Foot pain - pelvic pain connection

[Pelviccrusader]

Hi all. In addition to pelvic pain I have developed severe foot pain which has forced me to resign my job. 3 physical therapists say with confidence that the foot pain is coming from the pelvic region even though nerve conduction and EMG tests are negative. But nobody seems to be able to reduce the foot pain whether they treat the feet or the pelvis. Is anybody going through something similar? Thanks

[RLH356]

I see you have pudendal neuralgia, I do as well. I have foot pain/idiopathic peripheral neuropathy in my feet too. My physical therapist told me when my SI joint is not in alignment it puts tork on my pudendal nerve so that it isn't gliding the way it is suppose to and it can also affect the sciatic nerve running down to my feet as well. The doctor treating my PN says he has other PN patients where their feet are effected too. So, it sounds like we are not alone. Maybe ask your PT to check your SI alignment. My PT trained my husband to adjust me as well so I wasn't constantly going in for an adjustment. Just a suggestion...I wish you the best, I know it it is life changing and can be very frustrating.

[Pelviccrusader in reply to RLH356]

I have Physical therapy tomorrow and I will be sure to show your post to her. Thanks very much for the reply and I will let you know how it goes

[Pelviccrusader in reply to RLH356]

Forgot to ask-how well do the adjustments work as far as relieving your foot pain? So I assume the foot pain is bilateral? When you have a treatment that reduces pain, do you find that the affects are temporary? I have a few things that can help me at times but improvements never last more than 24 hours. Sorry for all the questions; and you are right – this is life-changing

[RLH356 in reply to Pelviccrusader]

No need to apologize for questions...that's why we are all here to support and encourage one another. Yes, my PN is bilateral, which I understand is somewhat unusual and I have peripheral neuropathy in both feet. Because I don't tolerate sitting, I stand at work, only working part-time at this point and that aggravates it, but I love my work and am reluctant to quit. At first the adjustments didn't last very long because my core was weak and that is what stabalizes your SI joint. As she taught me how to strengthen my core, my SI became more stable and the time between adjustments lengthened. I don't want to mislead you into thinking that the pain in my feet disappeared completely...it's just much more tolerable now. So, now when the pain in my feet increases, it's usually an indication that my SI joint is out of alignment and I have my husband do the maneuver my PT taught him and the pain lessens. Also, as someone else mentioned I wear an orthotic in my shoes during the winter months and orthotic sandals in the summer and that makes a huge difference because if you are like most of us we spend most of our time standing rather than sitting. Please let us know how you come out. Praying for excellent results!

[Pelviccrusader]

I have Physical therapy tomorrow and I will be sure to show your post to her. Thanks very much for the reply and I will let you know how it goes

[Hidden]

Lots of people suffer with foot and pelvic pain together. I have plantar fasciitis in both feet from standing so much and was referred for orthotic inserts for my shoes, moulded to my feet, and they helped a lot.

If you google the ‘sensory homunculus of the brain’ it shows that area of the brain responsible for the feeling in our feet and toes it is right next to the area for our genitals. Chronic pain can ‘rewire’ the brain and it’s possible that the pain can ‘spill over’ so to speak into the adjoining area of the brain... the feet. Hope this makes sense.

[pinkfluffyclouds in reply to Hidden]

That's amazing as before I got pudendal neuropathy I broke my foot and was in extreme pain on return to work as a nurse kept trying to walk in hope it would resolve as my Dr at the time had cleared me to return to work full duties even thou my foot was still painful was not back to work long approx. 2 weeks in struggling with foot and ended up with pudendal neuropathy. I knew the trigger for when the pudendal pain came as it was during the time of me tying hard to work with this painful foot and now left with pudendal pain rectal pain including all the areas below waist. hard to prove this as they say can be from many other reasons but I was fine before that happening .Foot healed but left unable to work now due to the severe symptoms of this condition you know this site really does show how many people have our problem and yet not many know of this painful condition until they are like us.

[keeenoo]

I have had same. Toe stretchers have helped both with the foot and pelvic pain. Also DDP yoga has improved my condition massively. I have been doing for nearly 18 months from the very basic exercises that you start lying down in bed. Hypnosis music and binaural beats for nerve pain help as well. I have had pudendal nerve pain for over 8 years and these have been the most effective ways of managing the pain I have found, hope it helps.

[Pelviccrusader in reply to keeenoo]

Thanks-will try everything you said!

[Pelviccrusader in reply to keeenoo]

Did the foot pain improve In parallel with the pelvic pain?

