December 13
A message from a Chick:
I was wondering if you could ask the other chicks if they are having or had severe bottom of foot pain and what helped? I have been having a very hard time walking. My doctor said my feet were going flat from ligaments being attacked but this pain is excruciating and I don’t use that word very often. I wear sneakers with good insoles only I also live in Florida so it’s not a cold weather issue. Thank you very much and happy holidays!
Your input is greatly appreciated. Thank you. (((pain-free internet hugs)))
What our members have said so far:
Sharon – Need to see a podiatrist.
Cheryl – Same problem here, the only help has been the best insoles I can afford…left foot is worse than the right but both are still very painful.
Victoria – I have had that for a couple of weeks – thought it was from my boots but right foot only – it’s right up in the arch feels like bruise
Leslie – I have custom orthotics
Margaret – I was told the same thing – that the ligaments in my feet & ankles were being affected. I had some orthotics prescribed by a Rheumatology Podiatrist & they have helped – I can now manage my 4 hours on my feet at work without too much pain. I also got referred to a Physio who gave me some exercises to do at home for my feet & ankles. Hope you get sorted out xx
Catrina – I have that problem also. Some days it’s so bad that the time on my feet just to get through a shower is too much.
Doreen – Nike’s work the best for me. And Crocs. I have had 3 podiatrists and a few foot surgeries. They all say Crocs and Birkenstocks.
Tricia – I’ve had it for years and I’ve tried everything. The only things that work for me are Physical Therapy, tennis ball massage, soaking in Epsom salts and calf stretching.
Marcy – I would definitely see a podiatrist & get fitted for custom orthotics. My son & I both have rheumatoid arthritis & we have orthotics.
Mercedes – My metatarsals actually became separated from my toes. It was like walking on Legos. Check to see if you have lumps on the pads of your feet. If you do then the Clayton procedure will help immensely!
Penny – I agree with Sharon, see a podiatrist-foot doctor.
Michele – I also have the very painful feet. My doctor told me that I was getting flat feet, or fallen arches because of weakening muscles, he told me to wear runners made by CHAMPION or even better if I could go bare foot.
Patsy – Orthotics, Orthotics, Orthotics..lol
Penny – I have orthotics also, helped me tremendously.
Carol – I have the same problem…my right foot far more than the left but it feels like I’m walking on stones…
Megan – When I have pain in the bottoms of my feet I put lidocaine patches on and it’s instant relief. Talk to your doctor about it.
Debbie – I had flat feet before and really flat now, everyone is different, I love Skechers shape ups, they have so much Cush to them, I feel like I’m on pillows. Also New Balance worked. I can’t wear anything hard like Birks, or anything without a back to them because of having to grip my toes to keep the sandal/show on my feet.
Patricia – In addition to the other suggestions the Dr needs to offer additional or different RA meds for this – and/or pain meds, but my experience is that it’s systemic.
Becky – I had my arch fused. It worked for a couple years but the other bones have become more degraded so the pain is slowly coming back so I will have to have the other bones fused back into shape as well.
Julie – Yes I have. I used to put ice on them.
Christina – Even with good shoes my RA doctor and orthopedic doctor said to put arch supports in them. I use Dr. Scholls orth pro. The ones where you stand on the machine and are very expensive, are not worth the cost.
Kelly – Get checked for peripheral neuropathy. It took me years to figure it out. Lyrica helps a lot!
Heather – I have RA nodules on the bottom of mine. You should maybe see a foot doc and maybe get special shoes made
Jill – get Birkenstock sandals. They are a God Send.
Kim – Freeze a bottle of water and roll your foot back and forth over it. It helps me, I have plantar fasciitis from flat feet.
Donia – Ten years ago I couldn’t walk anymore due to bone erosions. I went to a good orthodics lab that makes artificial limbs and so on. They made me a pair of soft custom shoe orthodics that support my feet and back beautifully. I can’t walk without them not even to the bathroom; yet with them I can often walk a mile!
