Originally Posted by mrsD

ugh... 3 shots in the ankles! that is alot.

I had one steroid shot in my left ankle, several years before now, and
before it never swelled up, and now it does. I had had a spider bite on the other side of the ankle, and the ignorant podiatrist (who I did not return to) did the shot on the medial side because I still had inflammation from the bite (which required antibiotics, and steroids on vacation, oral).

That foot also had a surgery 50+yrs ago, to remove a tumor on the instep...so I always blamed that surgery. But that steroid shot in the ankle, could have also done "something" too. That ankle flares and improves, and flares again. On a schedule only it understands!

I'd really suggest you start with magnesium .. soak in epsom salts for a few days and see if there is improvement.

Also do you wear those tight boots? Hiking boots? Those could be compressing things and adding to problems. I'd really look to your footware for a while. I use an alternate lacing for my athletic shoes now and that really helps. They take the pressure off the instep and stop squeezing the nerves there.

Here is some homework.... a great website with drawings of the feet, showing where the nerves are, the tarsal ligaments, etc.
The shoe lacing is found there too.

I use springy white spiral laces now( from Famous Footware), which are made for kids, so you probably wouldn't go for those. But they take the pressure off the instep and stop the numb toes I used to get sometimes.