I searched this subject a few weeks back as I was curious about the relationship. I know my feet have very bad PN which started about 15 years ago, about 5-6 years ago prior to my RA diagnosis. When I used to teach beginners skiing and had a lot of standing around wearing tight ski boots, I would have to remove my boots and rub my feet due to extreme pain. Was fine when actually skiing, but would get a lot of pain on long lift lines. Thought it was just a tight boot thing, but now I get the foot pain just wearing flip flops or lying in bed. Mayo docs suggested PN.

I can understand how inflammation and swelling can cause nerve entrapments by pinching nerves. What I question is if some of the nerve pain is from Rheumatoid Vasculitis actually messing w blood flow to nerves or some other mechanism. Not a whole lot on the net on this subject. I remember when I was first diagnosed asking my 2nd Rheumatologist ( who was the worst rheumy I ever experienced) about if some of the nerve pain might be due to rheumatoid vasculitis. He says, " you have not had RA long enough, that is late stage". Few months later at Mayo Rochester brilliant Rheumy says, "You have longstanding RA". I had just been diagnosed 6 months before mayo visit.

So I would like to know if and how RA vasculitis might be responsible for various types of nerve damage as I also have a twitch disorder that has perplexed the neuro docs and most rheumies deny any connection w RA. Funny how the twitch got better after I got on Enbrel. Mayo neuro doc said it was from an autoimmune process, either from hasimotos or RA.