Jodie – Oh my goodness YES! Before I even knew what it was, I’d wake up & it hurt to walk – seemed so weird! I put on gel sandals as soon as I get up and wear them around the house. I also change shoes frequently throughout the day. Having pressure in different areas takes the majority of the pain away! And 4 Advil.
Mary – Make sure they are not wearing unevenly on the soles. I have the same pain. I want to try some sas Shoes. I also have been wearing Birkenstocks that have worn unevenly the podiatrist suggested
Cortisone directly into the bone on the sole of my foot. My rheumy was furious!
Donna – I had the same problem a couple of years ago. The orthopedist said I had Plantar Fasciitis. She prescribed me Mobic and show me some foot exercises. I haven’t had a problem with it since – knock on wood!
Detje – I have major pain in my big toe on my right foot. I have a hard time driving a car when it gets bad. I hope you find relief soon.
Melody – Try the new “Go Walk” shoes from Skechers, they have helped me. They are slip-on too.
Tristan – Sounds like Plantar Fasciitis. Kim’s recommendation sounds spot on that hurts initially. I got the plantar fasciitis while I was preggers. Hurts like a #*($(&#!!!! the therapy hurts too but the podiatrist can help with the shoes and special stuff to get you back on your feet.
Mandy – Mobic and Voltarin cream. My RA started in my feet and I have flares at times to where I just can’t stand to be on them. Biofreeze helps with it moving to the ankles also.
Jenny – I had joints in my foot fused this year and eventually will need all of them done. The pain from damaged joints can also be felt in the bottom of your feet. Make sure you don’t have joint damaged as well.
Ailsa – Make fun of them all you want, but Crocs are all I wear. I literally only have one non-Croc pair of shoes. I’m a teacher, so I’m on my RA feet all day. I rarely have foot pain now, and make sure that I wear my RX Crocs on bad days. I have neuropathy and take Neurotin 3 x day.
Tammy – I feel your pain as well!!
Lori – Try earth shoes they really help my feet.
Amber – It’s likely planters fasciitis.
Onnette – Yes. Feels like my bones are coming through my heels.
Elizabeth – I am suffering from the same thing. My feet are all swollen, can’t bend my toes, my ankles, well I have no ankles at this point. And my calves are so swollen they hurt when you press on them. It leaves indentations in my calves. Can’t get sneakers, crocs or anything else on my feet. Went and bought myself a pair of slippers. I used to wear a 5-6. Now because of the swelling I had to take a 9-10. OMG this is horrible. But would you call this flareups or what????????
Sarah – Alisa your story sounds like mine. I was taking Neurontin 3 x a day and wearing my crocs every day while teaching. I recently had epidurals done in my back which were actually the root of my foot pain. A bad L4/ L5 was causing a nerve to hurt down my legs, into my ankles and my whole feet. Totally thought it was my RA until my podiatrist said go get your back fixed and you’ll feel better. Been about 3 weeks @ 90% pain free.
Patricia – Sorry, I don’t have that!!
Tina – I just had surgery to remove Morton’s Neuroma from my right foot..the other neuroma in same foot will be removed next spring … very painful to walk … better now 2 1/2 weeks out of surgery … see foot Dr. for orthotics definitly & possible steroid shots … Rheumy says swelling in joints in toes put pressure on nerves causing the neuromas … good luck sweetie
Margie – YES YES I have the same problem get insoles!! Changes everything. And now the dollar store or dollar tree also carry them so you can try it cheap to see if they work. Good luck and I wish you relief.
Amandah – I used to have bad foot pain and started wearing Birkenstocks and have little to none foot pain.
Beverly – I do. I have no idea what will help sorry.
Mary – Yes, I have been suffering from the same thing!
Krista – I have the same pain. I must wear shoes with rigid and high arches – Dr. Scholl’s athletics and Propet walking are all I wear. And I have to replace them often – as soon as that arch starts to get soft or go flatter, I can tell it. Since I figured out what was going and figured out what shoes work for me I feel much better. Feet hurting all the time is awful.
