This is long but .... wanted to give as much info as I could.

My feet have hurt for almost five years now. My PN came on April ‘04. Tested - unknown cause.

I am so use to the tight/ache feelings ..... I mostly just try to ignore it (no meds - never did take anything).

I also (mostly) ignore my feet all together. I realize I should not ignore them but ....... I do.

I am 63 years old. I have biggish (12.5 US) flat feet. Second toe is longer. I’ve been told I am not diabetic (blood testing). Not overweight.

About a month ago (in the shower) I noticed my 4th toe on my right foot was “hooked”. It was also stiff.

About a week ago (in the shower) ...... ugg ALL five toes were hooked (right foot). Big toe also bent in along with the joint bent down.

All five toes were/are stiff.

After reading what I could find ... it looked like claw toe to me but .... most of the things I read claim neither for the big toe. Well my big toe is also affected. I guess claw toe in the big toe is a no go due to not enough joints for claw toe so ......

It really don’t make much difference if it is claw toe or hammer toe or any of the two or three other names I found .... it is a mess.

A couple of days after the bad news discovery - I discovered something else that kind of gave me a tad of hope.

Sitting on a chair legs straight down ankle 90 bent (foot 90 degrees from leg) the five toes are bent bad.

If I slide that foot out (like 45 degree ankle bend) the toes mostly straighten out (mostly not totally).

So ....... it is obvious there is an imbalance in what ever muscle/tendons or what ever ...... something has shrank (tightened up) or something has lengthened or weakened to cause the imbalance.

TWO POTENTIAL SELF INFLICTED CAUSES:

A. This entire winter I’ve worn shoes all day (unlike ever before). I sit at my desk all day and really don’t walk all that much. The shoes are soft but do have a firm fixed sole and I think my toes were smashing the end ...... (esp with B.) My legs are normally on a shelf under my desk (pretty much straight out from my hips).

B.
I may have caused this (or aggravated it helping to to “come on”) by something I did for 18 hours a day - seven days a week for a month.

I am trying to get “Ron’s Race Night” going as a ...... umm fun thing lol.

I have five Nintendo DS units (had held video game units) I get a racing game (or three or five) and complete them. Then I lend a unit and a game to someone so they can practice whenever the want for ........ race night.

The last set of games were HARD HARD HARD to complete and very very tense and ......... stressful.

I noticed I clinched up my feet in the thick of the races (trying to win to unlock cars and other races).

So ...... 18 hours a day - seven days a week with clinched up feet ........ then wham bent toes .......

It hit low 60s yesterday here in Kansas City ...... that meant fire up my motorcycle and get out of the house ..... well .....

I put on my boots and ...... could not bare the pain and was forced to abandon the get away.

At this point all five toes are still flexible. I’ve bought some gel “caps” - toe crest cushion - toe spreaders and ...... getting into some exercises.

1. Is this very common in people with PN? (some reading list PN as a possible cause along with tight toe box shoes)

2. Is there any hope of me stretching what ever has tightened up and getting my toes better with exercises? - or (more likely just going to get worse and less and less flexible?

3. Is there any chance at all this is (could be) temporary due to the hours and hours of strong toe/foot clinching I did? (I know I doubt that also).

4. Anyone else have some form of this - anything you did help?


Thanks ........