do to help short of major surgery (if that), besides wear my orthotics, but I find that hard to believe.

When I lie on my stomach and have my wife stand on the bottoms of my feet, that feels great. Foot massages are orgasmic, but expensive. Same with the chiropractor/myofascial person I've gone to a few times: feels great for a few days, then everything tenses right back up.

Are there any stretching or strengthening exercises I can do to release some of the weird, misaligned tensions in my feet and ankles? And, down the road, what sort of surgical options are there? Can you build arches and straighten knees?

One reason why the long-distance runner is lonely.

mykescipark — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:38:09 -0800

Good, athlete-friendly pedicure recommendations in L.A.? (Preferably the west side.) I'm an avid runner and cyclist, and my feet get destroyed from the constant activity on a regular basis. (Yes, I have high-end and appropriate athletic footwear; this is just the nature of my feet.) For the last few years, I've tried to treat myself to occasional pedicures to keep Hobbit-foot at bay, but I really need to step up the treatment (so to speak). Prior to now, I've been in Boston, where I had a much-beloved homebase for such things, but thus far I'm adrift in L.A.

Recommendations abound on Yelp, but their prime recommendation left me even worse split heels and sores than when I started. Plus, I tend to think the majority of reviews focus on the "nice nails and polish jobs" aspect of the pedi, and not so much the "kindly grind down my inch-thick callouses and split heels" side, which is what I really need.

So, fellow athletes (and those who tend to them). Any preferences for expert foot love in L.A. that will rejuvenate my exercise partners down south?

This little piggie went OWWWW all the way home

desjardins — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:19:12 -0800

I think I broke my littlest toe. Everything I read online says that basically nothing can be done, so there's no point in going to the doctor, right? This happened about 24 hours ago. It's swollen, bruised, and painful. I buddy-taped it overnight, but it seemed to make it MORE painful this morning. I can handle pain just fine and I have strong (legal) painkillers available if I need them. My life is very sedentary so it will get a lot of rest. My husband is concerned about longer-term complications (he mentioned gangrene, is he full of crap?). This is all his fault anyway because he left the thing on the floor that I walked into.

So, should I see a doctor, should I DTMFA, and do I need a lawyer? :)

My feet stink!

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:04:03 -0800

My feet stink, all of a sudden, and I can't figure out why! About 6 months ago, all of a sudden, my feet started to smell very strongly for the first time in my life. Before this, I had never had foot odor of any kind before, even when I exercised and got sweaty. Now, even when I'm not sweaty, my feet smell terrible. I'm not any sweatier than usual, just smellier, and only my feet smell different. The smell is very strong, and it smells terrible.

They even smell right after I get out of the shower. Not as strongly, but I can smell that foot odor smell, and it gets stronger throughout the day. My socks smell terrible at the end of the day. When I take my shoes off at the end of the day, you can smell my socks from across the room. Even if I wear sandals or go barefoot, my feet smell bad. All of my shoes now smell bad permanently.

Oddly, my roommate developed foot odor around the same time, but she thinks hers is because she started taking a new medication that has sweating and body odor as side effects. I bring it up only because it's a weird coincidence, but I can't imagine how it could be related. I have not made any changes to diet or medication. I'm totally healthy (female, late 20s, exercise regularly, eat lots of veggies and very little meat, etc.). Why is this happening to me all of a sudden?

I've read all of the questions about how to deal with foot odor generally, and I've been doing some of those things, but nothing seems to work. I'm particularly frustrated that my feet even smell when clean, so I can't even wash it away temporarily.

Can anyone explain why this is happening to me and what I can do to reverse it? What would make a person's feet start to smell all of a sudden? How can I make it go away? Are there medications I can take, or vitamins or herbs, or special soaps, or magic spells? At this point, I'd try almost anything.

bunions are no funions

serazin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:51:47 -0800

I've been thrilled to discover that a simple, donut shaped cushion is amazingly effective at preventing my excruciating foot pain. Yet for a small piece of foam with sticky stuff on one side, these bunion pads are awfully expensive: about 3 bucks at the cheapest, generic level. Can you suggest a cheap alternative? Something soft with a sticky side? I can easily cut out the donut shapes myself if I can find an inexpensive source of the basic material.