Leslie – My RA started on the bottom of my feet. 5 years later still cant wear shoes. Flip flops only.
Amanda – Yes, I have this foot pain during by bad flares. I soak my feet in hot water and wrap my feet in my heating pads. Heat eases the pain some. I saw my rheumy last week and he recommended for me to get really good insoles and see if it helps. If it doesn’t, he’ll refer me to a podiatrist. I’m sorry you’re going through this.
Shelley-Rose – Yep! For about 6 months. Started with tendon pain, worsened to tendinitis, then torn ligaments, which all turned out to be.. you guessed it.. part of an RA flare! Hope you get some relief!
Janet – Possibly plantar fasciitis. Morton’s neuromas occur between the ligaments that run to toes. If pressing the bottom of your foot hurts bad, that’s usually plantar fasciitis. If it hurts between two toes when you press the foot from above and below, that’s probably a neuroma. I’ve had both. Get yourself to a good podiatrist.
Kimberly – Hi. I have dx of Lupus and Fibro, but as for foot pain…it’s horrible for me too. I am flat footed to begin with…hard to find shoes that do not hurt to walk in, wore sandals a lot since my feet swell fast when on them. The bones (I think) in my feet sometimes kill to stand or walk on them, always hurt, just worse some days. Since I do not have insurance that covers injections, some meds, surgery, or physical therapy, doctors do not do follow up appointments or referrals to specialists (even though I have coverage to see them if they accept it)…I am at a loss, Only thing I can hope for is an approval from soc sec disability…or God willing, a huge healing miracle….my feet are just a piece of my puzzle Prayers for all of us!!
Becky – My ligaments are being destroyed in my ankles, the pain is excruciating. Seeing a surgeon for surgery in a week.
John – Don’t get anything until you see a podiatrist. Let the doctor make a diagnosis it could be 1 of many things and only he or she can tell you what it is and what you need.
Latausha – This RA has really taken over my feet I can’t wear heels my ankles go to the sides I’ve tried expensive inserts in my shoes and all I always wondered is there something else I can do!
Kristin – I have found that wrapping an icy hot patch around my foot helps a bit
Betsy – Crocks are comfy. They are about all I can wear.
CeaCea – I have gout in both feet,common for RA people I was told. Git it in Sept and it has never went away. I’m on meds to stop reoccurrence…not helping obviously… I though the knee pain was bad, this out does that on days…
Gina – Dansko shoes saved me! I can work a 12 hour shift without horrible pain! Not to say I’m pain free but they have helped the bottom of my feet my knees and ankles.
Laura – Yes. I live in Florida right by Orlando and have tile throughout (big mistake). ALWAYS wear either good shoes or flops. I don’t even get out of bed barefooted.
CeaCea – I don’t have insurance my family Dr says I need to go to a podiatrist..Does anyone know the cost of these Doctors?
Karen – Had 3 surgeries to remove Morton’s Neuromas which are common in RA pts..they have come back although I had a few years of relief…orthotics work well to take pressure off of them…UGGS during the winter feel nice too.
Rachel – Yes, even walking around the house barefoot causes pain. I live in my reef flipflops.
Ruth – It could be plantar fasciitis. To help that, she can take a 2 liter empty bottle, fill it 3/4 way with water and freeze it (works with smaller bottles too) then pull it out of the freezer and roll it on the floor with the affected foot rolling it under the flat bottom of her foot. Cools and soothes the pain. Then be sure to keep a blood level of ibuprofen or some other anti-inflammatory going. Rolling the bottle will help exercise the affected foot and strengthen it while healing takes place. It feels so good!
Colleen – I live in Crocs, Year round. I have one arch that’s still OK and the other has fallen. They are not the most attractive shoes, but they help me 100%. Also, I take a rubber ball (or tennis ball) and roll it around under my foot to get it to relax and get some pain relief.