[keeenoo in reply to Pelviccrusader]

They seem to be linked for me, when the pelvic pain is bad my feet will get worse. I use the toe stretchers for an hour a day and when the nerve pain flares up. They really help lesson the pain.

[Pelviccrusader in reply to keeenoo]

Toe spreaders help me as well. This makes me wonder how similar our symptoms are. Is your foot pain mostly in the balls of your feet? I found it interesting that physical therapy was not on your list of things that helped. I am spending huge amounts of money on physical therapy with limited returns. Did you try physical therapy at all?

[Magel in reply to Pelviccrusader]

what are toe spreaders?

[Pelviccrusader in reply to Magel]

Just something you stick in between each pair of toes that forces them apart. You can find them at Amazon

[Smollyholly]

Hi I have had pain on top of my feet when I have sore lower back This all started after a pelvic floor repair 14 months ago I had burning throbbing vulval pain to begin with but now replaced with lower back pain sore feet and shins My shins feel as if I have been hit with a sword just in one particular place Cant sleep at night when I have this It is the worst pain ever Also had my feet examined by a podiatrist and insoles made to feet contours Hasnt helped much

[Pelviccrusader in reply to Smollyholly]

Have you gotten an MRI on your back? Presumably if you could treat the back Pain, the foot and shin pain would go away with it. My experience is that podiatrists are useless. No matter what problem you go in there with they will prescribe orthotics without ever really looking at the rest of the body and how that can change how efficient leave effect functions

[Smollyholly in reply to Pelviccrusader]

Going to a brilliant physio and she says I need a scan if my back so hope to have an appointment soon Will keep you posted

[Pelviccrusader in reply to Smollyholly]

Please do

[Pelviccrusader in reply to Smollyholly]

Correction to the end of last text- How efficiently The Foot functions

[Konagirl60]

Hi there. I stood all day and early evening for over a year until my 52 year old body said no more. Even with orthopaedic shoes on, my legs and knees could no longer take all the standing. I attribute that to severe sleep deprivation.

When my legs gave out, I bought a heating pad inside for the house where I lay mostly in bed and a heating pad attached to a converter that I could sit on in my car. The burning pain was so bad that I ended up burning my skin where the heating pad made contact. I was desperate as at this point ( 1.5 years living with severe uncontrolled pudendal nerve entrapment pinched by juxtaposed ligaments ). Every time I sat, the nerve pain was unbearable. I could hardly breathe.

My legs became so weak that I started falling on shorts walks with my dog and eventually I fell down the 13 stairs from my kitchen down to my front door. I broke a toe and was too tired to even think of taping it to another one. ( I had broken a toe previously ). I had a stress fracture on my right foot for two years! It is still vulnerable.

On another occasion, I caught a flu bug. When I walked quickly from my bed to the toilet my legs gave out and I fell into my tub( which is adjacent to the toilet ) and hit my head on the wall tiles before falling into the tub. That caused vertigo that would not stop. I had to call an ambulance. The firemen arrived first and gave me oxygen which helped. The EMG doctor gave me Gravol and the vertigo stopped.....it had lasted three hours! The doctor told me that I was lucky I did not hit my ear and upset the crystals inside it. Apparently, if our ear crystals are dislosged or damaged, it can cause chronic headaches and other issues? I had no idea.

Have you tried orthopaedic shoes? They cost a lot of money and I always buy them on sale.

I am sorry you had to quit your work. I had a career for 31 years and a misdiagnosis of ‘post herpetic neuralgia’ and improper medicatjon managementmade to have to quit my work. The doctors where I live went above and beyond to deny me proper nerve blocks and surgery. I hired a nurse and she procured surgery for me. It worked.

[Pelviccrusader in reply to Konagirl60]

Wow-Sorry to hear all that suffering. What did they do in the surgery? Sounds like your feet never were affected –That’s one good thing

[Pelviccrusader]

Wow-Sorry to hear all that suffering. What did they do in the surgery? Sounds like your feet never were affected –That’s one good thing

[Konagirl60]

I had the surgery done in St, Joseph’s Hospital, St.Paul, Minnesota. It worked.

I have suffered and actually I am very lucky to be alive. I almost died at the end of 2010 from the life threatening pain and sleep deprivation it caused.

I had a terrific nerve block in Minnesota at the MAPS Pain Clinic in Edina in 2009. That block helped my sciatic nerve calm down completely. Thank goodness for my US specialist! He saved my life.

I pray my brain can fully heal and my nervous system will calm down! I pray the sane for you.

[anna1234567]

When I’m in a flare, my heel really hurts too