I have been having this awful pain in my foot and limping around a lot. Have seen a foot dr. and she has done many xrays and 2 examinations. The dr. is stumped. No fracture nothing else to warrant this kind of pain. Now they want an MRI to be done.
I mentioned that I was thinking it was PMR attacking my feet. She didn't know enough about PMR to say, but if there are no answers after the MRI she is willing to try some cortisone in the foot.
I thought I remember reading someone else having this problem? Just wondered if anyone has this and have been able to fix it? I don't see rheumatologist til Jan.
Thanks
Written by
Linny3
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I had a lot of foot and hand pain with PMR - and it took probably the best part of 6 months on oral pred before it faded. There are doctors who will try to tell you that PMR doesn't affect hands and feet - oh yes it does and can cause synovitis and, I presume, tendonitis.
It MAY be RS3PE syndrome - are your feet swollen? Your doctor may find this of interest:
Thanks for the response, I have been on various milligrams of pred. for 2 years and this just now starts. I would hate to think I will need to up the pred. That is why I wanted a shot. Thought it would work faster and allow me to stay at my current pred. dose.
I have a lot of trouble with my feet, in fact all the time I have had PMR. They are very swollen, but not with excess water. I also have arthritis and I have always put it down to that. However, as PMRpro has suggested it could be Tendonitis, which I also had.
My feet are swollen have been for 2 years since being on pred. I did ask if she thought that is contributing to this problem. She said it could be but wasn't convinced it was causing all the problems.
I got diagnosed with plantar fascitis after having horrible pain in my foot, only for it to disappear a few days later, which planter fascitis doesn't do!!! Whatever it really is, comes and goes at its own will. Don't know if that's any help????👣
Thanks for the reply. I really think it is plantar faciatis but dr. says no. So that only leaves me with pmr. (so Far) will know more after mri. Mine pain came and has stayed for almost 2 months.
Dont know what happened to my other reply anyway 1 yr ago plantar fascitis took ages to go then about 3 mths ago pain down left sjde on the top of the same foot. What on earth is it. Put up with it for weeks went yo Doctor and had an xray which showed up nothing
It gradually went away, almost. Went on my 3 week holiday and it involved the whole of the top of my foot. Swollen.Inflamed and I have been limping ever since. I self diag osed it at Tendonitis. It is gradually improving but involves a lot of rest. I will be going to doctor next week to try and come up with a solution of some sort. I had to have wheelchairs organised at the airports to come home. Good luck
Since the very start of PMR I have had pain in my ankles, feet, wrists and hands, my Rhuemy said PMR doesn't affect feet, to me it is too much of a coincidence so I pooh poohed that opinion. 9 months on still there but much milder. I put my feet up at every opportunity, it's the weakness in my hands that's most annoying but that's improving too.
People in Leeds think PMR can involve feet. And it does get a mention in the medical literature - sometimes it appears in the form of RS3PE syndrome and that is indisputably found alongside pMR.
For what it’s worth, I have not been formally diagnosed but I have had pain in my left foot similar to plantar fasciitis. It is not daily and not constant. Pain in both feet at times if I am barefoot or been standing too much. Also some numbness in my toes.
Just thought I would put in the mix diagnosed a few years ago with flat feet. They were giving me hell and also my ankles were hurting like mad. I now have to wear inserts in my shoes which support my arches. It came on quickly and had x-rays and tests saw a Consultant who examined me and said there was nothing wrong. Went to a physio session mentioned it to him and he said flat feet as ligaments in my foot were more supple than most, and of course Pred can soften the ligaments. You can do a test yourself with dipping your feet in warm water and walking on a piece of brown paper, if there is a complete silhouette of your foot including arches then it could be flat feet. The the pain was so bad I understand why they never took people with flat feet in the army with all that drilling. Take care Angie x
Thanks for the reply. I have had flat feet all my life and have used all kinds of supports for years. They gave me a new one a month ago but it isn't helping at all.
I know where you’re coming from Saffron. I have flat feet and my ankles pronate. Nightmare buying shoes now as the ligaments have stretched. That’s why I like winter. Can wear boots! I get pain which comes and goes. Have got orthotics made to measure on the NHS but can only get them in trainers.