Carol – What about pain on the top of your feet, DX of RA and Fibro, but the top of my feet are extremely painful. If anyone has experienced this, advice welcome!
Karen – Carol, I have RA and pain on the top of both feet. I have tried everything to help the pain, but I haven’t found anything that works yet. Some days I have so much pain I fall when walking.
Brenda – I started having with really bad foot pain about 10 years ago. I went to a RA DR. and a foot DR. My toes were popping out of joint due to the swelling in the joints. I inquired about having them put back in the joints and was told they would probably pop out again. I opted not to go through a surgery that I would likely need again. I wear special ‘ugly’ shoes with a very high arch uplift and good support. Ugly—yea but it helps a lot.
Katie – This I’d why it’s important to get your own individual disability policy when and while you can. If your RA is controlled and you are able to work now please go out send buy a policy send protect your ability to earn an income.
Joy – My daughter has orthotics from the foot doctor. It has been about 10 years and after having her knees replaced had to have a new pair but dies without them. Dr Scholls now does something similar at their stands that has a machine that reads your feet.
Emily – I have foot pain and went to Ortho. I have no cartilage in bones beneath ankle and need them fused.
Kirsten – I also have an issue with my feet going flat AND I had a Morton’s Neuroma which was horribly painful. The Podiatrist said I might need surgery, but started me off with an injection of Cortisone & Lidocaine. Although the injection was very unpleasant, the excruciating pain I endured for years was gone within 10 minutes and hasn’t returned since 2005.
Trillian – Yep. I was dx’d with plantar fasciitis, and power step insoles help a lot. It’s an injury, but it seems for us it never heals. I also wear insoles on my socks. I don’t ever walk without arch support. I also do the stretches every day, or I pay for it. Even though I’m good at doing these things, standing for longer than a few minutes is still not an option.
Robbin – I had the same problem when my RA first presented and then again after my daughter was born. I found teva flip flops that form a bit to your feet help and sanita or dansko shoes. (Culinary clogs).
Kelly – Custom orthodics ate a life saver. Eventually I had to have my arch rebuilt surgically with titanium. Good luck!
Cheryl – Yes sometimes mine hurt,especially after been on my feet all day or too long!
Barbara – I saw a hand/foot specialist before being diagnosed with RA, he told me there was nothing wrong with my hands or feet. I thought he was a quack. I went to the Rheumatologist, she told me I had RA and I’ve been on the road to better feeling feet (and everything else) ever since. She told me to get Dansko’s (best) or Birkenstocks (if I couldn’t find Danskos). I’m still saving up for them. She said they are a little more expensive, but they are the absolute best thing for your feet, especially when you are on them all day long (I work on concrete 9 hours a day). And they last forever she tells me. I can’t wait to get my first pair. I’ve been looking online at both types. The Danskos look like they have more (and nicer) styles. Birkenstocks look like they have flatter styles for those (like me) who haven’t worn a heel in years due to bad feet. Hope you get some relief soon. I wear Dr. Scholls inserts right now. They are an ok substitute until I can get something better.
Eva – My feet get very painful when I go shopping and walking around. I also get cramps in my feet and toes and it is excruciating. My foot doc told me long ago to wear leather shoes that were wide and also recommended SAS shoes and I choose the leather sandals and I also live in Miami, FL. I have to soak my feet in hot water and epsom salt. Have your feet been xrayed to see if you have a ganglion cyst in your foot? Good luck. Feel Better!
JoDee – The reason for my diagnosis of RA was the pain I experienced on the bottom of my feet. I was unable to walk and literally shuffled around. I dealt with the pain for over a year and a half. Fortunately for me with cortisone shots and methotrexate, my pain has since left. It took about six months of the meds and shots to conquer the pain. My feet still ache time from time but not like the daily excruciating pain I did have.
Kay – That’s where mine started, still have it, I live in thongs. My nurse recommended Birkenstock sandals but haven’t got them yet as they are a bit exxy.
