. Anyone have chronic foot pain with out a diagnosis? It
Started last spring in right big toe, suddenly felt like pin in it, then red, then inflamed,swollen but Not gout(so they say). Then sesamoid joint swollen and inflamed. On a friends advice bought Ariat terrrains and thought problem was solved. Love those boots but toe/foot pain remain.
Someone suggested its from my yrs. on stirup pressure other blame the treadmill. but its getting worse .
I’ve seen 3 podiatrist, MRI not very remarkable(some cycts) one orthopedics and no diagnosis or help.I have photo of it bright xmas red (after 1 mile walk)and swear to the docs its not photo shopped when they roll their eyes .
So help, all ideas greatly wanted. . I managed a trip to NYC by wearing my ariat boots all over the city, still hurt but 80% less than other shoesI can’t find shoes to wear.
Anyway I hurt, its still red, inflamed and Doctors are useless.
Hard to believe that no one can diagnosis foot trouble much less fix it.I’m getting housebound and depressed although i still ride it hurts for days afterward.
OK, obviously I don’t know what’s wrong with your foot and my advice can’t possibly be as targeted as your own podiatrists’. But, I bought this thing recently, and it has made an enormous difference in my feet.
At first it hurt, but when my feet got used to it, they got stronger and healthier. Really amazing.
Many years ago I was developing MAJOR foot pain that would last for days from just 30 minutes of riding. It started off slow over the years, first there was just minor soreness, but over the years it ended up that I dreaded dismounting and walking the horse back to the barn because my feet hurt so much.
I finally traced the cause of my foot pain–Fillis stirrups. Under the pad the tops of the Fillis footbeds are around 1/8" wide. The Fillis pad is not quite thick enough to cushion the narrow metal footbed.
I changed to Prussian sided stirrups (Stuebben still makes them, http://stubbennorthamerica.com/product/1102/prussian-style-stirrup-irons/) and my foor pain disappeared. The footbeds of the Prussian style stirrups are 1/2" wide, MUCH more comfortable to my feet!
Let me know if you find an answer. My big toe joints have been getting steadily worse over the past 8 years. I do cortisone injections, have $1500 worth of orthotics, am on multiple pain killers, as well as, oral and topical medications to reduce inflammation, and have tried massage and acupuncture. I have one pair of shoes that I wear.
In my case, I have arthritis in the joint which is so disabling. Perhaps an x-ray would help with a diagnosis for you?
I am hardly riding anymore because I have so much trouble walking to and from the paddock. I have put on a ton of weight because I am barely active anymore. If I teach a lesson and ride on a Saturday, I am on the couch off my feet all day Sunday. I used to be such an active person, this is really difficult.
Good luck! I hope you can get a diagnosis and some help.
[QUOTE=Jackie Cochran;8424929]
Many years ago I was developing MAJOR foot pain that would last for days from just 30 minutes of riding. It started off slow over the years, first there was just minor soreness, but over the years it ended up that I dreaded dismounting and walking the horse back to the barn because my feet hurt so much.
I finally traced the cause of my foot pain–Fillis stirrups. Under the pad the tops of the Fillis footbeds are around 1/8" wide. The Fillis pad is not quite thick enough to cushion the narrow metal footbed.
I changed to Prussian sided stirrups (Stuebben still makes them, http://stubbennorthamerica.com/product/1102/prussian-style-stirrup-irons/) and my foor pain disappeared. The footbeds of the Prussian style stirrups are 1/2" wide, MUCH more comfortable to my feet![/QUOTE]
Some rubber treads for Fillis are more substantial than others. I have Courbette and Korsteel. The Courbette treads are very solid-feeling.
Metal treads like the cheesegrators might help give a broader surface.
Compositi treads will really widen it. http://www.englishridingsupply.com/compositi-spikes-stirrup-tread-464992?manufacturer_id=27
The Equiwing and Aussie 4 bar and other wide tread stirrups are nice, too.
The Prussian / hunt irons are what we all used as kids, and what I still use for saddleseat. If you want a pair to try for cheap, try ebay or Tack Solutions by Leslie for used ones. Most had pricked treads so that you could use them with or without the rubber treads. But most of the older used irons now have been worn smooth and you’ll need rubber treads on them.
http://www.tackzone.com/catalog/polo-stirrups-p-804.html?osCsid=4baa7c8cc807e01d512d88abbba1ce51
5" polo stirrups with the Prussian style wide sides and a big broad & flat tread.
[QUOTE=Cindyg;8424300]
But, I bought this thing recently, and it has made an enormous difference in my feet.
At first it hurt, but when my feet got used to it, they got stronger and healthier. Really amazing.[/QUOTE]
Wow. It’s $180 here in Canada and that’s on sale. Would you say it’s worth the expense?
Could be a future bunion. Mine started with a decade of occasional, stabbing toe pain, moved on to joint pain, and I, too, was only comfortable in Ariat Terrains. I saw a sports medicine orthopedist who suggested that anatomical changes in the foot – where bone actually starts to move, like with a bunion – is often related to tightness in the calves. I’ve been getting myofascial release body work – called Structural Integration by the KMI practitioners – and it has helped quite a bit with reducing at least the pain of the bunion. Try a sports medicine oriented ortho, and consider a bodyworker.
I bought a book called : Pain Free by Egoescue ( Pete) and I take Curamin ( boswellia and tumeric or circumin) I think you can look it up curamin.com ( check the spelling - don’t have it in front of me)
For the first time in years I am pain free because of those two things.
[QUOTE=Come Shine;8425161]
Wow. It’s $180 here in Canada and that’s on sale. Would you say it’s worth the expense?[/QUOTE]
There are many different ones on Amazon. I can’t say that they’re all the same, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I picked the cheapest one (at that time).