Hi Linny3 yes it is a nightmare this summer has been horrendous with trying to wear just lightweight shoes. I to love the winter and wear my heavier boots etc. but have bought many supports over the years, the NHS only lets me have a new pair of their supports every two years. Have found some half ones which are OK but would not do a lot of walking in them. It really messed up my ankles and eventually led to a total hip replacement having to be done. Still a bit of a pain but cannot walk much with PMR at the moment. Take care Angie xx
All in all a right pain I would love to wear shoes with heels though with PMR that might be a bit dicey on the wobble front. I have found some half orthotics on e-bay which do help and are smaller and easier to put in shoes or slippers would not do too much walking in them but they are OK rather than struggling with the NHS inserts to put in long boots it is like try to ram a not very happy semi rigged slug inside. Take care Angie x
I also have pain in my feet that comes and goes. They are usually a little stiff in the morning then either loosen up or, some days, get painful in one area or another. There is no rhyme nor reason for it?. I finally decided it was the PMR and just plan the day around my feet.
I also have hand stiffness in the morning or sometimes after a nap. I can just clench my fists a few times and rub my fingers a bit and it usually goes away.
I only have arthritis in one finger (volleyball many years ago) and in one ankle from damage when I broke my leg.
At least from the posts of the rest of the group that you know you are not alone🤔.
I hope you find a way to ease the pain soon. Remember to be kind to your feet👣🌸
I've had a lot of problems with feet and ankles since having PMR. Some of the pain was put own to plantar fasciitis and steroid injections in my feet helped. Both feet and ankles are swollen and the swellling goes down when I take Pred so it must be some kind of inflammation. My GP tested for anything else it could be eg heart or kidney problems and they're OK so now she just shrugs, yet another mystery no one can solve.
Thanks I took a quick look at your link but it seemed to be about hands and apart from them going stiff in the night, I don't have a problem with them. Will go back and read more
Has your doctor also considered gout? But for sure PMR affects the hands and feet; after a good, active 10 days, I am hurting everwhere, hand and feet included.
I mentioned gout because as young as 33, I had it. I went to a podiatrist who thought it was tendonitis; I was limping too; gave me paracetamol with codeine; After 2 repeat visits, and no improvement, he ordered blood work, called me and said uric acid was way too high, and that he was not qualified to treat it; referred me back to my GP who repeated the blood test. The numbers were so high, he couldn't believe it. Put me on a drug called, at the time, Colbenemid; it was a magic bullet. Stopped using it in 1989, after a number of years with no symptoms and it never came back.
I could not manipulate my feet into any shoes; went to work in my loose bedroom slippers. Ironically, my younger brother, has had a couple of attacks, but he is managing on a low Purina diet, not happily.
Do you have a crushing sensation in your foot/feet?
My first thought was gout too. I had high uric acid counts too. When you have a crystal attack it’s excruciating. Thank goodness I don’t have them often now.
I had not thought of gout. I think of that as more in the toes. All my pain is in the heel and long tendon. Just did a nerve conduction test and waiting for results.
I will bring the idea of gout up at my next visit. Thanks for responding.
that is what I thought but the dr. didn't think so. So I just limp along waiting for some answers. I still think it is pmr and I need a cortisone shot in my foot.
Gout can occur anywhere in the body's musculoskeletal system, but most associated in the toes. Mine was in the instep, and repeat attacks in the classic big toe. I could barely walk. Have you had your uric acid blood work yet?
Sorry if this gets posted twice. My first post disappeared.
Had dr. app. for my feet yesterday. Just as I suspected, plantar fasciitis.
Mri showed it and the nerve scan was ok. Dr. thought it was also fibromyalgia. I told her after 20 years I know the pain of fibro and this pain wasn't that. However, it is very much like the pain of pmr. Also, a cortisone shot would not help with fibro.
We talked at length and decided to go ahead and do a cortisone shot in the foot. I was able to walk out of the office without hobbling and continued to fell better all evening. Dr. is having me do stretches and wear a boot at night to keep the ligament stretched. Today the pain is probably 75% better but my feet still burn. We did not address the burning aspect of this problem. It is such a blessing to be relieved of that awful pain.
Anyone else with this problem, don't forget it just might be or aggravated by Pmr.
Hope cortisone shot helps. When I had gout, it was a crushing, burning pain. Just keep in mind that the accuracy of scans is only as good as the technician who positions you, the machine and the radiologist who interprets the film. Although, I wouldn't think the bottom of the foot would be a difficult positioning task. Good luck !
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Painful feet, back, thighs
Achilles tendinitis and neuropathy in feet 
hurting feet