Helen – I have orthotics which are molds of my feet, cost a lot, they fit into my sandals. Takes away a lot of pain. I have ganglion cysts in my toes. I am extremely flat footed. I was also having aching heels from spurs. The orthotics relieved a lot of pressure. My toes stick up in air as well. My back and hips were hurting as well. My whole body is better balanced too.
Elviera – Sounds an awful like like my foot problems too- — 1st I got diagnosed with Plantar fasciitis, then surgery for Morton’s Neuroma, then RA. I wear Crocs most of the time, I also have special ortho shoes and custom made inserts, but the foot pain persists. Then doctor’s tell me it’s because my arches are leveling out, then they say it’s diabetic neuropathy. . . .yada yada yada. . . .I soak my feet, I go for foot and leg massages, yet the foot pain is always there! I do foot exercises. . . .just about anything to get relief from pain. Am on numerous medications, so now I guess I just have to learn to live with pain.
Kathy – Yes, I have severe foot pain, started using Lidocaine patches, the my rheumatologist diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis and bone spurs. I have since seen a podiatrist and was fitted for orthodics, just got them Monday, seems to be helping!
Kathy – You may need to have kinesiology also it helps
Deb – I can’t walk barefoot. I use dfsport slip ons for slippers and look for comfy supportive shoes every time I go to Ross discount store.
Kendra – When sitting, roll a golf ball under your foot. My trainer suggested it as I am getting help with strengthening exercises before my knee replacement. I am getting bad tensor fasciitis through the arch of my foot.
Melissa – Foot pain is tricky to treat. Try pt, inserts, and shots in feet, and prescription but don’t do surgery unless YOU HAVE too. Recovery sucks and results vary. Are you overweight? I am and what’s helped the best is weight loss from gastric sleeve.
Tracey – Yes, I have this problem. Rheumy upped my methotrexate dose and sent me to therapy recently. It seems to be helping. The pain level is highest when I take those first steps in the morning and after sitting/driving in car for more than 15 mins. I had a penguin waddle walk. Has this issue been eliminated for anyone through meds/therapy or is this a lifelong deal?? I love the info I get from here and RA Warrior page.
Nika – Everyone is different so don’t give up if some of the suggestions don’t work. If you can afford custom orthonics GREAT, get them. If not try some of the shoes mentioned along with gel insoles. I wanted the orthonics but they are not in my budget right now. Sketcher shapeups and Dr Scholls rocker sneakers helped me because they change how you step down on the foot. Right now I’m wearing a Rebok sneaker that has an air pillow on the ball and heel of the sole.
Cheryl – I also get severe pain in the bottom of my feet. In addition I had the joints removed from 4 toes last year. That was amazing. Take away the joints and they don’t hurt.
Liz – Orthoheels shoes are a blessing. And a product called,Two Old Goats, foot cream, from Amazon.
Pamela – Wow that’s Cindy. I’m just finding out about Chicks. R A. PLEASE TELL ME what to do for the pain on the top of the foot. ?? .And I have RA for 26 yrs and a bartender.
Sherri – I’m still trying to get relief for my feet pain which is all over! Cortisone shots only lasted 2 weeks and low dose Prednisone isn’t helping much now either! Waiting for orthotic shoes to come in.
Sara – I was the same I had foot pain for months and my foot doctor had a MRI and found out I had multiple stress fractures in 4 different bones. After MRI, 6 weeks wearing a brace, no weight bearing on that foot and I’m on my 3rd week and the swelling has gone down. Another thing my foot doctor also told me was that any one with RA in the feet should get wide shoes.
Annette – RA CHICK I so wish I could help relieve your pain…In the 34 years I have had R/A I have been on such a variety of pain meds.. starting with 3 aspirin every 4 hours 24/7. methotrexate pills [no help] to injecting it, worked good but made me so nauseous …
Annette – PS: methotrexate was a chemo-cancer drug… therefore the sickness using it.
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