Something's Afoot
January 30, 2016
When I started walking walking walking walking, I noticed that I was having a little discomfort in my left foot; specifically, my index toe. You know, the piggy that stayed home. Every once in a while I'd have a flash of pain. Nothing horrible, just a little flash. I chalked it up to the fact that I was exercising and my toe wasn't used to that. I figured it would go away.
Well, it didn't. It got worse. After a particularly energetic treadmill walk, the toe started... well, the only way I can describe it is to say it zzzzzz'd. It was like an electrical current shooting through my toe, from the nail to the base. What's more, my foot felt like it had a stone embedded in it, just below my toes.
Luckily, my three-month med check was only a week away, so I continued walking walking walking walking. When I went to the doc, he felt around under my toes and then, boom! He found the spot. I got a referral for a podiatrist -- not only for the toe pain, but also to have a diabetes foot check. (This check is pretty important if you have diabetes, because the circulation problems caused by diabetes affect the feet first. My Pop lost his leg because of diabetes, so I'm pretty sensitive to this.)
The podiatrist was great. She did the whole diabetes check first. That went perfectly. She could easily locate and feel my pulse, I felt the buzzing from the sound thingy, I felt all of the needle sticks, and my heels were in good shape. And the topper? I have hair on my feet. She was quite happy to see that, because it means my circulation is good enough to support hair growth. Who knew having hobbit feet was such a good thing?
On to the pain. I described it as the doc felt my toe joints. She found the hurty spot, then probed all around the hurty joint. It was very swollen, so no wonder it hurt.
Probably cause? Walking, of course. But not the actual act of walking. It turns out that my index toe joint is hitting the ground (whether treadmill or actual ground) before my big toe joint. The big toe joint is supposed to hit first, to lessen the shock on the rest of the toes.
She attached a little pad to the bottom of my foot, to force the big toe to hit first. Best news? I have to keep walking! It's the best way to determine if the pad is helping. If it does -- and I think it is -- the permanent solution is probably an orthotic insert of some sort.
I go back next week. Meanwhile, walking walking walking walking.