Does anyone else suffer from foot pain? A nurse at work suggested it may be plantar fasciitis. Can it be connected to b12 deficiency? Tia
Plantar fasciitis : Does anyone else... - Pernicious Anaemi...
Plantar fasciitis
49 Replies
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It can be connected to hypothyroidism. I know.
There is a current thread which mentions it:
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....
it can also be linked to B12 deficiency.
its generally caused by nerves that run through the maze of bones and tendons in the ankles getting constricted. This can happen because of muscle weakness (eg fallen arches) or general water retention, or .... there are probably a number of reasons.
It can be eased in many cases by the use of orthotics.
I used to suffer a lot and had fallen arches but this improved once B12 deficiency was dealt with. I haven't had a recurrence post the onset of hashimotos and orthotics worked well for me when I suffered in B12 deficient days. I can have problems with very flat shoes but inserting orthotics works for me.
Some people don't find orthotics work for them. Orthotics work by supporting the foot in ways that can change the position of bones and tendons releasing the pressure on nerves as you walk etc. But if the shifts are in the wrong directions it could result in nerves being more constricted.
in reply to Gambit62
I’ve never heard of orthotics but I’ll look into it thank you
Nackapan in reply to
A podiatrist usually prescribes themail. Many many years ago shies were made with them in built. Theses were usually more individual and successful.
Nw orthotics are put in ordinary shoes. One of my many jobs was fitting these. The shoe needsre to be a lace up and deep enough to take it. Some people have more pain initially and give up. Usually tissue is because too drastic a correction has been made. It also affects your hips.
A good lace up with a small heel and flexible sole very important.
Any shoe or sandal that makes you grip your toes no good. Also a rounded toe of shoe.
Some people find trainers good as long as they are fitted well.
Foot exercises help also.
The other thing to remember is not to vary the heel height much on your shoes.
I tried orthotics - and suffered for weeks after wearing for just twenty minutes.
Ultrasoft "diabetic" insoles did and do help, a lot.
just reminded me of one instance of orthotics not working for me - had some from a referal to a podiatrist but they just resorted in huge amounts of back pain so I gave up on those and went back to just using some supports I'd had for years - hard plastic ... these days I use half supports from a high street chemist and tend not to use anything else, so they can definitely be hit and miss.
Some people need metatarsal supports (front of the foot near the toes, rather than the arches and back of the foot) - but I've tended to find those rather uncomfortable.
Hi helvella would you be kind enough to tell me which ultrasoft "diabetic" insoles you favour? Sounds heavenly. I have looked on web and lots on offer, and variable prices!!!
I have some of these:
Diaped Duosoft Plus
(Registration required website)
algeos.com/html/products/pr...
On Amazon:
amazon.co.uk/Diaped-Duosoft...
Have several and not all are that make. They do seem more expensive than they used to be!
Thanks, could I pester you further and ask if sizing is accurate? Some things I've ordered not very true!
Difficult to know. For me, they seem quite accurate. But I have extreme wide feet. If my feet were narrow, I think they would seem too wide. Length seems right.
Also, I buy shoes which are able to take these insoles. If I put them in ordinary shoes, there would not be sufficient room. They do take quite a bit of space so if your shoe fits without them, it is unlikely there is enough room for them unless you can remove an existing insole.
I am always fascinated to find the number of odd things that I have suffered from, that have been resolved with my B12 treatment, that people here report!
Many things that aren't technically on the list of B12d symptoms but which must be linked!
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
in reply to helvella
Thank you I’ll have a look at the link
I’ve suffered in and off for years. It’s mainly caused by ill-fitting shoes. That’s caused by having stupidly large feet (size 15, 4E).
Had the same problem getting well fitting shoes for the opposite reason. Very skinny slim feet AAA And shallow! And long lol .
Need 7 eyelets in a lace to hold them in place.
No one is 'average'
At one point even worked in a 'specialist' shoe shop. They catered for all shapes and sizes. Medical problems ect...
