This week, along with The College of Podiatry, we are promoting Foot Health Week.
For some people, the foot is the first area of the body to present with signs and symptoms of RA. We have a range of helpful articles on Foot Health and RA on our website, including advice on footwear, surgery, and patient stories.
Have a look at the RA Foot health section of our website: nras.org.uk/resource/ra-foo...
It’s interesting to see this article but why is it so hard to get an open discussion with your RA team re feet. Hands yes feet total change of subject .
Totally! My rheumys have never been interested - even when I’ve had sausage toes. Mind you my feet are in such a state at the moment that I wouldn’t want anyone to look 😂
Glad to see I'm not alone - my feet have always been the worst part of RA (combined with MS|) but neither my GP nor my Rheumy have been interested in looking at them. My great love is walking and I push myself but it is getting harder because I can't get footwear which gives me any comfort. The podiatrist is trying her hardest with inserts and supports but some days I have to push myself to get one foot in front of the other
Feet !!! No one listens gp just refers back to rheumatologist. I know when I’m flaring the burning in my feet its unbearable and mobility becomes difficult. Tendons tighten up yet I have to push to get a steroid injection or wait till joints elsewhere join in . I waited 10 months for a podiatrist appointment pre covid then 3 moths for orthotics . No examination just drew around my feet and made useless insoles too thick to fit ANY Shoes. Went private cost a fortune but they did examine my feet and did all the tests mentioned in the video. I wish we could get podiatry service on a regular basis.
A very informative item I could have done with this information on diagnosis from my rheumatologist or gp.
Absolutely agree, J1707. Rheumatologists don't want to know about our feet. They just send us to bog-standard podiatry, not even rheumatology podiatry. You point out the nasty state of your feet to the podiatrist and she says, "That's your arthritis." Well thanks! How many years did you study in order to be able to fob me off with that?
Sadly since Covid the NHS (or Virgin care) podietry service in my area has been stopped and they are only seeing people with ulcers and open wounds. The clinic has been taken over for the vaccinations. My last appointment was just before the lockdown last March 2020 and my feet are not great, I can't afford to go private so I do what I can, but the corns and callouses are so sore now.
I was diagnosed this time last year I’ve had feet problems and pain roughly 10 years, when I had my initial diagnosis I mentioned my feet hurt more than anything and they was more interested in my hands 🤷♀️ and it’s wasn’t mentioned again and the same again when I saw the nurse on two follow up meetings. I’m dreading what it’s going to be when I do go back to work, still furloughed I’m in hospitality (chef) and my work place is being used as a vaccine centre till mid June end of July. I guess I may have to see a podiatrist to get any benefits.
I’ve struggled with my feet. Had a referral to podiatrist about 15yrs ago through RA consultant but discharged when I refused to wear the nhs recommended shoes. I was early 30’s. Advice was very poor unless you wore a particular shoe. Advice on this is so much better.My foot story - 3 yrs ago I pulled a tendon in my foot whilst jogging. GP did nothing despite not being able to walk without pain and only few steps at a time and after several visits still advised to ‘rest’. I didn’t associate it with my RA, but it was my then RA consultant that picked up the urgent need for treatment at a routine appointment and referred me to orthopaedics. Whilst it started as a sporting injury the RA soon took hold in the injury and complicated things! I’m now 2 yrs post op from having the tendon replaced, a spring ligament on the other side and my heel pinned. A longish recovery of non weight bearing and then airboot before follow up visits to a different and much more approachable and advisory podiatry team. I have my recommended ideals for footwear and shop for shoes with those in mind. So, footwear and soles sorted, no heels and limited sandal wear in summer but so much more shoe choice now than 15yrs ago. I also think I’m further along my RA journey with acceptance so I’m in a different place mentally with it, so whilst there are times I would love to wear gorgeous shoes, I’m more confident and comfortable with pulling off the dress and boot, or trainer look. And they are much more comfortable to dance in! Also since my op, no more running or netball but I’m now giving Nordic walking a go.
Never had any NHS help with 'foot health' in my 50 year history of RA since childhood. Feet and toes are deformed & require 2 ankle replacements, cannot bend to cut own toe nails and pay a private chiropodist.
I only hope children these days with JIA get a better service than I ever did.
During a phone call with a rheumy nurse last summer, she said that she'd refer my to the podiatrist but didn't know if/when they were going to be seeing patients.I've heard nothing so presumably they're not able to offer me an appointment yet but equally, I may not be on the list. 🤔
Hi BoxerLadyI was referred to podiatry in November. I was told I was patient number 1,215 on the waiting list. Since then I have had 2 letters telling me that due to covid they were only seeing emergencies (infected ulcers etc). Then about 3 weeks ago I had a phone call asking me which clinic I wanted to be referred to. But when I asked where the clinic were she didn't know! I ended up asking her to put me on the list for the clinic with the shortest waiting list!
I think we best not hold our breath!
If the modern treatments for RA are as great as we are always told, how come there are so many (presumably quite recent) examples of terrible foot conditions in the videos? If these conditions are still common, despite modern treatment, why are we given false reassurance about how good modern treatments are?
I have watched the videos in your online foot health course. I am sure they are well-meant, but I do not think they are very useful. Firstly, there is very little in them to tell us what can be done about our poor, deformed, painful feet. Yes, there are orthotics and general cutting and scraping. I've had all that for 25 years and my feet have got worse despite it.
Secondly, there are a lot of quite horrifying pictures of feet that make me feel hugely depressed thinking that's what lies in wait for me.
Finally, there are a great many Latin names used for both bones and conditions along with specialist terms such as "debride". I'm wondering what the purpose of them is, beyond emphasising how much the podiatrists know (and how little we patients know).
Before the pandemic, I used to teach English on a course for immigrant doctors. One thing all the teachers emphasised was that the doctors should avoid using obscure medical terminology with patients. It does not help communication.
My outstanding example of this was a a Chinese doctor who was delivering part of the First Aid course to some 15-year-old Duke of Edinburgh Award participants. He told them that people who have collapsed may "micturate", a word I only knew because of a particular investigation I'd had years previously. Afterwards, I asked several friends, all with degrees, but not medically trained, if they knew the word. The only one who did was someone whose granny had been a midwife and had told her that one of the signs of pregnancy was "frequency of micturition".
So, a plea: I do not need or want to know the Latin names of all the bones in my foot. I want to know what podiatrists - or anyone else - are going to do to stop my feet going from bad to worse, particularly the "worse" as illustrated in those videos.
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