Weird Ball of foot sensations

[mtrafter]

I have had PMR for 3 and half years currently tapering down from 15mg Pred after recent bad flare now on 10mg.

I have a question

Over the last 12mths I have been experiencing constant weird sensations on the balls of both feet they feel thick as if I have something stuck to them and then something scrunched up under my 2nd, 3rd and 4th toes. There is no pain, tingly or burning sensations, just uncomfortable. Have noticed over the last week that on rising and putting my right foot to the floor I now feel sharp stabbing pains on the ball of my foot that go away after I've hobbled around for 5mins or so.

Just wondering if this could be another PMR gift , maybe peripheral neuropathy or something totally unrelated to PMR.

Has anyone else experienced this ? would love to hear and also how you managed it,

Many thanks for reading.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Something like that was a part of my PMR right from relatively early on - it felt as if I was walking on a mixture of pebbles, some with sharp edges, and broken glass. It was worst on standing after sitting for a while but eased after a few minutes of hobbling. It was less awful if I worse firm and laced shoes - my Meindl leather walking shoes became the go-to footwear, fine for shopping but weren't so ideal for evenings out! Once I was on pred it eased although it took some months, like the pain deep in the hip. That was trochanteric bursitis - the feet, we assumed, was tensosynovitis around the metatarsals. I also had hand pain - it returns as a warning of a flare but the foot pain never has.

Over the years I have heard similar stories about hand and foot pain - enough to convince me that it is part of PMR.

[mtrafter in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your quick response , Im thinking I need to look at my footwear , a memory foam insole might be the way to go, but with the Aussie summer approaching needs a bit more research. I also have deep hip , lumbar and butt pain, am booked for a lumbar MRI in 2 weeks so maybe that might shed some light.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to mtrafter]

Bursitis and piriformis syndrome ...

[mtrafter in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, Im thinking piriformis syndrome too, my symptoms seem to fit.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to mtrafter]

And back problems can link to foot problems too ...

[MrsNails]

I have an area under the ball of my foot, it feels like the round toffee from Quality Street - hope you’re from the U.K. & know what l mean......

I always feel as if there’s something under my foot & it’s worse on tiles if l nip to the loo without slippers on.

It could be a Morton’s Neuroma but l’ve had a Scan & it didn’t show anything. I’ve been given an insole with a bump in it to stretch the area & had the offer of Made to Measure ones but l’ve declined that for the moment.

At night it sometimes feels much tighter & l need to stretch it out.

[mtrafter in reply to MrsNails]

Thanks for your thoughts. Its so hard to describe what it feels like but your Quality St toffee - a squashed one ! is pretty near to it. I thought maybe I need to go to a Podiatrist for assistance with perhaps an orthotic. I will look up Mortons neuroma. Thanks

[MrsNails in reply to mtrafter]

My Rheumatologist sent me to Podiatry but l’ve only been ‘seen’ over the phone 😉

They’ve been extremely helpful & sent me the orthotic insole, which l can put in my trainers or walking shoes but l’m not sure it really helps.

In the scheme of things it’s not high on my list of complaints but it is a pain both literally & figuratively!🦶

[tangocharlie]

I had terrible feet problems in the first two years of PMR. It was dx plantar fasciitis. GP did steroid injections directly into my heels which hurt like hell going in but did the trick. One foot had to be redone a couple of years later. I have other problems now which is caused by the foot pad (fleshy bit near where the toes join the footnot being in the right place to protect the metatarsal bones in the ball of my left foot - I don't know if it's linked. I was referred to the rheumatology podiatry clinic (it must be a common problem for them to have a clinic dedicated to it?) and prescribed firm insoles which seem to help a lot and distribute the weight away from the ball of the foot. I'm advised to wear sturdy shoes that don't flex much if you tried to bend them in half, rather than sketcher type cushion soles. But then a friend who is a physiotherapist says in her experience the Sketchers are good too, which is the opposite advice.

[mtrafter in reply to tangocharlie]

Thanks for your response, fortunately I have never had plantar fasciitis.

I love my Sketchers with its super comfortable memory foam insoles, but mine are only a casual style and are not very supportive I tend to go over on the outside of my foot and that exacerbates my discomfort. I am seeing my Rheumatologist in 3 wks hopefully a face to face appt as we are finally coming out of a strict 12week lockdown! Will discuss it with hin then. In the meantime I might try and get face to face appt with a Podiatrist for advice.

[GoldieGarnet]

I have found someone just near us. We are at Ringwood North. I have GCA. It would be interesting to compare notes.