I have found that those orthotic inserts mentioned ( I bought from Amazon ) are a huge help to me . I did originally get some from a podiatrist at great expense , but the ready made ones are excellent. It’s worth a try for you .
Me too, although I was lucky as the hospital physio said "they'll send you to orthotics but the ones you can buy from the chemist (and since online)" are better and cost far less.
in reply to wedgewood
I’ll have a look thanks
Hi,
I suffered from foot pain for several years. No interest whatsoever from GPs. I coped at time by having very supportive shoes with shaped insides, Since finally getting B12 treatment a few years ago I haven't had any foot pain other than mild permanent neuropathic type symptoms.
Haven't been able to wear high heels for years and can't cope with flat shoes either.
Have your Vitamin D levels been checked?
in reply to Sleepybunny
No I haven’t will the doctor do that?
Sleepybunny in reply to
Hi,
GP should be able do Vitamin D test. I'm surprised they haven't already.
If GP won't do it then then in UK it is possible to get a private blood test for Vitamin D.
Do you get copies of all your blood test results?
Most UK GP surgeries have online access to a summary of results/records. Details will be on GP surgery website.
Access to Medical Records (England)
nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/re...
england.nhs.uk/contact-us/h...
I mentioned it because vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone/joint pain.
patient.info/bones-joints-m...
in reply to Sleepybunny
Thank you I had my blood tested about two years ago when I was then diagnosed with pa so I’ll get them done again.
Sleepybunny in reply to
UK guidelines indicate that it is irrelevant to retest B12 levels once treatment has started. B12 levels are likely to be high if on B12 jabs so be wary if they want to retest B12.
Some forum members have had their NHS injections stopped if their b12 blood results are high.
If in UK, I suggest reading documents below.
BSH Cobalamin and Folate Guidelines
b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/gui...
BMJ B12 article
Emphasises need to treat patients who are symptomatic even if their B12 level is within range.
BNF
bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/hydrox...
NICE CKS
cks.nice.org.uk/anaemia-b12...
If you're in UK you should be able to access your results from 2 years ago.
You could check if Vitamin D level was tested 2 years ago. GPs don't always tell patients what blood tests are being done.
I've had pernicious anaemia for over 40 years but I have only recently started having problems with my feet. I apparently have hypermobility in my knees which is causing this problem.
Knee supports might help you.
I have thought about getting some but I'm not sure what is the best type. I've been messed around by the local pain management service and I asked to go to a different area. That was even worse because they didn't have my notes at either appointment. I had intended to ask about my knees at the last appointment
Sorry to cut in, but knee supports should only ever be used for short periods of time if the knee has suffered trauma and is swollen, bruised and inflamed.
Using knee supports, the stretchy/tubular type, sends a message to the brain that the VMO muscle and ITB band are no longer required to support the knee structure (as the support is doing the work). This causes fairly rapid wasting of those very important muscles surrounding and enabling the knee to function correctly which in turn causes either or both, other biomechanical injury or cartilage damage under the patella due to the knee cap not tracking/moving in the correct position.
It's worth finding a really good physio or osteopath to advise what exercises and reps to do in order to build up your quod/VMO muscles to better support your knees and in turn your feet. Anything using one of those exercise rubber bands will help.
I've had knee injuries and subsequent biomechanical issues initially from playing competitive badminton as a teenager, at 14 I was told by my gp my knee pain was growing pains and to wear a sock bandage which I did. Fast forward 15 years and I developed knee pain while doing long distance fell running. I found an amazing osteopath who explained ^ and since then I able to manage knee health while running by doing various weights/squats etc.
My problem is further exacerbated by having lipo/lymphoedema and osteoarthritis which affect both of my knees. I'm waiting to see if the local MSK service reply to my email
I'm sorry to hear that 041051. I hope you have a good MSK team and that they get you sorted out x
in reply to 041051
What’s hypermobilty?
