NeuroTalk Support Groups - Mrs D, or anyone who can speak to tarsal tunnel and neuropathy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swmnupstrm (Post 617201)

I posted a few months ago about tingling and nerve pain in the feet after I started a walking program, probably in bad shoes.

Saw Professory of Neuromuscular medicine at UF Shands in Jacksonville. After conduction tests, he told me I have neuropathy. As I had had a positive tinel's sign when I visited my podiatrist a couple of weeks ago, I asked him about tarsal tunnel, and he said he "couldn't see any evidence of it in tests, but it's hard to diagnose sometimes". He took 15 vials of blood for numerous blood tests, some of which take 6 weeks to complete. I follow up in 2 months. He prescribed neurontin, up to 1800 mg daily.

Yesterday, I saw my podiatrist. Thyroid, diabetes, SED, B12 all ruled out. She asked if anything was said at Shands about tarsal tunnel, and I gave her the above statement. She had strapped my feet two weeks ago, and I told her it helped some. She wants me to be fit for orthotics, but does not have an appointment open until the 22nd; and they take 6-8 weeks to come back.

I am kind of beside myself at this point. Walking does not seem to bother me, but when I quit, that's when it's bad. I tried an ace bandage on ankle and arch overnight, but when I took it off the next day, the buzzing was crazy. Ice seems to help somewhat.

It just seems like this is a long time for me to wait to get some help. I am so afraid of damaging myself further before they figure this out. I am taking advil and aleve on my own - they don't do much for pain and I find methadone doesn't cut it. I am doing stretches I was taught in physical therapy. I don't know how far I should be walking, if I should get some sort of insoles on my own, whether to pick up some night braces or if they will make it worse, or whether to try the ace bandages again.

Do you have any suggestions for me while I wait for something definitive - or at least more near to a diagnosis?

Thanks for your time.

I have started on 1000 B12 a day.

Well, pain in the feet can come from mechanical issues, like over pronating when walking. My son had this in his right ankle.
And an orthotic fixed it. He had severe pain when walking long distances--when he first went away to college. Before that he just found most shoes "uncomfortable" and hard to fit, but no real pain. The pain arrived when he started walking miles daily.

If you strap your ankle or foot, be very careful because you can compress the nerves and make it worse, if compression is your problem.

I have bolded the statement you made about things being "ruled out". Please be aware that when doctors read test results, it is their interpretation, and in fact interpretation may be marred by poor education, or they may even ignore out of range values. For example thyroid tests have 2 ranges now.
0-6 and 0-3. If you have a 6 reading it may be interpreted as normal by some doctors. Others would be diagnosing you as hypothyroid on the spot and giving you hormone replacement.
The same goes for B12 levels, and also interpretation of diabetes risk (you might be pre-diabetes and have insulin resistance).
So I would get your exact test numbers for your own satisfaction to make sure you have no risks there.

Walking too much too soon, may stress your foot in many ways.
Buzzing seems to indicate compression. This can occur in the ankle, under the tarsal ligament.
If you check the link I put up here already on this thread, you can see how close everything is....an imbalance in any area can compress the nerves.

Did you have X-rays of the feet? Showing if you have any sesamoid bone problems, or spurs in the heel? Arthritis in the big toe joint?