 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
just been diagnosed with "metatarsalgia, after spending a weekend in agony with what i thought was gout. I had severe pain in the joint of my index toe, which i now know is the at the end of the 2nd metatarsal.
has anyone else had this and do you know what the heck i can do to get rid of it?? I'm skiing in a couple of months and going off past experience it should have calmed down by then, but if it should flare up again whilst i'm out there then that'd be the end of skiing for a week!!.
as it happens i'm sort of half way through getting some boots fitted - at Rivington Alpine with Graham - i will obviously mention this to him as it may affect my boot fit. But i dont want to bother him with something that isn't his department - he's there to fit boots not fix me!!
thanks for any help or info.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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howster, metatarsalgia is not really a diagnosis, it's just a fancy term for a pain in the metatarsal. Causes could be a number of things I suspect, but I'm not a foot expert.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hells Bells,
thanks for the quick reply. I've just done some research and your right, it is simply a description for foot pain, in the ball part of the foot. Think i need to go and see an expert. Its not metatarsalgia i need curing but whatever is causing it!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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howster, Sounds exactly like what Mrs Basil has/had. She had been in agony for several weeks and eventually saw the doctor. Luckily we have med insurance and after an MRI which did not show much she had a steroid jab in the joint. Two weeks on all seems much better but if it fails may require the big toe being straightened. Hopefully all will be well for our Dec trip.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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It is actually inflammation of a neuroma (Morton's) between the metatarsal heads. Simple treatment is good supportive footwear and ibuprofen. If you are concerned see a Sports Podiatrist. However it should settle down.
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Metatarsalgia.htm
However never heard of an index toe. 'Joint' pain could be gout (joint at base of big toe) - ibuprofen and good footwear again! See the GP for a diagnosis/blood test
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Where you skiing a lot of steep off-piste or loose snow with your boots loose?
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hawkesbaynz, You are having a laugh if you think Ibuprofen will sort out gout. Agreed that an anti inflammatory is the way to go but a shop bought drug is useless and there is not a painkiller which will touch it either. If any of these work, including "good footwear" then it ain't gout. If it hurts so much that you could gnaw it off then see the doc as it may be gout.
By the way Mrs Basil's jab as mentioned earlier worked very well with no probs on last weeks skiing.
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Basil, in hawkesbaynz, defence he suggested GP and blood test to allay fears on things one might read on net as suggested causes; and so do I
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Medical advice should not be sought from the internet, as this thread shows.
Without much thought I could give you a dozen possible diagnoses which without the benefit of seeing your foot could all fit the bill.
Ibuprofen is as good a place to start as any. Safe (ish) and effective. Naproxen (less safe, but still not bad, and more effective) and diclofenac (definitely less safe but significantly (ish) more effective) are also available OTC.
Why does your GP think that this is not gout?
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Cynic, doctor_eeyore, It would appear that you both, probably, are talking with some authority and I agree with you. But speaking as somebody who has gout and knows a number of people with it, taking the over-the-counter route is a waste of time. I've not yet met a Dr who has gout who can appreciate the pain (like a rusty, blunt razor blade being stabbed into your toe etc) so taking brufen etc just extends the agony for another week until somebody has the goolies to prescribe Indomethacin.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Basil wrote: |
| ...until somebody has the goolies to prescribe Indomethacin. |
Brave doctors tend to have short careers.
It's all about (as ever) risks vs benefits. The benefits of indometacin are great, but so are the risks. Vomiting significant volumes of blood is an unpleasant experience (for both patient and doctor), and explaining to relatives why your treatment cured the pain but killed the patient is not an easy task.
Naproxen is a more appropriate 1st line treatment.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Do you have a naturally high arch/instep? One issue many people have with ski boots is pain under the metatarsals (or numbness) when skiing. This can often be due to clamping a boot down hard with inadequate support from your footbed. This is worse for people with high arches as your "fore-metatarsal joint" (being not scientific in description here!) is driven into your boot sole before your arch takes up the pressure. The solution here is a PROPPER foot orthotic (custom footbed). If you have very high arches (as I have) then you will need to get propper orthotics made as the standard conformable type made by ski shops do not go high enough.
Ironically, I recently discovered that people with very high arches can be prone to ruptured Achilles tendons. I was told this during physio after rupturing an Achilles back in June. 
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| doctor_eeyore wrote: |
| The treatment cured the pain but killed the patient. |
Small price to pay to get rid of gout pain.
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You know it makes sense.
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My dad suffers with gout (usually caused by blood pressure tablets) its diagnosed with a blood test showing high levels of uric acid in the blood, which crystallise and gather at a joint, most commonly the big toe, but can be any joint. It is horrifically painful, and is treated with anti inflammatries, ie Ibuprofen, which won't necessarily kill the pain but does help reduce the inflammation causing the pain, Diet plays a big part in gout too, avoiding certain foods really helps, idnit definitely isn't gout pay a visit to a good podiatrist , who should be able to relieve pain byway of orthotics etc, good luck.
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