Is it worth it? For me it was the cost of 2 podiatrist appointments (or one + the gadgets they sell). So, yeah, so far, it was worth it. 
Have you been tested for Lyme?
[QUOTE=Cindyg;8426230]
There are many different ones on Amazon. I can’t say that they’re all the same, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I picked the cheapest one (at that time).
Is it worth it? For me it was the cost of 2 podiatrist appointments (or one + the gadgets they sell). So, yeah, so far, it was worth it. :)[/QUOTE]
Being as desperate as I am for some relief, I ended up biting the bullet and getting one last night. WOW. Thank you so much for recommending this product. I cannot believe the difference it has already made. It took the swelling down so much that I can actually get shoes on today. Thank you!!
[QUOTE=Cindyg;8426230]
Is it worth it? For me it was the cost of 2 podiatrist appointments (or one + the gadgets they sell). So, yeah, so far, it was worth it. :)[/QUOTE]
Shiatsu is like a less-painful version of KMI body work 
And, yes, any tool that gets at the same area AND costs the same as one session is worth trying! Another thing that you could also try are toe separators. I’ll wear the big fat silicon ones for an hour at night, with my feet up, and that seems to help my ankle flexibility and foot pain.
To get into your calves – and you do want to take a look at whatever is upstream of the lameness, right? – you could try ball rolling. The cheap way is with tennis balls & YouTube videos with Jill Miller. And try to treat yourself as nicely as you would your lame horse – no grinding away thinking no pain, no gain :winkgrin:
Are you saying that the foot pain is caused by riding ?
Wow great suggestions. I think some of the foot pain,sesmoditis maybe comes from 50 yrs. of riding but then the last few yrs. i got into fast walking on a treadmill. I can’t jog because of never healed fractured talus(ankle) from a fall.
its not arthritis but I have seen 4 doctor/ortho and podiatrist because I’m desperate, inactivity is not good for my mental status.
. Just very hard to understand why I can’t get a diagnosis and my DH is a P.T. so I know all the tricks. I’ve been trying the ice bucket dancers use, boy its painful and it helps but a few hours later the big toes are again red inflamed and swollen.
I really don’t like doctors but I can’t accept not being able to walk w/o serious pain and disability.
COME SHINE sounds like we have similar issues.
Don’t know about others but it seems that whenever something goes wrong with me the Doctors have no clue. My vet says yes thats medicine so why do we bother …can u tell i’m getting bitter.
I just Looked at the product on Amazon but heat is the worst thing for inflammation. Its ice you want to use , heat just feeds the flames maybe good for sore muscles but ice ice ice, hurts but its all that helps.Professiona; dancers have buckets with ice in them off stage where they dunk their feet and so do football players.
So anyone else with swollen big toes thats not gout?
[QUOTE=walkers;8427685]
I just Looked at the product on Amazon but heat is the worst thing for inflammation. Its ice you want to use , heat just feeds the flames maybe good for sore muscles but ice ice ice, hurts but its all that helps.Professiona; dancers have buckets with ice in them off stage where they dunk their feet and so do football players.[/QUOTE]
I agree with you about the heat vs. ice. I don’t know why so many “healing” devices include heat. It must be inexpensive to add. The heat is optional on the product I linked, plus, it doesn’t really get noticeably warm anyway.
Well, how wonderful! I am delighted I could help! For me, it was the next morning. I got out of bed and my feet felt strong and healthy! I was so shocked I texted my dh (who was out of town). I now use it any time I’m sitting.
[QUOTE=walkers;8427678]
I can’t jog because of never healed fractured talus(ankle) from a fall.
Don’t know about others but it seems that whenever something goes wrong with me the Doctors have no clue. My vet says yes thats medicine so why do we bother …can u tell i’m getting bitter.[/QUOTE]
A serious lack of help from doctors & PT drove me to go to yoga teacher training to try and understand/fix my severe foot pain. I was very bitter. Yoga helped, but the two things that have made the biggest difference for me, by far, were doing the myofascial release bodywork ($140/session for 10 sessions - ouch!) and . . . don’t freak out, internet . . . an anti-inflammatory diet. No gluten, very little sugar or booze, tons of green veggies. And very, very ugly Saucony walking sneakers. Ok, and endurance stirrups - wide, cushiony.
It’s been a huge PITA life transformation – but I couldn’t walk, and I was 41 years old. I had to get radical. No one tool works for everyone. Keep trying stuff & hang in there.
My only concrete thought about your feet, OP, is that with a weakened talus, you’re probably weighting your forefoot a lot more when you walk or run, and that’s putting more pressure on your sesamoids than they like. Could you do a recumbent bike instead? Or run in the water? Or, shudder, try something intense but not foot-weight-bearing like Pilates?
I had some major foot pain earlier this year and after several doctor visits and an MRI later realized I have hernia on the bottom of my foot…which is pretty rare according to my doctor. He is certified in podiatry and sports medicine so I was very fortunate to have found him. There is actually a lump on the bottom of my foot where the hernia is and hurts like crazy sometimes. Riding doesn’t bother it too much, but standing up doing lessons all day really bothers it.
It still hurts but I try resting it and getting massages when it is inflamed. It still causes me problems after being on my feet all day so next step will probably end up being surgery 
I was wondering if anyone has had a cortisone injection in the foot around semoid bones? I am chicken but desperate . This would be done by radiologist so I guess that means deep not the short shot in the podiatrist office.
I can ride but can’t walk or stand for long without steady invreasing pain. Ice in a bucket helps but nothing is fixing it.
Found a web site angryorthopedics.com and he recommend a calf stretch3 x day for months for most foot trouble and never surgery.
Thoughts?
