Painful aching feet - any tips?

[Barb66]

Does any body else have painful aching feet and ankles, especially at night. There are so uncomfortable I find it hard to get to sleep - just wondered if anyone had any tips to alleviate my poor old feet? I take naproxen and paracetamol/ cocodamol but they don't seem to make any difference

[Hidden]

Hello

Sorry to hear that. I also have really painful feet. My toes seem to hurt and feel frozen at the same time! My Achilles are still in a bad state too, though orthotics from hospital help a bit. Walking is hellish ( I do a lot of it!) I have a collie!

I'm seeing rheumatology in a week and am going to ask about my feet. Are you on steroids? Only ask because I think my depot has worn off...hence more pain.

[Lorin]

We recently purchased a hot tub spa and I love that thing! . Try a nice hot soak. Or if that doesn't work try icing them. I feel your pain though I have more RA in my feet than my hands. Hope you get some relief soon.

[Barb66 in reply to Lorin]

Mine burn too, I can really empathise with trying to find the cold bits in the bed xxx

[sylvi]

By night time my feet and ankles hurt like hell and they are hot as well and i am finding i can't bear anything touching them and i am often finding myself throwing the bedding off so my feet can cool down. They are sore already this morning.,xxxxx

[Horsemadhere]

Hi Barb

No advice I'm afraid but I can totally empathise! I find my self trying to find a cold bit in the bed for my feet! I might try icing mine as someone else suggested.

I'm off all meds bar pain killers as I have an infection at present which I'm sure isn't helping!

My ankles, hands and wrists are really bad this morning and I haven't even got out of bed yet!!

[Barb66 in reply to Horsemadhere]

I'm still in bed too, and deciding whether to bother getting up or just go back to sleep! I do no exercise at all atm and need to drag myself down to the gym for a swim today. I don't think so have any muscle left, it's all turned to fat xx

[Lorin in reply to Barb66]

Just keep swimming Barb!

[Moomin8]

Snap! Apart from the drug bit- I don't take Naproxen or cocodamol. Sometimes I sleep on top of my duvet and have a lighter blanket over me which males it slightly less painful. However, my feet hurt all of the time🙁

[Sueymo]

I use a hot wax bath, suitable for hands and feet.

Tens machine also helps

I have gloves containing wheat that has finger shapes inside. Heat up in a microwave, I have also used these in my feet,

Hope you feel better soon

[Thegreywitch in reply to Sueymo]

May I ask where you got those gloves from, they sound lovely.

[55MC]

I too have aching feet. Also thought at first it was unusual but realise (with advice from this forum), that with RA it is an added "bonus", ha ha . I was referred (by my Rhuemy) to my local health centre Podiatrist. She was useless!!, took one look at my feet and said "oh they look good"!! Asked about pain level then started cutting out rubber insoles with a stuck on bit for under my toes. I did try the insole but they made it worse. Getting the right shoes is important, it is trial and error though. I have found a pair which does not aggravate the pain. Good luck on your journey and I hope you improve soon.

[Barb66]

Thank you everyone and so reassuring to hear your feet are worst than your hands. It's such a dull ache, it makes me feel sick sometimes and then at other times I have burning pains - this is a very odd disease!

But at least I have my Xmas list sorted; foot spa, heated foot warmers and a wax bath !?! Where do I get one of those? I'm giving up on painkillers though - there don't seem to do any thing and the cocodamol makes me constipated!

[oldtimer]

You can buy a wax bath on somewhere like Amazon - I can recommend them for pain relief!

I also have a bed cradle to keep the bedclothes off my feet - that seem to help. And a very light duvet with silk in it. But still my feet keep me awake sometimes, burning and hurting. But they also hurt in the day - I just cope better with it then!

[TerrilouiseS]

Hi Barb66,

So sorry to hear you can't sleep well. Many of us experience painful feet including myself. It seemed to me that they didn't like being a pair and couldn't stand being near each when I lay down.

Some things I found useful: ankle supports which kept them warm, warm showers (couldn't get out of baths) and then a foot massage.

I also used acupuncture which really did help with pain!

For sleeping I used to have an arrangement of pillows for helping keep my feet off hard surfaces. I also used hot water bottles on them.

I really didn't see much improvement until I got the right medication. What are you on? I now take Humira and it works wonders, virtually no foot pain.

I also had a steroid injection in a foot joint which helped no end.

Really good luck xx

[Joy_1]

Hello again Barb66,

Miracle pain relief for me is Tiger Balm. It really works for me and means that I hardly ever take painkillers.

If you want to give it a go you can buy it in Boots, its on offer at the moment. I have just ordered 6 jars with my Boots points! You need to get the white and not the red product and make sure its the branded Tiger Balm one. Cheaper ones work for a lot less time or not at all.

In the early days I checked with my Consultant and he said go ahead and now recommends it to others! Ah once again I have done his work for him, a pattern with my Consultant!

The other thing as mentioned before Barb is acupuncture. Does not work for everyone but it works for me.

Joy

PS remember if you use Tiger Balm to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

[Barb66 in reply to Joy_1]

Thank you Joy how interesting do you rub it all over your feet before bed? I really don't like taking painkillers or any meds for that matter, so really happy to try this.

What do you have acuputure for - pain or the disease generally? Xx

[Joy_1 in reply to Barb66]

I rub the Tiger Balm into the areas that are painful. So this morning it was the ankles of both feet. This eased the pain a lot and then at lunchtime I went to aqua where I worked my socks off then my pain was down to 10% - yippee!

Currently I have no pain at night. A few months ago my left knee was aching at night - a dull ache. It would wake me up. So I rubbed in some T'Balm and within 5 minutes I'd be fast asleep again. When I've had really painful joints in the past the T'Balm brings relief for about 4 hrs and then I just rub more on again.

It contains things like camphor, clove and menthol. My Consultant told me it contains naturally occurring Salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is found in aspirin which you may know came from the Willow tree.

I have acupuncture for any sore points (namely feet and hands) and she usually pops a couple of needles in elsewhere for general well being ie a holistic approach.

[janty]

Sorry to hear this, I also have painful feet that get hot, particularly at night. I often find myself sleeping with feet hanging over the end of the bed with no bed covers on them. I also use ice during the day.

When they are really bad I have a cold box by the bed with iced flannels in. They are a great relief when you can't stand up for the pain.

I haven't found any painkillers that help but think steroids do help.

I have also found that shoes with memory foam in soles are great. They have helped me stay on my feet. Sketchers are the only shoes I can wear at the moment. Of course don't forget to look for deep soled comfy slippers. I can't walk without something on my feet.

It's a matter of testing out what works for you. Hope you get some relief soon 😊

[_tracy_]

Burning feet at night could be erythromelalgia. It is a symptom, not a disease. There are various causes, what caused mine was a B12 deficiency due to pernicious anemia. You might want to get your B12 checked, needs to be in the upper half of the range. You may be deficient if yours is below 500 pg/mL or ng/L (UK and US units) or 369 pmol/L (Australia and some other countries).

[Lorin]

The good thing about living in Ohio in the winter is that you can always run out in the snow in December- February and freeze your feet until you cant really feel them.... Actually I cant sleep if my feet are cold.... but trying to find the positives!

[Gillian1163]

I try and massage mine with a nice moisturiser or foot cream. It sometimes helps

[notagranny]

Hi, the best thing I've found during my 29 years of having rheumatoid arthritis are cherry stone heat packs solutionbutterfly.com/ as they seem to absorb heat the best and the warmth lasts much longer than a rice pack. They are microwaveable so much easier than trying to pour a hot water bottle which I can manage with my hands.

Hope that helps

-notagranny