Hi all,

My first post here, though I've been lurking for a couple of weeks.

While I haven't been diagnosed officially, it's pretty obvious to myself that I have PN (feet numb, pins and needle sensation)

Recently I started noticing a sensation in the arch of my foot, like someone stuffed a portion of a golf ball in my shoe. While I wouldn't describe the situation as exactly painful, it is uncomfortable and gets worse as I walk or stand. Initially I thought this was because my feet are swelling up because of another medication I'm on and the retained fluid in my feet was causing this sensation but I was browsing the forum here and I saw reference to a symptom of a "feeling of walking on golf balls" and I wondered could this be my neuropathy?

I haven't been able to figure out if by "walking on golfballs" people mean like walking on a carpet of golf balls, or if it's a single gold ball wedged into the arch of your foot.

Additional info, it does come and go recently I've been extremely active on my feet (new exercise regime) and it's flared up this week. Any insight is appreciated as I can't afford to see a neurologist for a while, so I'm just documenting my symptoms and reading.

thanks!

It is definitely one of my symptoms and I assume it refers to the sensation of walking on a sea of hard, roundish objects. Walking on large pebbles, or in our house, Legos, would also be an adequate description. I repeatedly check my shoes for foreign objects, even though I know the sensation comes from my feet. I have been known to look for dents. The maddening thing is, if I were to really step on a Lego or a piece of glass, and even cut myself badly, I would feel absolutely nothing.
It has nothing to do with the kind of shoes I am wearing, either. I have tried everything and I still experience the feeling, even barefoot or in socks.
I do think it is worse if I have been doing a lot of walking, although other symptoms, like the pain in my thighs and hips, seem to be relieved somewhat by walking. I never seem to be able to find the perfect balance point and the pain levels are different every day.

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

Have you been to a podiatrist with your foot problems yet?

There are tiny bones under the ball of each foot called sesamoids. They can shatter, crack and/or move around in the
tendons and give alot of pain.

Also people with PN, who have a diabetic link, can develop a condition called Charcot Foot. This is painful and it swells, and
can come from a stress event on the metatarsal bones.
If you search Charcot Foot, you can find many sites discussing it, like this one:
http://www.doctorbret.com/charcot.htm

I think all people with foot pain, should have a screening by a good podiatrist to see if a mechanical issue is contributing to a PN state.

People taking certain medications that disrupt calcium and also Vit D, can develop osteopenia, and this can affect the small bones of the foot causing stress fractures.

it could also be a relative mild case of plantar fasciitis.

i woke up one morning a few years ago, and went to put my feet down on the floor and the pain was excruciating. i couldnt walk. both feet at once. i never had had that pain before. it is in the arch area. after a while i could put my feet on the floor though painfully and hobble around with crutches. had no idea what was going on. one foot released itself going down the stairs. the other foot i needed a steroid injection. it never happened again.