What's going on with my foot?

rsk — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:22:49 -0800

I've started getting pain on the top of my right foot after running. I've had it x-rayed but the doctor seems a bit stumped. The x-ray looked fine, no fractures or anything out of the ordinary. The doctor's best suggestion was arch support insoles. The pain is about half-way up my foot, just about in-line with my big toe. It's not painful to the touch, just kind of a dull, achy pain. No swelling. I plan to try insoles as the doctor suggested but was hoping someone may have some other ideas as to what may be causing the pain. If it makes a difference I run about 20 - 30km a week.

(I'm also looking for a good podiatrist, but I'm in Japan and its proving a bit difficult.)

Balls of feet hurt. Help.

beelover — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:23:18 -0800

The balls of my feet are tender and burn. How can I stop this? Last week I went for a long hike and at the end of that hike the balls of my feet were burning from friction. It's now been a week and they are still burning. I don't have blisters, no corns etc, but I do have calluses and these calluses are what are tender. Each morning I start the day fine, but if I take a long walk or hike or take a spinning class, off I go again with the tender burn on the balls. I've searched all over the web but most everything references blisters and I don't have those. My shoes fit fine. I've had this happen after a long hike before but it usually resolves itself more quickly. What can I do? Should I buy better cushioned socks? Please don't tell me to lay off, my big bum can't take it. Also, I should add I have pretty pronounced calluses on the balls of my feet and have for a long time -- my husband calls them my chimpanzee pads--so the calluses aren't new, but I have been exercising more intensely/longer duration etc of late so maybe my chimp pads and reacting and getting bigger to protect against friction. Please help. Pretty soon I will be walking like a chimp from this it's so uncomfortable.

Look at this weird thing on my foot.

HotToddy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:05:27 -0800

Please take a look at pictures of my feet and tell me what is up with these weird dark callouses, and whether I should go to a dermatologist or podiatrist or somebody else. For at least 10 years, maybe more like 20, I have had this callous on my left foot. It is darker than it appears in the photo, and there is a knob underneath it, but the knob feels like bone. Now I am getting another one on my right foot. The knob under the right one is much smaller than the knob under the left one. The knobs are hard and do not move if I try to push them.

This is not caused by shoes or any other type of friction. I don't have shoes that rub those spots, and I don't habitually sit with pressure on those spots or do anything else that I can identify that would cause friction there. I don't have spots like this anywhere else on my body.

I have tried various abrasives and callous-removing medications, but these aren't like regular callouses. A callous on your heels is kind of porous and spongy. This is more like just very thick, weird elephant skin.

They have gradually gotten much darker and now are seriously interfering with the cuteness of my shoes. I want them gone.

My questions:

1. What the hell are they?
2. What kind of doctor should I see? Dermatologist? Podiatrist? Or what?

Thanks all!

Orthotics and Tennis

charlesv — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:41:11 -0800

Orthotics and tennis shoes? I am a novice tennis player. I have sesamoiditis due in part to high arches. To help with this, I wear orthotics .

My problem is that they do not want to stay put in my tennis shoe. They are stable laterally, so they do not slide side-to-side, but they slide forward. My orthotics are only partly rigid plastic, so the front part, which is a softer material, smushes against the front of the shoe and the orthotic slides forward. I had a pair of Asics that had this problem, so I switched to Reeboks. When I tried them on in the store, no problem. It was not until after I spent an hour or so running around on the court that I noticed they did not want to stay put.

I would especially appreciate recommendations from other folks out there that have foot problems and wear their orthotics while playing tennis.

How do I make them stay in place during play? Is there a way to make them stay put, like some kind of double-sided tape? Or are there shoes I can buy that will work better with orthotics? Or should I just give up wearing them during games and practice?

Phantom Foot Thumb

Lownotes — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:03:12 -0800

Does anyone else ever feel the presence of a phantom thumb jutting out of the side of their foot? Since I was a kid, I've been able to create a phantom thumb sensation along the side of my foot at will. It feels like my foot takes on the appearance of a monkey foot, and I can distinctly feel the opposable toe/thumb.

Whenever I tell this to my friends, they also can feel it. Sometimes they have to hold out their hand and compare the layout of their foot to their hand before it kicks in. For most, this is disturbing.

Anyone else? Are there any references to this phenomenon in the science literature? Is this some strange vestigial evolutionary quirk? Is it some sort of body-mapping malfunction?

Help me find a word relating to balance

Mil — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:15:58 -0800

I'm searching for a word, possibly a technical or medical term, that I think starts with the letter p, and that defines the relationship between the bones in the feet as they apply to overall balance. Am I dreaming this word?