Sleepybunny in reply to
Hypermobility means that joints will be much more flexible than people without hypermobility.
nhs.uk/conditions/joint-hyp...
There is a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)which can lead to hypermobility. There can be other symptoms. It is a connective tissue disorder.
Link below is to a UK EDS charity.
EDS can be associated with B12 deficiency due to tissue weakness causing digestive problems. Info on symptoms can be found in above link. I believe it is a very variable condition.
I am not medically trained.
Thank you Sleepybunny. I have emailed the local MSK service to ask about getting some more information about the condition and to see if they recommend any particular treatment
Hi,
Just curious as to what MSK stands for?
Muscoskeletal I believe. Mainly a team of physios overseen by doctors who hide away and are rarely seen
Hi
Yes it’s true it can be caused by low t3 low b12 or just plain tight calves.
A massage would help, ultrasound or rolling your heel over a rolling pin.
Either way check your calves first.
Good luck x
in reply to Howard39
I’ve just bought a foot massager so I hope that helps
I do suffer from this and the pain is excruciating I was on crutches for a year. it still has its flares and I never know when it's going to happen, it can wreak havoc on your life. The pain to me feels like I am trying to pass a kidney stone through my foot. I watched an episode on the Doctors and they showed new treatments for this condition they tried on different patients I don't know if it worked because it didn't show that part. I've tried many things nothing seems to help me I just lay and cry because I dk what else to do. I dk what it is related to because there are many ppl and that is the only thing wrong with them, I have 79 conditions so is one related to the other ,dk I always just want the Dr.s to fix it. Good luck and a side note you won't suffer just this one time with it, you will always have it now
in reply to 15beansoup
Oh I’ll definitely try and reduce the pain as I hate suffering so any ideas are welcome
15beansoup in reply to
thet have many videos on this on youtube I use a cold water bottle and roll it under my foot it will at least take care of the swelling and fever you can do exercises I also will wrap my heel in medical tape
15 bean soup. It's total agony. I too tried everything without success until I found an article somewhere on the interweb that explained it's worse in the morning because as you sleep the foot drops forward and the tendon becomes shortened/tighter.
To counter this have a towel near to your bed and before you get up in the morning loop the towel around the top of your foot and pull towards you until you feel a good stretch across the sole of the foot and calf, count to 15, relax for 15 and repeat 3 times on each foot.
After having plantar fasciitis for over a year within a couple of days it was almost gone!
wow that's great! I now sleep on my loveseat not my bed due to so many issues I do this exercise 9-13 times a day does it help, I don,t know, but I am willing to pee on a spark plug if that would help it. Thank you for your help !!!
Speaking of sparks...when pain in my knee following a nasty sprain wouldn't ease (5 years on), I tried everything and eventually saw an excellent acupuncturist who put needles into my VMO muscles surround the knee, the needles were attached to a battery that sent pulses literally zapping the muscle into life! It worked and I haven't had the pain return since.
Have you tried acupuncture?
no I haven't, I got this after being diagnosed with PA and after the PA was diagnosed with Vaso I pass out every time they stick a needle in my body, I have had 100s thru the years and no problem, until PA Its so bad that a Dr has to be present when I get a stick or they won't give it to me because I can stop breathing
Goodness that sounds awful!
I had plantar fasciitis for several years prior to starting my B12 shots after my loading doses it mysteriously disappeared.
Yes, PA/B12d has caused me great pain in my feet for very many years. Just started injections a few months ago and already notice a difference. There are times when I cannot tolerate any shoes at all and can no longer stand for any length of time. Again, seeing improvement now that I am being properly treated.
I had this pretty badly for a long while (exercise induced). Eventually it went away, but then suddenly after a couple of years of not having it one day it came back. This time something bizarre resolved it - giving up gluten!
I was giving up gluten to see if it’d help my thyroid but soon realised it’d had an unexpected effect.
