Hi, I read your post on the thread about HR below and didn't want to hijack his post. I have a few questions for you.

First, I am so sorry for your bad experiences with the surgery. I have not been to a podiatrist yet, but will take your advice to heart about the surgery and the meds. I wish you well and hope your healing will speed up once you get the stitches out and cast off!

First question, everything I have read on the net says that it is nearly impossible and very painful to bend the toe upwards (toward the ceiling). Well, even though I find that to be true it is much worse for me to try to bend it the other way. Did you find that to be true with you?

Second, it is not painful when I am at rest, but kills when I bend it the wrong way, swim across the pool, walk up an incline, etc. I also cannot wear heels at all, but have never been much of a heel person anyway, at least not the big ones. It hurts a great deal too if someone steps on it (since I teach kindergarten it has happened more than once). Did you pain occur while you were at rest too or was it more like what i am experiencing? When I do have pain it literally can bring me to tears.

Third, did you go to a podiatrist or an orthopedic doctor? Which kind would you recommend? And, last but not least, what is usually the first line of treatment? I did not want surgery even before reading your post, but now even more so. I am not sure about the pain killers either because when I was on stuff like that years ago for a heel spur it just upset my stomach, giving me terrible indigestion and heartburn all the time. It is swollen and inflamed if that makes a difference in the way they treat it.

Please share with me whatever you can about this. I am very interested.

Nancy

Well, first of all, you need a diagnosis. If it is HR, it is degenerative and nothing can stop that - unless you quit using your foot! If you move the toe, then it's going to continue to degenerate because it is rubbing against the bone. There is loss of cartilege and it's just that way it is.

As for meds, you should not be taking pain killers but anti-inflammatories - celebrex if Aleve, etc don't work or perhaps Mobic. (toobad they took Vioxx off the market!).

The longer you wait to have this corrected, the more damage will be done to the joint and therefore the fewer options you will have. As I've stated before, Shaquille O'Neal had a cheilectomy and was back playing basketball 6 or 8 weeks later. So there is obviously success from the surgery. I had mine 4 years ago and jog and wear low heels with no problems ( I do take 2 aleve every day).

Your info says you are in Florida. Don't know which town but there are lots of options. If your town has a pro basketball or football team (Tampa Bay. Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville), call their front office and ask who they use for this condition. If you are in a college town (Gainesville, Tallytown) call the university's athletic department and find out who they use. That's who you want to see. This is very typically an athletic condition (also called turf toe, runner's toe, tennis toe, etc) so they will have lots of experienve with it. Also, the pro teams and major colleges don't send their players to just anyone. They have too much invested in them.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I know I need to go. As a matter of fact, I think you were the one who gave me this same advice awhile back, but I have yet to do it. The other night the dog stepped on my foot and I was just about in tears and in major pain for about ten minutes. DH told me he is giving me till Christmas break to get it done, so I guess I'll be going soon. I am first going to my former podiatrist I think because I had heel spurs several years ago and he really helped me. I am in Daytona, so I am fairly close to Orlando and may consider asking who they use for the Magic.

Thanks sooooooooooooooo much!

Nancy

Just be REAL sure of the doctor's expertise and experience with THIS condition. A surgery gone bad will result in worse pain than you have now.
Don't mess around with it! Good luck!