feeling of weakness in the foot/ankle

[GinaD]

Among the rich palatte of pains and sensations I have been contending with since my pelvic pain odyssey began has been a feeling that my left ankle is about to collapse. It never actually has, and in order to maintain the strict proper gati my physical therapist urges me to maintain I try to ignore this weakness signel as just another of the paranoid ravings of a confused sciatic nerve. I read other posts of other Hughies who feel what they describe as "weakness" and wondered if it was similar to what I feel.

So my question -- has anyone ever had an ankle or foot actually collapse with this feeling of weakness? In other words, am I ignoring my insane sciatic nerve at my own peril? Even paranoid people (and nerves) are sometimes right.

Gina

[DorothyItaly]

Hi Gina, I am always having problems with my knees feeling like they will do so and also my ankles, my right one in particular. I just hold on for grim death going up and down the stairs and hang on to somebody else if I am on uneven ground! Dx

[GinaD]

Yeah, I hung on for dear life too --but the therapist feared that by doing so I was accelerating the atrophy of my daily use muscles. So I have tried to pretend I'm 20 again, --at least when it comes to walking and going up and down stairs. So far so good, and the muscles have grown stronger. But I'll have 2or 3days of no pain and congratulate myself on finally finding the right combo of exercise, diet, posture and meds. . . But then , WHAMO! Back to the pain stuff ( often with some new hue to add to the pain palatte.)

[Angelpaws in reply to GinaD]

Hi Gina. Yes, I have feelings of joint weakness from time to time, and I have had my right ankle, knee and even my hip 'give way'. Odd, because it's the left that is my worst side!

It's only happened a total of maybe 6 times over 10 years, and I have been diagnosed with joint hypermobility anyway, but I am very cautious now and use a stick, any handrails and my hubby for a bit of support. Better safe than sorry!

Don't forget - your physical therapist is trained to look at joint and muscle function, but you and I have freaky blood as well as joint and muscle problems, and even we don't know what mood our blood is going to be in on any given day! All part of lifes rich tapestry, ay?!

Take care and hold very tight please, Larraine x

[cami]

Hi I am going through similar as you at the moment with back pain and sciatica nerve trapped...pain into my calf ankle and foot! try to walk as normally as possible...difficult I Know.......but if it is sciatica nerve you should not collapse on it....just nerve sensations...its horrible! and very painful! My physio also says to try and ignore it and keep correct posture....very hard when it pain but I do walk and find after 5 minutes it eases and I can get near normal posture so I do this at least twice a day....helps having two little dogs as I take them with me!!!! take care p x

[GinaD]

Thanks all. I have not had a muscle give out on me yet. I think. There have been a couple of stumbles whose origins were obscure to me at the time. But that happens to everyone once and a while.

[viv112]

Hi, I have had problems with my left foot/ankle including plantar fasciitis, and I have had pain down my left leg from sciatica. It may be helpful to see an osteopath to check whether you have twisted your foot or ankle, and a chiropodist or podiatrist to check whether you might benefit from an orthotic insert in your shoe. My left foot pronates so that it falls inwards so an orthotic arch support helps to steady my foot and improves my gait and balance. I even wear one in my slippers and never go barefoot or wear very flat flimsy shoes that give no arch support. There has been a big improvement and my foot doesn’t ache like it used to. Another thing that helps is stretching exercises. Physiotherapists would recommend stretching the hamstrings as tight hamstrings can bring on sciatica. Also doing a regular exercise class like pilates or yoga would stretch your muscles and improve your balance. Hope this helps!

[GinaD]

I'm off to see an out of town orthopedist tomorrow. I tend toward a trendelenberg gaut, and having a physical therapist point this out to me and suggest exercises and gait modification has been invaluable. But here is Somehing Else going on. I want a name to go with the pain. Even if it can't be medically neutralized, having a diagnosis and knowledge of the disease mechanism will help me better cope with this.

Now I'm shooting into the dark and charting results. This or that exercise behavior works, or it doesn't. Or was the improvement just a random good day? And does that pain relapse mean this stretch is bad, or am I feeling lousy because my immune system is ratched up because of those 3 mosquito bites yesterday?

Gina

[Kenblack123]

I was just playing a accordion stood up in the sitting room and my ankle just gave way I collapsed on the floor with the accordion still on my body it gave me 2 cracked ribs and my ankle is still hurting after one year and if I go on a long walk it hurts still that much that I cannot carrying on walking at night before bed I place a bandage on the ankle thinking it may help heal whatever as happened to my ankle it's not broken but I've never been to a gp with it but it's blighting my life.I can walk small distance but anything over a quarter mile it makes it imposable to walk and I have to ring a taxi or friend to collect me. I cannot visit car boot sales or festival etc my ankle just gives way at any given moment what can it be

[HollyHeski Administrator in reply to Kenblack123]

Kenblack123 - I see you have just joined and answered a 5 year old post. This site is for people with APS/Hughes disease-have you been diagnosed with this?

If so, I suggest you post your own question and tell us a bit about yourself?