Originally Posted by mrsd

I find that some of my foot pain, is referred from the knees.

I have a bad right knee, and my right foot is correspondingly the worst. I cut one Lidoderm in half, and place in across the back of my knee horizontally, above the crease..so it is on the thigh side. I use them in bursts, as the pain typically stops for me for a while.

With Lidoderms it takes a few days to really numb the nerve that is over-firing. The peroneal nerve and meniscal nerves are in the back of the knee and closest to the skin there. My ortho did a triggerpoint test on that knee when I went there, and showed me where to touch if the nerve was active.
On the lateral side of the knee (outside) right in the middle..if you press hard and get a huge response, that suggests your knee is actively causing pain. (some discomfort when you press this point occurs anyway--so I am talking major response as an indicator)

If I have a severe burning attack, which is not often, I put 1/2 Lidoderm across the tops of my feet. This typically works for me. I usually only need 2 days to stop whatever triggered that.

Where is the pain in the toes? When you move or bend them or all the time? The tips or the whole toe?
I have also used Salonpas --over the counter patches for the toes. I have cut them into strips and put them on the toes themselves, when my discomfort is more "arthritic" than nervey. I also have put Salonpas across the top of the foot at the beginnings of the toes. This sometimes helps. (climbing stairs, walking on rocks --on vacation it is unavoidable-- or wearing new shoes can set the toe pain thing off for me.
I buy wider shoes now to avoid this and that helps too.

If you have EQUAL discomfort in the shins all the time, I'd suspect the back. You can try the Lidoderms there too.
I'd start low and do the lower back for at least 5 days to see if that helps. I rarely put Lidoderms on my back for my feet.
I did use them for my hip tendon injury and that worked pretty well and I avoided narcotics. I also used them for MP in my thigh and they worked very well for that.

I'd also check out "shin splints"... if you have this I'd get medical evaluation so it does not progress.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cy...hinsplints.htm

If you have shin splints, I'd put the patches over the painful sensation. I'd explore Flector patches as well (or you can try Salonpas on them).

My son had a severe ankle problem that flared up when he went to college and had to suddenly walk MILES..it was due to over pronation of that foot.
We had orthotics made, and it went away. So some pain in the lower shin can be due to mechanical problems, not neuro ones.