Foot Pain
 

I have a problem with my right foot. My ankle is swollen and the top of my foot is very tender and painful.....especially when I walk or bend it up, down or side to side.

I had an x-ray taken to establish that there isn't a hairline fracture. There isn't.

The doctor said that it possibly could be from spasticity. I get such bad spasms in my legs that it could be a possibility.

It's been a week now and it's not getting any better. First thing in the morning is terrible. After resting it for a few hours it's nearly impossible to walk.

I've gotten a foot brace sock thingy made for Plantar Fasciatis (sp?) and it helps but the doctor said he didn't think it was Plantar's related.

Has anyone else dealt with this type of thing? What did it turn out to be?

I have a prescription for Tramadol but the Advil seems to work better. I do take Mirapex for RLS. And I have a prescription for Baclofen but I don't take it on a regular basis. If I take Mirapex and Advil or Tramadol PLUS the Baclofen I may as well just stay in bed all day......between making me sleepy and off-balance (even more so than usual) it's dangerous for me to be up and around. :thud:

My left leg is my weakest so this is really compromising my ability to get around because this is my right foot.....so now I have no "good side". :rolleyes:

Your foot sounds like mine! ;)

As you know, I am not an MSer. But I do have a terrible time with my left foot. I had surgery on it when I was 12 to remove a tumor. There was lots of nerve damage and it was numb for years. When the nerves grew back, they were mixed up and hurt alot. It swells at times and goes back down. I also sprained it in my teen years, and that might be a factor now too. I had new x-rays 2 yrs ago at the podiatrist's and they showed lots of bone spurs in the ankle.
I find if I flex that foot to aggressively, like going up steep stairs, it will flare terribly after for many days.

I find putting the new Aspercreme Lidocaine on the top of it where my scar is, turns off the overfiring nerves, and helps alot. It even takes down the swelling. (I don't understand that effect, but it is welcome none the less)

I find that the Aspercreme Lidocaine lasts one application over a couple of days or so.

There are alot of nerves on the top of the foot, and also ligaments that hold the foot bones together, which can become inflamed and compress those nerves.
Aspercreme Pain Relieving Cremes and Gels: Pain Relieving Creme with Lidocaine

This formula is almost as strong (80%) as the Compounded RX pain formulas, and many of us at PN use this with great success. It is over the counter at many stores and pharmacies now.

i'm not saying this is your problem but for me.....when i had a lot of edema in my foot/ankle i also had a lot of pain. i tried a few things that helped me:

1. raising leg up like in a recliner.
2. ice on & off thru the day
3. using my compression hose. this really helped prevent further swelling &
also helped diffuse the swelling. they don't have to be tight. you can get
several type degrees of compression. or, even try an ace bandage.
use on & off & don't make it too tight.
4. i put a pillow under my feet/legs & that helps too.

hope this might help

I have not experienced that with my ankle or foot. I did have it happen many times in my forearms and wrist. It travels right along one of the nerves. I take gabapentin so upping the dose of that during those times helps. I ice the area as well and use a menthol type cream to help with the pain. I have tried Salonpas on it and they worked well. I ran out of them and haven't gotten more so I just use the menthol cream (Bengay type).

It's hard when our good leg decides to act up. My left leg is my bad leg too. Lately, my right leg has been giving me trouble. It's nerve pain close to my ankle. I don't have any swelling like you described and the pain is intermittent.

I hope your leg starts feeling better soon.:hug:

I just discovered that Aspercreme now has a Lidocaine patch OTC. This is just fabulous.... they are 4% compared to 5%RX Lidoderm.

I currently use the 4% cream on my foot, and it is very useful.
Far better than Salonpas or other "rubs".

Aspercreme Pain Relieving Cremes and Gels: Pain Relieving Creme with Lidocaine

I find the cream is more "flexible" in reaching areas that the patches don't stick well enough for. But really today, in US, these two alternatives are excellent for pain relief.

This site gives the anatomy of the foot:
Nerves and Blood Vessels in the Foot

Notice the yellow areas which are the paths of the nerves.
Notice that they are in specific places. This is where you apply a pain relieving lidocaine product. People often put the lidocaine in the wrong place and fail. These illustrations will help you put the lidocaine in the right place. The inner ankle is a prime intervention spot as is the top of the foot. The skin on the bottoms of the feet is too thick and may block the absorption of the cream or patches.

I find that using these products works in a pulse like manner.
Use for a few days in a row, and sometimes the pain generator turns off on its own.

I forgot to mention, that the ankle and foot in general, can be sites for gout to occur.
Getting a uric acid test would be a good idea for any long standing foot pain.

Tendonitis is also a possibility.... if you have used Cipro (or Levaquin or Avelox) in the recent
past, you may have deterioration of your tendons, as a side effect. Worst case scenario is
a rupture which is very painful and can only be fixed surgically. Given that MSers have bladder
issues, you may all be exposed to Cipro treatments and therefore susceptible to tendon
damage.
Medscape: Medscape Access

Information for Healthcare Professionals: Fluoroquinolone Antimicrobial Drugs [ciprofloxacin (marketed as Cipro and generic ciprofloxacin), ciprofloxacin extended-release (marketed as Cipro XR and Proquin XR), gemifloxacin (marketed as Factive), levofloxacin (marketed as Levaquin), moxifloxacin (marketed as Avelox), norfloxacin (marketed as Noroxin), and ofloxacin (marketed as Floxin)]

I got some of the Salonpas and those little things are fantastic!! I won't be without them.

I have ordered some of the Aspercreme with Lidocaine. In the meantime I'm using Salonpas. They help but I'm hoping the Aspercrem will help more.

I have taken Cipro in the past for UTI's but it made my joints hurt SO badly I stopped it. Now I just tell the doctors I'm allergic to it.

You might want to see about an MRI of foot and ankle too. Sounds a lot like how both my ankles react and I've quite a few torn and frayed ligaments in there. For the most part they've improved with a bunch of muscle relaxers and the gabapentin, but if I miss too many doses of the relaxatants they swell right back up again and are very painful to move or walk on for awhile, at least a few weeks. Fingers crossed that's not the problem, but there's too many muscles, tendons and ligaments in the feet and ankles to trust a dx to an X-Ray IMO. And they generally don't react well to long bouts of spasms.

Hope you feel better soon :hug:

It's getting a little better. I keep a compression sock on that foot and it helps immensley. I need to buy another one since I'm washing the only one I have nearly everyday.

I think I'm going to call the doctor they referred me to at the E.R. Maybe he will need an MRI and can write up the order for it.

My gait is so messed up now due to this foot injury that my back and several other things hurt. :(

Honestly, I can't remember what feels like to not have some sort of pain.

How's your foot doing, Kelly? Has it gotten any better?